for Native Students: A Report on Washington State Colleges and Universities Pathways for Native American Students: A Report on Colleges and Universities in Washington State Report Development Team Kayeri Akweks, Washington Board for Community & Technical Colleges Nadine Bill, Northwest Indian College Loretta Seppanen, Washington Board for Community & Technical Colleges Barbara Leigh Smith, The Evergreen State College A Report from the Partnership for Native American College Access & Success Project Copyright @2009 Antioch University-Seattle Grays Harbor College Muckleshoot Tribal College Northwest Indian College The Evergreen State College With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education We encourage using and sharing this report for educational purposes, but please use appropriate attribution when using and citing this report. Pathways for Native American Students: A Report on Colleges and Universities in Washington State TABLE OF CONtENtS Preface . .III Executive Summary. IV Part 1: Native American/Alaskan Native Participation in Postsecondary Education in Washington State Introduction . 1 Methodology. 2 Structure of the Report . 3 Historical Background . .4 Native American Demographics. 5 Tribal Populations and Educational Attainment Levels. 6 Tribal Needs and Economic Impacts. 9 The Growth of Tribal Operations. 10 Natural Resources. 10 What Works in Native Student Success. 11 Tribal Colleges. 14 Tribal Colleges in Washington . .15 Profile: Northwest Indian College. 16 Reservation-Based Programs . 18 Inter-Institutional Efforts . 18 Financial Aid . 20 Student Support Services. 22 Creating Seamless Pathways between the K-12 System and Higher Ed . 24 Closing the Opportunity Gap in Indian Education. .24 Early Awareness and College Readiness Programs. 26 I | Pathways for Native Students Middle College High Schools: American Indian Heritage Middle College. 28 Dual Enrollment Programs . 28 Running Start. 28 Native Early College High Schools . 29 Profile: Northwest Native Youth Leadership Summit. 29 Indian Education in Washington’s Community Colleges . .32 Native Faculty in Washington Community Colleges. .38 New Frameworks for Supporting Student Achievement & Measuring Progress. .40 The Community College Approach to Retention. 40 Supporting Student Achievement & Assessing Progress. .41 Profile: Peninsula College. 44 Washington Community Colleges’ Indian Education Programs. .45 Profile: Skagit Valley College. .46 Collaboration with Tribes. .47 Profile: Everett Community College . 47 Profile: South Puget Sound Community College. 48 Distance Learning and Washington Online. .50 Profile: Grays Harbor College. 49 Community College Student Support Services . 50 Washington Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities . .52 Profile: The Evergreen State College. .52 Profile: Western Washington University. 54 Profile: Washington State University. 55 Profile: The University of Washington. 56 Washington Independent Colleges & Universities . 58 Profile: Heritage University. .59 Profile: Antioch University-Seattle . 60 Profile: Seattle University . 62 Conclusions about What Works in Washington . 64 Left. Canoe Journey. Courtesy of Lisa Sampson Eastman, Quinault. Right, Evergreen Reservation-based program BA graduates, Courtesy Barbara Leigh Smith Leigh Barbara Courtesy BA graduates, program Reservation-based of Lisa Sampson Eastman, Quinault. Right, Evergreen Courtesy Canoe Journey. Left. Recommendations . 66 Part 2: Institutional profiles Two-Year Colleges. 70 Four-Year Colleges and Universities Independent. 93 Public. 116 References. 134 List of Figures and Tables. 138 A Report on Washington State Colleges and Universities | II Preface Education is sacred work —through education, as Native people, we help our children and each other to be good human beings. In our traditional and historic experiences, education is the way that we learn about creation, spirituality, social and family relationships, and how to provide for ourselves. In our contemporary life, we are experiencing education in more formal settings such as schools, colleges and universities but that education still has the same purposes. This report is a collection of stories about how we, as Native people, are experiencing higher educa- tion in the State of Washington. Our experiences are shared from an institutional perspective show- ing the many ways that state, independent and tribal colleges and universities are striving to meet the demand of tribal people for a high quality education that honors cultural identity and tribal goals. Our stories share many successes. Through this brief examination of our best practices, our pathways, successful strategies can be examined and explored toward creation of even more opportunities. No barrier to access American Indians across the U.S. continue to be among those popula- is so great that it tions which have a low participation rate in higher education. This is true cannot be removed for tribal people in the State of Washington as well. There are many ways in which we continue to fail or limit the opportunity for education for Native through our people. This can range from inadequate preparation for college and limited collective efforts. financial aid to a lack of transportation or childcare. From our perspective as Native people, access to education not only removes barriers but honors the place-based experiences of tribal people and recognizes deeply embedded cultural identity. Native people should be able to go to college wherever they want. No barrier to access is so great that it cannot be removed through our collective efforts. We have a right to educa- tion. We have a right to a post-secondary educational experience that honors our identities, promotes our social and economic well-being, builds our capacity as leaders and managers of our own resources and provides the training that we need to be successful in our careers. The recommendations of this report focus on specific strategies to promote improved access. We appreciate the many ways that our allies throughout higher education including founda- tions, tribal, state and federal government partners and legislators and organizations in our communities have shown determination and willingness. More persistent and adequate re- sources are needed in order to continue to move forward with the recommendations. The hands, hearts, and minds of many people touched this report. Their contributions are honored by each of us through our commitment to using the report to inform our discussions and our decisions. My hands go up to each of you in appreciation for your work. Cheryl Crazy Bull, President Northwest Indian College III | Pathways for Native Students Executive Summary Introduction This report is the product of a collaboration between Northwest Indian College, The Evergreen State College, Grays Harbor College, Antioch University-Seattle, and Muckleshoot Tribal College. Our partnership sprang from a common interest in better serving Native students and communities by strengthening programs and creating more seamless pathways between our institutions. An important part of our work was to explore the postsecondary education landscape for Native American students in the state of Washington. Washington has a substantial Native American/Alaska In recognition of the gap between those with postsec- Native population, with 29 federally recognized tribes and ondary education and those left behind, the Washington large urban Indian populations in Seattle, Tacoma, and State Higher Education Coordinating Board’s 2008 Spokane. The Native populations are young and growing: Strategic Master Plan, Moving the Blue Arrow: Pathways for some tribes, nearly one-half of their entire population to Educational Opportunity, has a goal of increasing the is under the age of 18. Washington tribes are in an im- number and percentage of students, staff, and faculty of portant era of cultural revitalization and nation-building. color in postsecondary education. The aspirational goals Many are taking advantage of changes in federal policy that are two-fold: 1) by 2015, Washington will place in the now promote self-governance in a broad array of areas. top 10 states in achieving parity for under-represented As a result, there is a rising need for Native American minority students and for students in poverty who access people with education and training beyond high school. higher education; and 2) by 2020, Washington will place Interest in all facets and levels of education is growing. among the top 10 states in achieving parity in these To increase our effectiveness, we need to know more groups in terms of two- and four-year degree comple- about what tribes and Native students need, where there tion (Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2007, 35). are overlaps and gaps in services, what various institutions The State Legislature has also been exploring these are doing, and what is working (and not working) based pressing issues. As we began work on this project, we on current data and trends. While various state agencies learned that it had recently commissioned studies on the produce periodic reports relative to student and institu- K-12 achievement gap among underrepresented popula- tional diversity, Washington’s colleges and universities tions. We contacted the K-12 Indian Achievement gap have never developed a status report specifically on Native American students. We found these institutional eager to share their work and take up the challenge of learning more.