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Circles of Reflection: Supporting Early Learning for Wisconsin's Native Communities

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Circles of Reflection: Supporting Early Learning for Wisconsin's Native Communities
Language: English
Authors: Region 10 Comprehensive Center
Source: Region 10 Comprehensive Center. 2023.
Availability: Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Research and Sponsored Programs, 21 North Park Street Suite 6401, Madison, WI 53715. Web site: https://region10cc.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 4
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indians, Reflection, Tribes, Indigenous Knowledge, Educational Cooperation, Equal Education, Early Childhood Education
Geographic Terms: Wisconsin
Abstract: Wisconsin's Circles of Reflection (CoR) addresses early learning challenges and opportunities for American Indian or Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children and families. Developed by the National Comprehensive Center's Native Education Collaborative, CoR engages state, tribal, and local education agencies in cycles of issue discovery, stakeholder engagement, and implementation planning to provide high quality, motivating educational experiences that improve Native students' academic attainment. Recognizing historical inequities, Wisconsin's Act 31 requires K-12 educators to build knowledge on Tribes in the state so that they can accurately teach about these Nations and their sovereignty. Despite Act 31, challenges still exist. Non-Indigenous educators, policy makers, and leaders have difficulty entering authentic partnerships to improve Native student education due to insufficient knowledge and capacity concerning tribal history, culture, and sovereignty. CoR provides a way to address these issues by honoring the expertise and sovereignty of Native educators while deepening DPI's understanding of critical aspects of Native student education. The project's ultimate goal is to develop a more collaborative relationship between the Nations, the educators instructing their students, and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), leading to concrete improvements for students. This report examines how CoR's multi-jurisdictional approach can be part of long-term, structural changes in how Wisconsin engages with Wisconsin's 12 Tribal Nations to address systemic gaps and historic inequities.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: ED631891
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Wisconsin's Circles of Reflection (CoR) addresses early learning challenges and opportunities for American Indian or Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children and families. Developed by the National Comprehensive Center's Native Education Collaborative, CoR engages state, tribal, and local education agencies in cycles of issue discovery, stakeholder engagement, and implementation planning to provide high quality, motivating educational experiences that improve Native students' academic attainment. Recognizing historical inequities, Wisconsin's Act 31 requires K-12 educators to build knowledge on Tribes in the state so that they can accurately teach about these Nations and their sovereignty. Despite Act 31, challenges still exist. Non-Indigenous educators, policy makers, and leaders have difficulty entering authentic partnerships to improve Native student education due to insufficient knowledge and capacity concerning tribal history, culture, and sovereignty. CoR provides a way to address these issues by honoring the expertise and sovereignty of Native educators while deepening DPI's understanding of critical aspects of Native student education. The project's ultimate goal is to develop a more collaborative relationship between the Nations, the educators instructing their students, and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), leading to concrete improvements for students. This report examines how CoR's multi-jurisdictional approach can be part of long-term, structural changes in how Wisconsin engages with Wisconsin's 12 Tribal Nations to address systemic gaps and historic inequities.