Assessment Practices in Schools Serving American Indian and Alaska Native Students

Abstract

The research reported in this article is part of a larger study designed to identify teacher- and student-level factors and conditions associated with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) student achievement on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) annual mathematics assessment and as reflected in the associated survey data gathered through the National Indian Education Study (NIES) on American Indians and Alaska Natives, their teachers, and their schools. We conducted statistical analyses of 2007 NAEP data in Phase I, and in Phase II we analyzed extensive qualitative data collected in 10 schools in Alaska, New Mexico, and Arizona. We focus on data from administrator interviews and teacher focus groups to identify the formative assessment strategies these educators believe to be effective with AI/AN students. Our findings identify formative assessment strategies that may help improve teacher instructional practices and impact school policy related to AI/AN student math learning; the data suggest that not all strategies will be effective across communities, due to complex contextual factors.