Each fall the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) conducts the Native American Needs Assessment in schools that predominantly serve Native American students. In 2023 teachers and administrators in 35 schools across 25 local education agencies were recruited to participate.
The assessment helps the state discover areas of strength and celebration, establish commonalities across districts or schools, and determine needs and priorities for school support. The resulting North Dakota Native American Needs Assessment Action Plan is developed annually based on the survey results and provides school and district staff with tools and resources. During the 2023 survey process, responses were received from 125 teachers in schools serving large proportions of Native American students. It is important to note this sample size might not be representative of all teachers in schools serving Native American students and the survey results should be interpreted with that in mind.
School Climate
Teachers report at least some school focus on attendance. Of teacher respondents:
- 96% say schools monitor student attendance
- 84% believe schools use data to identify attendance patterns
- 91% feel schools engage families to support student attendance
- 86% report schools identify causes to support student attendance
- 80% state schools implement programs to support student attendance
A sizable majority of respondents report at least some school efforts to address bullying. Compared with administrators, teachers report more cyberbullying and reluctance among students to report bullying. Overall, respondents saw opportunity to partner with parents to reduce bullying. Teachers said:
- 84% believe schools' bullying policies are effective
- 76% say schools use evidence-based methods to reduce bullying
- 69% think schools partner with parents to reduce bullying
- 82% feel schools understand the prevalence of bullying
- 84% report students feel safe reporting bullying
- 80% believe students engage in cyberbullying
Teachers report schools exert effort to serve students equitably, but indicate room to grow when it comes to schools providing instructional materials to students. In environments where some students and their families lack resources, schools can generate more equity by consistently providing instructional materials. Teachers responded:
- 91% feel schools provide a safe and positive learning environment
- 98% say teachers use instructional practices to promote equity
- 73% report schools provide instructional materials
- 96% state students have access to technology to complete homework
- 93% feel staff treat all students respectfully
- 97% believe students are treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity
The majority of respondents see their schools' climate as positive, but teachers see opportunity for improvement in the areas of respect toward teachers, collaborative leadership, family engagement, and professional development (PD). Teacher respondents reported:
- 83% feel valued and respected by students, parents, and administrators
- 99% establish caring and trusting relationships with students
- 98% hold high expectations for all students
- 88% seek to engage families to support student learning
- 78% say schools offer PD so teachers can better support Native American students
- 92% state schools constructively use assessment data to support students
- 80% believe schools promote collaborative leadership between teachers and administrators
Culturally Responsive Instruction
Teachers report increased levels of participation in and engagement with local community. Of the teacher respondents:
- 58% participate in local tribal events
- 85% engage with community to connect youth to Native American culture and traditions
Student Well-Being
Teachers feel that effective interventions and school counselors are in place, but see room for increased effectiveness of interventions and mental health support. Teachers reported:
- 74% believe schools use culturally responsive interventions such as trauma-informed practices & restorative justice
- 76% feel counselors effectively provide mental health support
Teacher Survey Results from 2018 - 2023*
(*the survey was not conducted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
Student Well-Being
Overall, schools are providing more support in this area, however, teachers noted room for additional emphasis on noncognitive, social-emotional skills, student access to culturally responsive care, and partnership with parents to understand trauma and other causes of student distress. Teachers reported:
| '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 | '23 | Description | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32% | 37% | 40% | 40% | 66% | schools engage community to connect youth to culturally responsive mental and physical health care services | +26% |
| 33% | 39% | 53% | 52% | 77% | schools offer mental health services that support students' needs | +25% |
| 36% | 38% | 43% | 42% | 63% | schools partner with parents to understand causes of student's stress or trauma | +21% |
| 37% | 38% | 46% | 40% | 62% | schools provide programs to support students' noncognitive, social-emotional skills | +22% |
"Just this year our school has really stepped up to provide professional development for staff, create cultural opportunities for students, have Dakota language classes weekly for the students, etc."
- Survey Respondent
"I think that we are making progress in the education of Native American students, but we certainly have a ways to go." - Survey Respondent
North Dakota Senate Bill 2304
In 2023, most teachers were aware of Senate Bill (SB) 2304 which passed in 2021 prioritizing the teaching of Native American history. Fewer were aware of the NDDPI-developed resources available to them at their schools. Teacher respondents reported:
| '21 | '22 | '23 | Description | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44% | 43% | 75% | awareness of SB 2304 | +32% |
| 29% | 24% | 57% | awareness of the resources provided by NDDPI to support SB 2304 | +33% |
| 24% | 23% | 51% | their school using the resources to support SB 2304 | +28% |
North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings (NDNAEUs)
There continue to be opportunities for increasing awareness and implementation of the NDNAEUs in classrooms. Teacher respondents reported they:
| '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 | '23 | Description | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26% | 21% | 25% | 35% | 50% | are aware of NDNAEUs | +15% |
- | - | - | 24% | 45% | prioritize the content | +21% |
11% | 13% | 12% | 22% | 44% | are confident implementing the NDNAEUs | +22% |
15% | 13% | 16% | 23% | 42% | integrate NDNAEUs in their classroom | +19% |
22% | 18% | 18% | 24% | 57% | participate in DPI-developed PD on NDNAEUs | +33% |
Professional Development
Most teachers receive culturally relevant PD and generally have favorable views of PD available. Teacher respondents said:
| '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 | '23 | Description | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42% | 42% | 46% | 53% | 80% | PD is culturally appropriate for needs of Native American students | +27% |
| 53% | 35% | 50% | 57% | 86% | PD is aligned with the needs of their school | +29% |
| 44% | 36% | 44% | 49% | 76% | PD is inclusive of a variety of stakeholders including educators, families, & tribal leaders | +27% |
| 37% | 38% | 46% | 50% | 73% | PD is available to help teachers effectively support Native American students | +23% |
| 59% | 35% | 38% | 41% | 74% | provided with sufficient PD to use culturally competent teaching strategies | +33% |
Culturally Responsive Instruction
Teachers generally believe they are culturally responsive to the needs of their students and say Native American language instruction is commonly incorporated into activities, but indicate much opportunity for additional daily/weekly culturally responsive instruction. Teacher respondents say they:
| '18 | '19 | '21 | '22 | '23 | Description | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
65% | 63% | 61% | 64% | 91% | are culturally responsive to the needs of students | +27 |
39% | 71% | 56% | 68% | 65% | provide daily/weekly instruction in Native American languages | -3% |
28% | 32% | 39% | 42% | 32% | provide daily/weekly opportunities for student engagement with Native American culture and community | -10% |
34% | 36% | 37% | 38% | 36% | integrate Native American culture and tradition into instruction daily/weekly | -2% |
30% | 35% | 31% | 30% | 25% | integrate current issues affecting Native American communities into content daily/weekly | -5% |
26% | 21% | 34% | 33% | 27% | engage in productive dialogue with Native American communities daily/weekly | -6% |
North Dakota Needs Assessment Action Plan helps address areas of opportunity. For support, contact the Office of Indian/Multicultural Education.