ASSESSMENT IN A TRIBAL COLLEGE CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF NORTHWEST INDIAN COLLEGE by ANNE MARIE KARLBERG B.Sc. (Honours), The University of Toronto, 1986 M.P.H., Tulane University, 1989 B.Ed., The University of Toronto, 1992 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Educational Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA July 2007 © Anne Marie Karlberg, 2007 ABSTRACT Approximately 32 tribal colleges are located on reservations in the United States. Their aim is to provide Native American students with a culturally relevant and meaningful post- secondary education. Assessment uses methods of applied research to improve student learning. The aim of this study is to advance theoretical and applied knowledge in the field of assessment within tribal colleges. This undertaking is noteworthy given that tribal colleges are vital to the development and future of Native American communities. I use a case study methodology to examine a specific assessment program that is being developed at Northwest Indian College (NWIC), a tribal college in Washington state. In this study, I provide responses to three research questions: (1) What criteria are best used to evaluate an assessment program in a tribal college context? (2) Which elements of the NWIC assessment program are most and least successful according to the evaluative criteria established in Research Question 1? and (3) What preconditions and other contextual factors contribute to the relative success or failure of different elements of the NWIC assessment program? I review the history of Native Americans in higher education, provide an overview and critique of the emerging assessment movement, and discuss the state of assessment within the tribal college system. This study demonstrates that assessment can be done in a tribal college context in a culturally respectful and meaningful way and provides insights into how this can be approached. My findings suggest that effective tribal college assessment programs use three types of information to assess student learning — direct indicators, indirect indicators, and institutional and community data — and assess each of these at the tribal community, college, program, and course levels. It is equally important to pay attention to the inputs into the assessment program ii (i.e., plans and resources) and how the assessment program is carried out. Furthermore, the intention of the assessment program is to impact the college’s context. Articulating and revisiting the tribal college’s mission — with its focus on the self-determination of Native peoples — is a critical initial step in the development of assessment programs that should be emphasized in this framework. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES .....................................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 3 NWIC Assessment Program Case Study ................................................................................. 3 Positioning Myself ................................................................................................................... 6 Significance of Organizational Insider Research..................................................................... 9 Overview of the Doctoral Thesis ........................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2 NATIVE AMERICANS IN HIGHER EDUCATION — HISTORY AND OVERVIEW OF TRIBAL COLLEGES.................................................................................. 13 The History of Native Americans in Higher Education in the United States ........................ 14 The Founding of Tribal Colleges in the United States (1960s).............................................. 31 Tribal Colleges Today............................................................................................................ 38 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 58 CHAPTER 3 ASSESSMENT IN THE UNITED STATES — OVERVIEW AND CRITIQUE .................................................................................................................................. 60 What is Assessment?.............................................................................................................. 61 Why do Assessment? ............................................................................................................. 63 Criticisms and Concerns about Assessment........................................................................... 66 Benefits of Effective Assessment Processes .......................................................................... 81 Mainstream Approaches to Assessment................................................................................. 82 Types of Information Used for Assessment Purposes ........................................................... 84 Assessment Issues Specific to Two-Year Colleges and Tribal Colleges............................... 97 Emerging Innovative Approaches to Assessment................................................................ 100 Planning and Reporting........................................................................................................ 105 Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 109 CHAPTER 4 ASSESSMENT IN TRIBAL COLLEGES...................................................... 110 Guiding Principles................................................................................................................ 110 State of Assessment in Tribal Colleges................................................................................ 116 Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 137 iv CHAPTER 5 METHODOLOGY............................................................................................ 139 Case Studies ......................................................................................................................... 139 The CIPP Model................................................................................................................... 147 Research Design................................................................................................................... 150 Respondents ......................................................................................................................... 151 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 152 CHAPTER 6 EVALUATION FRAMEWORK AND RESULTS ........................................ 153 Context (Research Question 3) ............................................................................................ 153 Inputs (Research Questions 1 and 2).................................................................................... 156 Process (Research Questions 1 and 2).................................................................................. 171 Products (Research Questions 1 and 2)................................................................................ 180 Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 210 CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................ 211 Response to Research Question 1 (Criteria) ........................................................................ 212 Response to Research Question 2 (Most and Least Successful Elements).......................... 219 Response to Research Question 3 (Preconditions and Contextual Factors)......................... 224 Implications of Research...................................................................................................... 228 Limitations of the Study....................................................................................................... 240 Suggestions for Future Research and Work......................................................................... 242 Concluding Remarks............................................................................................................ 243 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................... 245 APPENDIX A SECTION OF THE NWIC ASSESSMENT PLAN (DRAFT) (2007 – 2012) ....................................................................................................................................................