Getting Them Through the College Pipeline: Critical Elements of Instruction Influencing School Success Among Native Canadian High School Students

Abstract

As a consequence of the Civil Rights Movement and related social movements, the past 30 years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in higher education enrollments among ethnic minority groups, women, and low-income students, as well as increases in the financial aid available to these groups. However, certain ethnic minority populations, such as Native American and Native Canadian students, still experience difficulty in the transition from the K-12 school system to higher education, despite policies enacted to increase access. The research literature cites the disjuncture between the home cultures of these students and the environments of the school as a major cause of the failure of Native students to make the transition from the K-12 school system to higher education institutions. These findings have prompted calls for the integration of Native cultural knowledge and perspectives into the school curriculum. This Canadian study examined the outcomes of consistently integrating Native perspectives into the high school social studies curriculum throughout the 2003–2004 academic year. The teachers integrated Native cultural learning objectives, resources, and instructional methods. Critical elements of the integration processes that appeared to increase academic achievement, class attendance, and participation among Native students1 are discussed. Teachers can draw on these elements to implement effective teaching strategies for the preparation of Native students along the college pipeline.