News Releases
Oct. 7, 2002
Antioch University Seattle Names Three Schools to Bolster Native American
Education
Seattle — Medicine Wheel Academy in Spokane, Ferndale High School
in Ferndale, and Tulalip Heritage School in Marysville are the first
three schools selected by Antioch University Seattle to take part in
the Early College High School Initiative, a nationwide effort to increase
the number of first-generation, low-income and minority students who
attain a bachelor's degree. The schools will work with Antioch to redesign
their curriculum to better serve Native American students — students
who have the highest dropout rates and the lowest college completion
rates of any ethnic group in the country.
The schools are part of a five-year, $40 million initiative funded
by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
the Carnegie Corp. of New York and the Ford Foundation to create or
redesign 70 early college high schools for underserved and low-income
young people and neighborhoods.
"Nearly three-quarters of high school graduates begin some form
of further education," notes project director Nancy Hoffman of
Jobs for the Future, which coordinates the Early College High School
Initiative at the national level. "But over half who enter college
fail to complete a degree; one-third never even make it to the second
year."
The statistics are especially alarming for students from particular
backgrounds, Hoffman points out. Only 16 percent of African Americans
and 11 percent of Hispanics complete a four-year college degree by age
29, compared with 28 percent of whites. The numbers are even lower for
Native American students. Only three in five will graduate from high
school and, of those, less than three percent will go on to earn a bachelor's
degree.
The Early College High Schools are small schools where students earn
both a high school diploma and two years of college credit toward a
college degree. They are places designed to help young people progress
toward the education and experience they need to succeed in life and
family-supporting careers.
"The first three early college high schools for Native American
youth plan to boost academic success through a multifaceted approach,"
explains Linda Campbell, Ph.D., project director and core faculty member
at Antioch University Seattle. "Each school will feature a local,
culturally relevant curriculum, integrate high school diploma and associate
of arts degree requirements, promote family and community engagement,
and provide academic advising. In addition, the Early College High Schools
will provide these services to students in the schools they already
attend, which should increase their chance of success."
The three sites announced today are the first to be selected by Antioch
University Seattle to take part in the Early College High School Initiative.
During the next two years, Antioch will identify, start up, pilot and
transition five to six more sites to serve Native American youth.
The sites were chosen based on a written grant application and site
visit. Each demonstrated strengths that suggest future success at implementing
early college programs, including:
- small school size
- academic programs that integrate local native culture
- extensive family and community outreach
- partnerships with tribal or community colleges
Antioch University Seattle was identified by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation last March to participate in the Early College High
School Initiative because of its success and experience working with
tribal communities in Washington state, especially in its graduate and
undergraduate education programs. In addition to offering reservation-based
degree programs, Antioch developed the state's first indigenous language
endorsement. Antioch also has a 150-year history of working to increase
educational access for those who have been historically underserved.
Medicine Wheel Academy
Located in urban Spokane, Wash., Medicine Wheel Academy is a public
school that will serve 100 students, representing more than 30 tribes
and bands. The diverse background of each individual student is valued
and reflected in the school's unique curriculum. The Medicine Wheel
Academy's mission is to prepare students to be cultural leaders: spiritually,
mentally, emotionally and academically.
Ferndale High School
Located in Whatcom County near the Lummi Indian Reservation, this public
high school currently serves 1,500 students. The Ferndale Early College
High School will serve approximately 175 students, predominately Lummi
tribal members. Ferndale High School currently incorporates traditional
cultural knowledge, offering beginning and advanced Coast Salish (Lummi)
language courses.
Tulalip Heritage School
Tulalip Heritage School, located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation overlooking
Puget Sound in Snohomish County, is a public high school that will serve
100 students, consisting predominately of Tulalip tribal members. The
cultures of native people are incorporated in all aspects of teaching.
The school utilizes innovative, experiential curriculum, involving community
instructors and mentors in the school's commitment to delivering culturally
relevant education.
About Antioch University
Seattle
At Antioch University Seattle, adult learners find individualized, innovative
programs with a commitment to academic excellence, community service
and social justice. AUS is one of five campuses of Antioch University,
founded in 1852 in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Primary responsibility for designing and operating the 70 early college
high schools across the nation rests with seven partner organizations,
coordinated by Jobs for the Future. In addition to Antioch University
Seattle, they are: the Knowledge Works Foundation, the Middle College
High School National Consortium, the National Council of La Raza, the
Utah Partnership Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship
Foundation and SECME, Inc.
For more information about these partners and the Early College High
School Initiative, visit www.earlycolleges.org
