Keeping students connected (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Keeping students connected
Program's aim: Help Native Americans stay in school

By Jonnie Taté Finn
jtatefinn at argusleader.com
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070423/NEWS/704230333/1001

Tozi Top Bear has dreams of becoming the first of her five sisters to
graduate from high school, join the military and go to college.

"I see how my other sisters are right now, and they're struggling," said Top
Bear, a spunky eighth-grade Lakota girl who attends Whittier Middle School.
"I don't want to be like that. I want to figure out what I'm going to do
with my life and do things for myself."

If Top Bear reaches her goal of graduating, she will be one of the few
Native American students in the Sioux Falls School District to do so.

According to the district's Office of Indian Education, Native American
students have the highest dropout rate among any other ethnic minority
tracked by the district: 13.2 percent, compared with an overall student
dropout rate of 4.9 percent.

Those numbers are unacceptable to Jolene Groen, executive director of Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Sioux Empire. That's why the organization
teamed up with the Sioux Empire United Way and Native American community
leaders last summer to brainstorm ways to keep those students in school.

"Ultimately, we came up with the idea of providing a mentor to Native
American students," Groen said. "But we wanted a mentoring relationship to
encompass the child's whole life, not just the educational portion of it."

Thus, the Native American Scholars program was born in February and with it
came Karla Abbott, program manager, who left a 20-year career in nursing
for the position.

In addition to promoting the program within the district, Abbott, an
enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, will match mentors to
Native American students and function as a sort of cultural liaison between
schools, students, mentors and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

"People ask why Natives get this program," Abbott said. "Sometimes it's hard
to defend because of how diverse this city is. But the need is there - just
look at the dropout rate."
Pilot program

The program is the first of its kind in the state and for Big Brothers Big
Sisters. Lincoln High School and Whittier Middle School will serve as pilot
schools for the program. Abbott so far has matched four students with
mentors.

More students are on a waiting list. With a budget of $81,000 this year, the
program can match 30 students. Groen said finding mentors has been an issue.

"Realistically, we can't find every kid a Native American mentor, though
that would be ideal," Groen said. "Instead, we'll train non-Native mentors
in Native American culture, so that they might be more sensitive to the
student's cultural needs."

Debbie Sneve is Top Bear's mentor. The two were matched earlier this month.
Sneve's ancestors were Choctaw.

Top Bear's mother, Georgianna, said she's just happy her daughter has
someone to help her with homework, play games with and admire. "That's why
I'm so glad Deb's here," said Top Bear, who works late shifts at John
Morrell & Co. "I just don't have the time to do those things."
Mobility, history issues

Lack of parental involvement or a mentor are just two factors that might
contribute to the Native American dropout rate.

Bill Smith, director of the district's Instructional Support Services, said
mobility can be an issue, and some students, such as Top Bear, lack a
history of high school graduation in their families.

In 2002, Smith tracked 112 Native American freshmen through graduation in
2005. He found that of that group, 13 students graduated in the district,
55 transferred to another district, eight continued their educations in the
district past 2005 in summer school or special education and 36 either
dropped out or were unaccounted for, meaning record requests weren't made
for the student.

Only in the past two school years has the district specifically tracked
figures such as dropout rates based on ethnicity.

Smith said several factors contribute to the dropout rate of all ethnic
groups including poor attendance, poor grades, behavior and job issues.
Staying in school

Beyond working with Native American Scholars, the Sioux Falls School
District also has incorporated ways to keep Native Americans in school.

Gail Swenson, who oversees the school district's Indian education office,
said adding the Native American Connections course a few years ago to
elective choices at all the middle and high schools and re-instituting a
Lakota language class next year at Washington and Lincoln high schools are
steps in the right direction.

The connections course is the district's way to try and "infuse Native
culture and values into the regular course schedule," Swenson said.

Swenson said filling in those cultural gaps seems to be helping more Native
Americans to stay in school. The district graduated 30 Native American
students last year - 18 more students than in 2000.

Elias Americanhorse is in the connections class at Lincoln. He's had it as
one of his electives since seventh grade.

"I like it because it tells us about our culture and history. It focuses on
our history, and that's an important part of every history," the sophomore
said. "I think every kid should have to take it. I mean, there's stuff in
there I probably would never have learned in a regular history class."

For Shauna His Law, taking the connections class at Lincoln High School and
joining the Native American Scholars program are her way of defeating the
dropout stereotype.

"(The programs) give Indians a chance to do something in school instead of
just dropping out or getting into trouble," His Law said. Her goal is to
graduate, earn a college degree and become a pediatrician.

"I want to do something better in life, rather than have people judge me for
being Native," His Law said. "People think just because you're Native you're
going to fail or just give up. I'm not going to."

Reach reporter Jonnie Taté Finn at 331-2320.

Published: April 23. 2007 1:55AM