: In light of their new report on American Indian college student achievement, leaders of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium were stunned to hear that the U.S. Department of Education cited “insufficient data” and “results not demonstrated” as explanations for a huge cut for tribal college funding in President Bush’s proposed 2008 education budget. Tribal colleges are funded under Title III of the Education Act, which provides aid to developing institutions. Bush has proposed cutting their funding by 20 percent, to $18.6 million.
AIHEC says the new report, “American Indian Measures for Success,” is an innovative, comprehensive data instrument that defines and measures the success of American Indians at the nation’s tribal colleges. The report, presented to a number of federal agencies this year, details the systemic and culturally based approaches to American Indian student success, according to AIHEC President Cheryl Crazy Bull. The report, she says, includes information that numbers alone cannot convey. In addition to standard information on student enrollment, retention and graduation, AIMS examines how effectively tribal colleges work to meet their individual missions, which include revitalizing local cultures and improving communities’ economic and traditional well-being.
