Local Needs Assessments and Frameworks

In 2019 the Legislature amended the Indian Education Act (IEA) to enhance accountability, by requiring a Historically Defined Indian Impacted School District (HDIISD) to report on their efforts. A HDIISD must conduct a student needs assessment, prioritizing the needs of American Indian Students in their budgets based on those needs assessments, and implement systemic frameworks.

A Historically Defined Indian Impacted School District (HDIISD)

Means a school district, a state-chartered charter school, or locally chartered charter school that meets at least one of the following criteria:

1. Serves at least 175 American Indian or Alaska Native students and is located wholly or partially on tribal land; or
2. Identifies at least ten percent of its overall student population as American Indian or Alaska Native and is located wholly or partially on tribal land; or
3. Identifies at least forty-five percent of its overall student population as American Indian or Alaska Native.

Student Needs Assessment

At the beginning of the school year 2020-2021, each HDIISD—including charter schools—were required to complete a student needs assessment as per state law. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was amended in 2015 requiring LEAs as a condition of receiving certain federal funding to complete a needs assessment (school level, regular, or comprehensive) to include developing federal applications through consultation with parents, teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, students, community-based organizations, Indian Tribes, or Tribal organizations.

The objective of the needs assessment is to determine what services and resources schools and charters need to prepare American Indian students to graduate with a diploma of excellence and be ready to excel in college and in a career, and also determine what supports are needed within a student’s home and community.

Tribal Consultation shall be conducted with local Tribes, Pueblos, and or Nations to prioritize and address the needs identified in the American Indian/Alaska Native student needs assessment.

A Systemic Framework

Is developed to improve educational outcomes for American Indian students, in collaboration with the following stakeholders listed below:

Tribal Consultation shall be conducted with local Tribes, Pueblos, and or Nations to on the development and implementation of the systemic framework for improving educational outcomes for American Indian/Alaska Native student needs assessment.

Accountability Tool

Is developed to measure the success or failure of a public school’s efforts pursuant to the systemic framework.

Written Statement

Details the ways in which the HDIISD’s budget successfully met or failed to meet the prioritized needs from the most recent American Indian/Alaska Native Student Needs Assessment.

Evaluation Report

Provides an assessment/review of the systemic framework and accountability tool to determine if any amendments are needed. This evaluation should assist HDIISD to determine if they are maximizing their investments by examining each programs impact on students and their learning outcomes.