[Senate Hearing 117-59]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 117-59
EXAMINING THE COVID 19 RESPONSE IN NATIVE COMMUNITIES:
NATIVE EDUCATION SYSTEMS ONE YEAR LATER
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HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
APRIL 28, 2021
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Indian Affairs
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
45-427 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii, Chairman
LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska, Vice Chairman
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
JON TESTER, Montana JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada STEVE DAINES, Montana
TINA SMITH, Minnesota MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico JERRY MORAN, Kansas
Jennifer Romero, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
T. Michael Andrews, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on April 28, 2021................................... 1
Statement of Senator Cortez Masto................................ 3
Statement of Senator Hoeven...................................... 31
Statement of Senator Lujan....................................... 37
Statement of Senator Murkowski................................... 2
Statement of Senator Schatz...................................... 1
Statement of Senator Smith....................................... 47
Witnesses
Dearman, Tony L., Director, Bureau of Indian Education, U.S.
Department of the Interior..................................... 15
Prepared statement........................................... 16
Emrey-Arras, Melissa, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income
Security Issues, Government Accountability Office.............. 4
Prepared statement........................................... 5
Kamana, Dr. Kauanoe, Principal, Ke Kua `O Nawahiokalani`opu`u
Demonstration Laboratory School................................ 29
Prepared statement........................................... 30
Thomas, Dr. Michelle, Superintendent, Belcourt School District... 32
Prepared statement........................................... 34
West, Lance, Principal, Schurz Elementary; Vice Chairman, BIE
Pyramid Lake School Board...................................... 22
Prepared statement........................................... 24
Appendix
Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Brian Schatz to:
Tony L. Dearman.............................................. 59
Melissa Emrey-Arras.......................................... 51
Dr. Kauanoe Kamana........................................... 54
Lance West................................................... 53
EXAMINING THE COVID-19 RESPONSE IN
NATIVE COMMUNITIES: NATIVE EDUCATION SYSTEMS ONE YEAR LATER
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Indian Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:37 p.m. in room
628, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Brian Schatz,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN SCHATZ,
U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII
The Chairman. Good afternoon. This hearing will come to
order.
Before we get started, I would just like to acknowledge
that this is the first time chairing a hearing that I am not
wearing a mask. It feels great. I have been vaccinated; the
people in this room have been vaccinated. These are the among
the freedoms that you get back if you have been vaccinated and
waited the full period to achieve your immunity.
So to business. Nine months ago, this Committee examined
the Bureau of Indian Education's COVID-19 response and the
administration of COVID-19 relief funds. This hearing will
expand the conversation to include the voices of Native school
administrators, including principals from non-BIE schools.
For over a year, we have found ourselves navigating through
unprecedented loss and change due to the coronavirus. In our
schools, the pandemic has impacted learning and disrupted
foundational support services for students across the Country.
Congress responded by providing supplemental funding in the
CARES Act to support schools and education programs in their
COVID-19 response, including more than $222 million for the
BIE. The Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Funding Bill provided
additional funding resources to help schools with their COVID
needs.
But for many Native leaders, educators and school
officials, critical Federal resources have been difficult to
access or even non-existent. That is not acceptable, especially
during a pandemic. The United States must fulfill its trust
obligation to support Native-servings schools and provide
comprehensive educational opportunities to American Indians,
Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.
That is why this Committee worked to ensure President
Biden's American Rescue Plan contained more than $2.5 billion
for Native students, including the first dedicated funding for
Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native education organizations to
address their COVID related needs. Indeed, help is here.
Our Committee's work, however, must continue. During
today's hearing we will explore lessons learned from COVID-19's
impact on Native students and schools, underscore mental health
and support services needs for Native students and their
communities and examine Native schools' infrastructure
priorities to improve school safety and enhance digital
learning capabilities.
Before I turn to my Vice Chair, I would like to welcome Dr.
Kamana and extend our thanks to our witnesses for joining us
today. I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Vice Chair Murkowski.
STATEMENT OF HON. LISA MURKOWSKI,
U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yake'i ixw
sateeni, which in Tlingit means ``it is good to see you.'' I
will be corrected by my Tlingit friends.
Today we are going to hear from our witnesses on a very
important issue to American Indians, Alaska Native communities.
That is the focus that we have today, on education. Education
is one of the greatest tools I think we have to achieve
opportunity and success. It is why so many communities place
such high importance on ensuring that we have high quality,
culturally relevant education that prepares young people to
achieve their highest potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created real uncertainty for our
Country and the education system has not escaped the impacts.
Many tribes and States have had to develop and implement
protocols to ensure that our young people continue their
education while navigating the COVID new normal.
The BIE and the U.S. Department of Education are
responsible for working with tribes to ensure that American
Indian and Alaska Native youth are equipped for the skills and
knowledge necessary to prepare them to meet the challenges.
According to BIE, there are 183 bureau-funded elementary and
secondary schools located on or near 64 reservations across 23
States. This is approximately 42,000 Indian students. I would
note that we don't have any of these BIE schools in Alaska.
BIE is also responsible for serving and providing resources
to 26 of the 32 fully-accredited tribal colleges and
universities. This includes Ilisagvik in Barrow. The college
describes itself as being unapologetically Inupiaq, which the
school defines as exercising the sovereign inherent freedom to
educate our community through and supported by our Inupiaq
world view, values, knowledge, and protocols.
When you think about that, the saying really describes well
the philosophy of self-determination and local control that
many tribal schools adopt throughout Indian Country.
In June of last year, I was pleased to see that Assistant
Secretary of Indian Affairs, Tara Sweeney, announced a series
of consultation sessions to discuss proposed Department of
Interior guidance for the reopening of BIE schools. This action
by the Department reflected a recognition of the importance of
working on a government-to-government basis with tribes.
So I am looking forward to hearing from Director Dearman on
how those consultation sessions went, what the Department is
doing to incorporate the comments and recommendations that they
received during the consultations.
Finally, I look forward to hearing from the department of
Interior on how they are using the resources that Congress
appropriated to the BIE to assist in COVID related response and
the mitigation efforts at our tribal schools. Mr. Chairman, you
have noted that through the CARES Act, Congress, appropriated
$69 million directly to the BIE, an additional $153 million
through DOE's education stabilization fund, and in December,
Congress provided further $819 million for outlying areas and
BIE operated and funded schools and tribal colleges and
universities through the coronavirus response and relief
supplemental.
Recently, then, in the American Rescue Plan Act, Congress
appropriated an additional $850 million to the BIE and $190
million for the BIE through Department of Education to assist
on COVID related activities. So resource are out there. Our
job, our role, our responsibility is to understand where and
how and what more we might be able to do in terms of exercising
oversight.
I thank our witnesses for participating today and look
forward to their comments and our opportunities to question.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chair Murkowski.
I would like to turn it over to Senator Cortez Masto to
introduce the testifier from Nevada.
STATEMENT OF HON. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA
Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
Ranking Member, I appreciate your calling the hearing on this
important topic. And thank you to all of the witnesses for
being here today. I am eager to hear from all of you about what
lessons we can learn from the past year, as we reopen our
schools.
I am especially excited to have before us today Mr. Lance
West. Mr. West is the principal of Schurz Elementary School in
Mineral County, Nevada, a school that sits on the Walker River
Paiute Reservation and serves predominantly Native students. He
is also vice chairman of the Pyramid Lake School Board, and
that is a BIE school in northern Nevada.
Mr. West taught across Nevada for 17 years in Reno,
McDermitt and Spring Creek, before he returned to his home in
Schurz to serve as principal of the Schurz Elementary School.
He has a passion for improving education for Native students,
you are going to hear that today, and a breadth of experience
as both an educator and administrator. I am so proud to have
him here to provide his testimony on how we can improve Native
education in Nevada and across the Country. Welcome, Mr. West.
The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto.
Now to Senator Hoeven to introduce a testifier from his
home State.
He is not on the line right now. We will do that later.
Let me turn to the witnesses. First, we have Ms. Melissa
Emrey-Arras, Director of Education-Workforce-Income Security
Issues at GAO; Mr. Tony Dearman, the Director of the Bureau of
Indian Education; Mr. Lance West, Principal at Schurz
Elementary School, Vice Chairman, Pyramid Lake Junior/Senior
School Board of Education in Pyramid Lake, Nevada; Dr. Kauanoe
Kamana, the Principal of Nawahi on the Big Island, Hawaii
Island; and Dr. Michelle Thomas, the Superintendent of Belcourt
School District, in Belcourt, North Dakota.
I want to remind our witnesses that your full written
testimony will be made part of the official hearing record.
Please keep your statement to no more than five minutes. We do
have a vote starting in about 45 minutes. We have some
flexibility; but to the extent that our testifiers can
constrain their remarks to five minutes, that would be very,
very helpful.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. you may begin.
STATEMENT OF MELISSA EMREY-ARRAS, DIRECTOR,
EDUCATION, WORKFORCE, AND INCOME SECURITY ISSUES, GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Thank you, Chair Schatz, Vice Chair
Murkowski, and members of the Committee.
I am pleased to be here today to discuss GAO's review of
distance learning at BIE schools during the pandemic. I will
focus my remarks on two issues. One, the extent to which BIE
has provided schools with distance learning guidance during the
pandemic; and two, the extent to which students have had the
technology they need for distance learning.
Beginning with a look at BIE's guidance, we found that BIE
did not release comprehensive guidance for distance learning,
despite most schools providing distance learning during the
pandemic. In March of 2020, BIE issued a short memo including
one page of guidelines. It directed schools to deliver flexible
instruction and teach content. But it did not offer specific
information on how to do so.
Later, in August of 2020, BIE issued a return to learn
guide for the 2021 school year. The guide was primarily an in-
person schooling guide and provided little information on
distance learning. Although school officials we surveyed over
the summer wanted information on how to develop distance
learning programs to meet student learning needs, this
information was not in the guide. Additionally, the guide
provided few details on how schools could implement distance
learning in areas without broadband.
Accordingly, we are recommending that BIE develop
comprehensive guidance on distance learning to help schools
both during the current pandemic and in the event of future
school building closures.
Now, turning to whether students have the technology they
need for distance learning, we found that BIE helped improve
students' internet access, especially in remote and rural
communities. For example, BIE and Interior's Acquisitions
Division used CARES Act funds to distribute thousands of wi-fi
hotspots to students enrolled at BIE-operated schools. In
addition, BIE installed wi-fi on school buses, and some schools
parked these buses in remote tribal communities to serve as
internet hubs for students.
While BIE helped improve students' internet access, we
found that most students at BIE-operated schools did not have
laptops to access online distance learning for most of the
fall. Interior experienced delays with ordering laptops,
receiving them, and distributing them to students. In terms of
ordering laptops, Interior officials did not order the majority
of laptops for BIE-operated schools until September of 2020.
The order was delayed because officials lacked accurate, up to
date information on schools' IT needs, and didn't know
initially how many laptops were needed.
Accordingly, we are recommending that Interior implement
procedures for collecting timely information on BIE-operated
schools' IT needs. This will help ensure BIE students have the
technology they need now as well as in the future. This is
especially important, given that BIE schools will be
integrating technology into their everyday curricula.
After the delayed laptop order, nationwide IT shortages
also contributed to the delayed delivery of the laptops to the
schools. None of the laptops were delivered to schools until
more than one month after school began. Some deliveries were
delayed until January 2021. As of the end of March, one school
had not yet received laptops from the vendor.
BIE schools also experienced delays distributing the
laptops to students. As of the end of December, over 80 percent
of the laptops ordered in September had not been distributed to
students. BIE officials said that a lack of IT expertise and
staff capacity at schools contributed to these distribution
delays. Interior officials noted that the agency was developing
a workforce plan to support BIE's IT workforce needs.
In conclusion, we believe that BIE and Interior can do more
to support distance learning both now and in the future.
Implementing GAO's recommendations can help ensure that
students continue to learn when school buildings are closed.
This completes my statement. I would be pleased to answer
any questions you may have.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Emrey-Arras follows:]
Prepared Statement of Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability Office
Chair Schatz, Vice Chair Murkowski, and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity today to discuss our review of
distance learning at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. BIE's
mission is to provide quality education to approximately 41,000
students at 183 schools it funds on or near Indian reservations in 23
states. \1\ About two-thirds of these schools are operated by tribes
and the remaining third are operated by BIE. In March 2020, all BIE
schools closed their buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since that time, concerns have been raised that many BIE schools have
struggled to develop and deliver distance learning programs and that
schools and surrounding communities often lack the technology and
broadband Internet access needed to ensure continued learning during
extended school building closures. Many BIE school communities are
located in remote, rural areas of the country where broadband Internet
access has historically been limited.
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\1\ For the purposes of this statement, we consider bureau-funded
elementary, middle, and high schools that are located at the same site
as single schools. In our prior work, we reported such co-located
schools separately.
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My statement today is based on work we conducted as part of GAO's
COVID-19 monitoring and oversight responsibilities under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. \2\
Specifically, we examined the extent to which (1) BIE has provided
schools with guidance to develop and implement distance learning
programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) students have had the
technology they need to participate in such programs.
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\2\ Pub. L. No. 116-136, 19010, 134 Stat. 281, 579-81 (2020). We
regularly issue government-wide reports on the federal response to
COVID-19. For the latest report, see GAO, COVID-19: Sustained Federal
Action Is Crucial as Pandemic Enters Its Second Year, GAO-21-387
(Washington, D.C.: Mar. 31, 2021). Our next government-wide report will
be issued in July 2021 and will be available on GAO's website at
https://www.gao.gov/coronavirus.
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To examine the extent to which BIE has provided schools with
guidance to develop and implement distance learning programs during the
COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed agency guidance documents and
interviewed agency officials about support for distance learning at
schools. We compared the information we collected with BIE's goals and
requirements to support schools' instructional programs, including its
communication plan and relevant federal internal control standards.
To examine the extent to which BIE students have had the technology
they need to participate in distance learning programs, we analyzed
BIE's national information on schools' distance learning programs and
provision of information technology (IT) to schools and students,
including information on student and teacher IT devices--such as
laptops and tablets-that were purchased and delivered to schools. We
interviewed agency officials about how they gathered this information
and what procedures they followed to ensure its accuracy and
completeness and determined that it was reliable for the purposes of
our work. We also examined the roles and responsibilities of other
offices under the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs (Indian Affairs),
including the Office of Information Management Technology and the
Division of Acquisitions, in supporting BIE schools in providing
distance learning by purchasing and distributing IT equipment and
devices to schools. We compared the information we collected with BIE's
goals and requirements to support schools' instructional programs,
including its strategic plan and relevant federal internal control
standards.
For both research objectives, we surveyed a non-generalizable
sample of 30 BIE schools that were selected for geographic diversity,
level of community broadband access, whether the school was operated by
BIE or a tribe, and the school's tribal affiliation, among others. The
sample included 19 schools operated by tribes and 11 operated by BIE.
The survey covered several areas related to distance learning,
including distance learning methods and readiness for the 2020-2021
school year, challenges to providing distance learning to students, and
BIE's guidance on distance learning, among other areas. We conducted
the survey in July 2020 and received responses from 25 schools. The
responses provided illustrative information about schools' distance
learning practices and areas in which additional support from BIE was
needed. We also interviewed officials from 10 of the surveyed schools
in fall 2020 about their distance learning practices and the extent to
which BIE provided guidance and technology needed to develop and
implement distance learning programs. We selected school officials to
interview based on whether or not the school was operated by BIE or a
tribe, level of community broadband access, school enrollment size, and
school tribal affiliation, among other criteria. We also reviewed
relevant federal statutes and regulations, and met with several
organizations focused on Indian education.
We shared our findings and recommendations with BIE and
incorporated their comments as appropriate.
We conducted this performance audit from May 2020 to April 2021 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that
the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and
conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Background
Funding to Support Distance Learning Services at BIE Schools
Annual funding from the Department of the Interior's (Interior)
Indian School Equalization Program and various programs under the
Department of Education provide BIE with support for acquiring and
upgrading educational technology for schools and students, including
equipment to expand broadband Internet access for students, according
to agency officials. \3\ In addition to these annual funds, BIE also
received more than $220 million under the CARES Act. \4\ BIE used about
69 percent of these funds to support tribally controlled and bureau-
operated schools' response to the pandemic.
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\3\ The Indian School Equalization Program provides for the uniform
direct funding of BIE schools. 25 C.F.R. Part 39.
\4\ The CARES Act appropriated $69 million to BIE to prevent,
prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat.
at 547. BIE also received an allocation of $154 million for programs
operated or funded by BIE from funds appropriated to the Department of
Education for the Education Stabilization Fund. Id., 18001(a)(2), 134
Stat. at 564. Subsequently, additional funds were appropriated that BIE
may use to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including more than $400
million allocated for programs operated or funded by BIE from funds
appropriated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to the
Department of Education for the Education Stabilization Fund, and more
than $850 million appropriated to BIE in the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021. See Pub. L. No. 116-260, Div. M, tit. III, 311(a)(2), 134
Stat. 1182, 1924; Pub. L. No. 117-2, 11005, 135 Stat. 4, 244.
Reviewing BIE's use of these additional funds was outside the scope of
our work.
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Indian Affairs Offices Responsible for Supporting Distance Learning at
BIE Schools
Several offices under Interior's Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs
(Indian Affairs) are responsible for supporting distance learning at
BIE schools. \5\
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\5\ The information we present on Indian Affairs offices that
support schools with education technology and distance learning
services was gathered from Interior's public documents, and interviews
with or written responses from agency officials.
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Bureau of Indian Education
BIE is responsible for ensuring that all schools have guidance and
support to implement their academic programs, including school programs
that provide students with distance learning opportunities during
school closures. In addition, it has an obligation to ensure that
schools continue to provide education to students when school buildings
are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to agency
documentation. The following offices have specific responsibilities for
supporting distance learning, including educational technology.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary-Management
BIE's Deputy Bureau Director-School Operations Division and
Chief Academic Officer are both responsible for working
together to provide BIE personnel with guidance and direction
on supporting educational technology and distance learning at
schools. These officials are also responsible for coordinating
with managers in the two offices under the Deputy Assistant
Secretary-Management to assess and address BIE schools' IT
needs.
Staff in 16 agency field offices, called Education Resource
Centers and located across the BIE school system, work in close
collaboration with their respective Associate Deputy Directors
and the Chief Academic Officer on distance education and school
IT matters. Education Resource Center staff are responsible for
working directly with schools to identify IT and distance
education needs.
The Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT) is
responsible for supporting IT across Indian Affairs, including
BIE. OIMT includes staff responsible for assisting BIE-operated
schools with their technology needs, including providing
technical assistance with configuring and operating electronic
devices for students and teachers to support distance learning.
The Division of Acquisitions, under the Chief Financial
Officer, is responsible for handling major procurements--
including technology--for BIE and other offices under Indian
Affairs. \6\
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\6\ For the purposes of this statement, we refer to the Division of
Acquisitions as Acquisitions.
Longstanding Challenges to Technology Access on Tribal Lands
Many BIE schools are located in communities on tribal lands that
have faced longstanding challenges with technology, including access to
broadband Internet. For example, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) reported that as of 2018, an estimated 28 percent of Americans
living on tribal lands lacked access to broadband services, compared to
6 percent of all Americans. \7\ Similarly, there is a gap in broadband
access between rural areas and rural tribal lands. FCC reported that as
of 2018, about 47 percent of Americans living on rural tribal lands
nationwide lack fixed broadband and mobile access, compared to about 23
percent of rural Americans overall. \8\ However, as we have told this
Committee, the manner in which FCC collected data for these estimates
led to overstatements of fixed broadband availability on tribal lands.
\9\
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\7\ 2020 Broadband Deployment Report, 2020 WL 2013309 at *34 para.
94, FCC 20-50. For purposes of its report, FCC aggregated federally-
recognized tribal lands into four categories: The Lower 48 States,
Tribal Statistical Areas, Alaskan Villages, and Hawaiian Homelands. For
additional information on the availability of broadband on tribal
lands, see GAO, Telecommunications: FCC Should Enhance Performance
Goals and Measures for Its Program to Support Broadband Service in
High-Cost Areas, GAO-21-24 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 1, 2020).
\8\ 2020 Broadband Deployment Report, 2020 WL 2013309 at 19 para.
47, FCC 20-50. For more information, see GAO-21-24.
\9\ FCC has noted that overstatements of broadband availability can
be particularly problematic in rural areas, where census blocks cover
larger areas. For more information, see GAO, Tribal Broadband: FCC's
Data Overstate Access, and Tribes Face Barriers Accessing Funding, GAO-
19-134T (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 3, 2018).
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Other federal data provide an expanded picture of the technology
challenges faced by BIE school communities. For example, recent data
from the U.S. Census's American Community Survey show that many BIE
schools are located in areas of the country where the rates of
broadband Internet subscription have historically been limited.
In nearly half of all BIE school communities for which ACS data
were available, less than 50 percent of households had access to
broadband prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
American Community Survey data also show access to technology
overall has been especially limited on certain American Indian
reservations. \10\ For example, an estimated 70 percent of households
on the Navajo Nation Reservation lacked access to the Internet and 51
percent did not have a computer, compared to the national averages of
14 and 10 percent, respectively. Over a third of all BIE schools are
located in Navajo Nation.
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\10\ The American Community Survey defines federal American Indian
reservations as areas that have been set aside by the United States for
the use of tribes, the exterior boundaries of which are more
particularly defined in final tribal treaties, agreements, executive
orders, federal statutes, secretarial orders, or judicial
determination.
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As we have recently reported, those without broadband access are
especially disadvantaged during COVID-19 because efforts to limit the
spread of the disease have resulted in many care systems, government
entities, businesses, educational institutions, restaurants, and other
merchants transitioning some or all operations online. \11\
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\11\ GAO-21-24.
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Federal Efforts to Increase Broadband Internet Access on Tribal Lands
In recent years, the federal government has undertaken a variety of
efforts to address limited access to broadband on tribal lands,
including at BIE schools.
BIE has participated in FCC's E-rate program, \12\ providing
BIE with additional funding to increase Internet bandwidth at
schools. \13\ In addition, Indian Affairs' Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development began partnering with the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration on
its National Broadband Availability Map Program in August 2020
to analyze and map broadband availability on tribal lands,
including BIE school communities, according to information from
agency officials. \14\
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\12\ Since 1998, FCC's E-rate program has been a significant source
of technology funding for schools and libraries to obtain affordable
broadband and telecommunications services. E-rate program funds can be
used for Internet access, internal connections, managed internal
broadband services, basic maintenance of internal connections,
telecommunications, and telecommunications services. Internal
connections are products--such as routers, switches, hubs, and wiring--
needed to bring broadband into, and provide it throughout, schools and
libraries. For more information, see GAO, Telecommunications: FCC
Should Take Action to Better Manage Persistent Fraud Risks in the
Schools and Libraries Program, GAO-20-606 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 16,
2020).
\13\ BIE officials responded to us that expanding broadband
services at BIE schools would not, by itself, be sufficient to provide
online learning for all of its students because the same broadband
barriers exist for teachers, students, and parents at their homes. The
officials also noted that increasing the availability of home Internet
services alone also would not address the challenge of families in BIE
school communities being able to afford such home broadband service.
\14\ The National Broadband Availability Map, administered by the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is a
platform for sharing information compiled from federal, state, and
commercially available data sources to better inform broadband projects
and decisionmaking.
FCC has prioritized tribal lands in administering its Rural
Digital Opportunity Fund by targeting tribal areas lacking
access to high speed Internet service. FCC also established a
tribal priority window for tribes in rural areas to obtain
unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum licenses prior to the spectrum
being put up for competitive bidding. This spectrum is suitable
for both mobile and fixed point-to-point coverage, and is
currently used to provide broadband service by legacy
educational licensees and commercial providers that lease the
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spectrum.
In January 2021, Indian Affairs released its National Tribal
Broadband Strategy, developed in collaboration with the White
House Council on Native American Affairs, to guide federal
government and private sector coordination to expand broadband
Internet access on tribal lands. Among the activities
identified in the strategy, Indian Affairs plans to conduct an
assessment of barriers to broadband access in communities on
tribal lands and increase funding for grants to support tribal
broadband planning efforts, according to information from
agency officials. \15\
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\15\ Federal Communications Commission, 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal
Window, accessed Mar. 22, 2021, https://www.fcc.gov/25-ghz-rural-
tribal-window.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 appropriated more than
$7 billion for the establishment of an Emergency Connectivity
Fund, for which FCC has the responsibility for distributing
funding to eligible schools or libraries. \16\ This fund will
support distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by
helping schools and libraries purchase Wi-Fi hotspots, routers,
and connected devices necessary for students to get online.
Schools funded by BIE would be eligible for support through the
Emergency Connectivity Fund.
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\16\ Pub. L. No. 117-2, tit. III, subt. D, 7402(c), 135 Stat.
4,109.
Prior GAO Work on BIE Schools
Our prior work on Indian education found numerous weaknesses in
BIE's management and oversight of BIE schools, including problems with
monitoring school spending and conducting annual safety and health
inspections of school facilities. \17\ As a result of these and other
systemic problems with BIE's administration of Indian education
programs, we added Indian education to our High Risk List in February
2017. In our 2021 High Risk update, we found that BIE had made some
progress in addressing weaknesses in some areas of supporting and
overseeing BIE schools but needed to take actions in other areas, such
as developing a comprehensive, long-term capital asset plan to inform
its allocation of school facility construction funds. \18\ We also
added seven recommendations on Indian education from a May 2020 report
to our 2021 High Risk update. These recommendations address weaknesses
in BIE's support for and oversight of special education services at
schools. \19\
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\17\ GAO, Indian Affairs: Bureau of Indian Education Needs to
Improve Oversight of School Spending, GAO-15-121 (Washington, D.C.:
Nov. 13, 2014); GAO, Indian Affairs: Key Actions Needed to Ensure
Safety and Health at Indian School Facilities, GAO-16-313 (Washington,
D.C.: Mar. 10, 2016).
\18\ GAO, High Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address
Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas, GAO-21-119SP (Washington,
D.C.: Mar. 2, 2021).
\19\ GAO, Indian Education: Actions Needed to Ensure Students with
Disabilities Receive Special Education Services, GAO-20-358
(Washington, D.C.: May 22, 2020).
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BIE Provided Schools with Some Support but Limited Guidance for
Distance Learning
BIE Gave Some Support to Schools Providing Distance Learning
In March 2020, all schools funded by BIE closed their buildings in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and BIE directed them to continue to
provide learning opportunities. These closures affected approximately
41,000 students enrolled at 183 schools on or near Indian reservations
in 23 states. Many schools provided learning opportunities while their
school buildings were closed. For example, officials from 23 of the 25
schools that responded to our July 2020 survey reported that their
school provided distance learning online or through paper instructional
packets. \20\
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\20\ Our survey results are not generalizable to the entire
population of BIE schools. Some officials we interviewed told us the
school delivered and picked up paper instructional packets from
students' homes on a regular basis. Of the two schools that responded
in the negative, an official from one school said the school sent
packets home to students but did not require them to be returned, and
did not consider that to be distance learning. The remaining school
responded that it did not provide distance learning.
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Eighteen of the 25 school officials who completed our survey
reported they had received some support from BIE, including from field
office staff, related to distance learning during spring 2020. For
example, an official from one school said BIE provided a presentation
on online instruction and equity. A senior BIE official told us that in
the spring BIE provided schools with links to free distance learning
resources that covered topics such as behavioral health, math, reading,
science, and social studies. In addition, some links were to online
materials on curricula and support for distance learning provided by
the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Science Institute. BIE
officials said its field office staff shared additional information
with schools, such as a webinar on complying with the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act while in a distance learning environment.
\21\ Field office staff also provided individualized support as needed
to schools, according to BIE officials.
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\21\ The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures a free
appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities and
governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention,
special education, and related services to these children.
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To prepare for the 2020-2021 school year, when most schools
provided distance learning, BIE officials reported providing support
materials and training on a rolling basis to schools. BIE officials
said that the materials and training included topics such as blended
learning practices, best practices on mobile devices, teaching with
tablets, and digital learning strategies. Training continued throughout
the school year. Different field offices provided different trainings
to schools in their jurisdiction.
However, school officials we surveyed and interviewed said BIE's
distance learning support was insufficient. For example, one school
official responding to our survey reported that BIE's support on
virtual tools was ``severely lacking.'' Another respondent reported
that school officials felt they had to determine on their own how to
deliver distance learning to students. In addition, officials we
interviewed from five schools noted the limited nature of the support
intended to help schools prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. For
example, officials from one school said that while BIE provided a
presentation on academic assessments, the presentation did not explain
how to administer the tests. Another official said the field office
offered to provide help when asked, but provided no specific
assistance.
BIE Did Not Release Comprehensive Distance Learning Guidance, Although
Most Schools Provided Distance Learning During the Pandemic
Guidance in Spring 2020
In March 2020, BIE issued a short guidance memorandum regarding the
provision of distance learning that included one page of guidelines and
guiding principles. The memorandum directed schools to, for example,
``deliver flexible instruction'' and to ``teach content,'' but did not
offer specific information on how to accomplish those objectives. A
senior BIE official said BIE provided no additional distance learning
guidance to schools in the spring, despite all school buildings closing
in March.
Guide for 2020-2021 School Year
BIE's guide for the 2020-2021 school year--''Return to Learn!''--
was released in late August 2020 and included little information
related to distance learning. BIE created the document primarily as an
in-person schooling instruction guide. At the start of the 2020-2021
school year, however, most BIE schools exclusively provided distance
learning, according to BIE information. For example, of the 54 BIE-
operated schools, 53 opened the 2020-2021 school year exclusively
providing distance learning and the remaining school used a combination
of distance and in-person learning. Of the 129 tribally controlled
schools, 100 started the school year exclusively providing distance
learning, and 16 used a combination of distance and in-person learning.
The Return to Learn! guide's distance learning section mainly
describes how schools can temporarily pivot to distance learning from
in-person instruction. The 76-page guide devotes about seven pages to
distance learning. Some relevant topics included are eligibility for
distance learning, grading principles, and providing services to
students with disabilities. Half of the seven pages discuss the roles
and responsibilities of teachers and administrators within BIE and the
schools.
Some school officials who responded to our July survey said they
wanted information that was not included in the guide. \22\ For
example, 13 of the 25 responding school officials indicated they wanted
information from BIE on how to develop and implement a distance
learning program that addresses students' learning needs. This
information is not provided in the guide. Additionally, 12 of 25
respondents to our survey reported they wanted information on distance
learning delivery methods for areas without broadband. BIE's guide
provides half a page of information on what schools should provide for
students who are unable to access the Internet. The section lists what
a school should include in a plan for students without Internet access-
ensuring students have access to instructional materials, for example.
However, it does not describe how schools can or should practically
provide these items to students.
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\22\ Respondents completed the survey prior to the release of BIE's
Return to Learn! guide and therefore their responses relate to what
they wanted to see in the guidance, rather than what the document
actually included.
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The distance learning section in the guide states that schools
would receive a ``technology package with a toolkit'' at an unspecified
later date, but some school officials we interviewed were unaware of
the toolkit. According to the Return to Learn! guide, the toolkit would
support distance learning efforts with information on future technology
procurements, instructions on connectivity and device installations,
and user support. A senior BIE official said the toolkit can be found
on BIE's website. However, the technology toolkit posted to BIE's
Return to Learn! website consists solely of user agreements for
students and parents who receive school-issued equipment. We asked nine
school officials whether they had received a toolkit from BIE. None had
received it and some said they were unaware of its existence.
BIE issued its reopening guide on August 21, 2020, and some school
officials said the release was too late to greatly influence their fall
planning. Seven of the 10 school officials we interviewed in fall 2020
said they thought BIE's late summer release limited the guide's
usefulness, as they had already started their planning for the academic
year. For example, while one official said she reviewed the guide to
ensure the school would be compliant, the school's plans were largely
complete by the time BIE released it. Additionally, 42 tribally
controlled schools began their school year prior to the release of
Return to Learn!, and all BIE-operated schools began the year less than
one month later, on September 16, 2020. A senior BIE official explained
that BIE needed to hold tribal consultations before it could finalize
and release the guide. Those consultations occurred on July 9 and 10,
2020. BIE also had to gather formal comments after these consultations.
These comments were gathered under an expedited 15-day period, rather
than the typical 30-day period.
Officials we spoke with from six schools said that in the absence
of BIE guidance on distance learning, they used guidance created by
other state educational agencies. For example, officials from two
schools said they used Arizona's guidance, which included many topics
on distance learning, including distributing technology, meeting the
needs of special education students, delivering meals to students, and
providing professional learning for staff.
BIE has not provided comprehensive guidance to all BIE schools on
distance learning, although there are clear current and potential
future needs. BIE's communication plan states that it is important to
regularly inform schools and key stakeholders of critical developments
and key information that impacts instruction. \23\ In addition, federal
standards for internal control state that management should identify,
analyze, and respond to risks related to achieving defined objectives
and externally communicate the necessary quality information to achieve
those objectives. \24\ By providing schools with comprehensive guidance
in this area, BIE would better position them to develop and implement
distance learning programs both during the current pandemic and in the
event of future school building closures.
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\23\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education
Communications Plan (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 2015).
\24\ GAO, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government,
GAO-14-704G (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 2014).
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BIE Helped Improve Students' Internet Access, but Many Did not Have
Laptops at the Start of the 2020-2021 School Year
BIE Helped Improve Students' Internet Access, Especially in Remote,
Rural Communities
BIE helped improve both community and at-home Internet access for
students for the 2020-2021 school year. Many BIE students live in areas
of the country where Internet access has been historically low, and BIE
officials said in April 2020 that distance learning had been
challenging for BIE schools to provide during the pandemic because of
limited connectivity on tribal lands. Officials from 13 of the 25
schools that responded to our July survey--including officials from
seven of the 10 BIE-operated schools--reported that fewer than 50
percent of students had access to broadband Internet at home. \25\ To
help address these issues, BIE and Indian Affairs Division of
Acquisitions (Acquisitions) used CARES Act and other funds to purchase
and distribute over 7,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to students enrolled at BIE-
operated schools during the pandemic. With these hotspots, students
could access the Internet in their homes for education-related
purposes. Additionally, BIE reported completing a pilot program in 2020
to install Wi-Fi on 25 school buses, and BIE officials said schools
parked these buses in remote tribal housing communities to serve as
hubs for Internet access for students and families. \26\ BIE also
provided CARES Act funds to tribally controlled schools, which allowed
some schools to improve Wi-Fi access for students (see below).
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\25\ BIE officials stated that the agency does not have the
authority to compel students or families to provide information on home
access to broadband. As such, the information may in some cases serve
as estimates of student Internet access.
\26\ In July 2020, a senior BIE official testified before Congress
that the agency hopes to equip more buses beyond the initial 25 in
order to improve Wi-Fi accessibility for more students and tribal
communities. Preparing to Head Back to Class: Addressing How to Safely
Reopen Bureau of Indian Education Schools, Hearing Before the S. Comm.
On Indian Affairs, 116th Cong. 4 (2020) statement of Tony L. Dearman,
Director, Bureau of Indian Education.
Tribally Controlled Schools Used CARES Act Funds to Improve
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wi-Fi Access for Students
Officials at some tribally controlled schools funded by the
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) said they used CARES Act funds
distributed by BIE to increase home Internet access for
students by purchasing Wi-Fi hotspots. For example, an official
at one school said that about 90 percent of students were able
to consistently access online distance learning, up from 25-49
percent of students before CARES Act funding became available.
Similarly, an official at another tribally controlled school
reported increasing home Wi-Fi access for students from 50-74
percent over the summer to over 95 percent by fall 2020 due to
CARES Act funding.
Source: GAO analysis of statements from BIE school officials.
GAO-21-492T
Most Students Did Not Have Laptops to Begin the 2020-2021 School Year,
Partly Because BIE Did Not Have Complete and Accurate
Information on Schools' IT Needs
Most students at BIE-operated schools lacked devices to access
online distance learning until months after the 2020-2021 school year
began because BIE and Acquisitions did not provide these students
school-issued laptops in a timely manner. In April 2020, BIE officials
said that many students were unable to participate in online distance
learning during the spring because they did not have computers or
laptops at home. Additionally, when we surveyed BIE schools over the
summer, officials from eight of the 10 BIE-operated schools that
responded stated that students lacked devices to participate in online
distance learning.
BIE began collecting information on school IT needs as schools
closed in the spring. In June 2020, BIE officials said that the agency
planned to use the majority of its CARES Act funding to purchase IT
equipment, and in July, Interior's Office of the Inspector General
issued a report stating that BIE planned to use its CARES Act funds to
target immediate hardware and software needs to facilitate student
access to online learning resources. \27\ A senior BIE official also
testified before Congress in July 2020 and stated that the agency was
working collectively with its schools to maximize purchasing power to
ensure schools have the IT equipment necessary to help their students
achieve academically during the pandemic. \28\
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\27\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General,
CARES Act Flash Report: Bureau of Indian Education Snapshot, No. 2020-
FIN-050 (Washington, D.C.: July 2020).
\28\ Hearing, supra note 26, at 4, statement of Tony L. Dearman,
Director, Bureau of Indian Education.
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BIE and Acquisitions, however, faced delays with the order for the
laptops. Acquisitions did not order the majority of laptops for BIE-
operated schools until September 2020. In September, Acquisitions
ordered nearly 10,000 laptops for students at BIE schools, according to
Interior information. \29\ BIE officials said that some schools
submitted orders for laptops over the summer but were told the orders
would take over 6 months to fill due to nationwide IT shortages. As a
result, BIE and Acquisitions officials decided to order laptops for
schools in bulk to achieve cost savings and ensure all schools were
purchasing approved computers. Officials from Acquisitions said they
negotiated with the vendor to order a laptop model that could be
delivered in a quicker timeframe. In total, Acquisitions used about
$13.5 million of CARES Act funding to order laptops for students at BIE
schools in September 2020. Specifically, Acquisitions placed orders for
about 8,600 laptops for students at 46 BIE-operated schools on
September 3 and 4, and about 1,000 additional laptops for BIE-operated
schools during the rest of the month. \30\
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\29\ For the purposes of this report, we use the word ``order'' to
indicate a purchase order to a vendor.
\30\ Acquisitions, along with BIE schools, also purchased over
1,600 laptops for teachers at BIE-operated schools, according to
Interior information.
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BIE also experienced delays with delivery of the laptops. At the
time BIE-operated schools reopened on September 16, none of the laptops
ordered in early September had been delivered to schools, according to
Interior information. In contrast, Acquisitions ordered laptops for two
schools during spring 2020, each of which received laptops before the
school year began. \31\ While most of the laptops ordered in September
were delivered to schools in late October or November, none were
delivered to schools until more than a month after the school year
began, and some deliveries were delayed until January 2021. As of the
end of March 2021, one school still had not received 100 laptops from
the vendor, according to Interior information.
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\31\ According to Interior information, Acquisitions ordered 500
laptops during the spring for the two BIE-operated schools.
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In addition, schools faced delays distributing laptops to students.
By the end of December 2020--more than 3 months after the school year
began--over 80 percent of the laptops ordered in September had not been
distributed to students, according to Interior information. \32\ As of
March 26, 2021--the date of the most recent information Interior
provided--nearly 20 percent of the laptops ordered in September had not
yet been distributed to students.
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\32\ In instances where Interior provided a range of dates for a
school's distribution of laptops to students, we report distribution
using the end date of the range because it indicates when all of the
school's laptops were distributed.
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In addition to delays stemming from nationwide IT shortages, two
other factors primarily delayed the order, delivery, and distribution
of laptops to students: incomplete information on schools' IT needs and
insufficient IT expertise and capacity at some schools.
Incomplete information on schools' IT needs: BIE officials
said that while the agency had been collecting information on
schools' IT needs since early 2020, it did not have complete
information to place the bulk laptop order prior to September.
Although Interior officials stated that a contractor had
conducted an IT inventory of BIE-operated schools in February
2020, this inventory was not provided to BIE until March 2021.
Even if this inventory had been provided earlier, Interior
officials noted that it would have been of limited use in
assessing schools' IT needs for distance learning because the
information was gathered before the pandemic. Interior
officials stated that one of the lessons learned was the
necessity for accurate and up-to-date information on school IT
needs to guide technology purchases.
Without accurate, complete, and up-to-date information on
schools' IT needs, BIE and Acquisitions were unable to identify
discrepancies between enrollment counts and the number of
laptops needed when in July 2020 BIE-operated schools submitted
spending plans for CARES Act funds that included requests for
laptops. Officials from Acquisitions said that some schools
provided incomplete or inconsistent information that required
further review. For example, some schools requested fewer
laptops than their number of enrolled students, which led to
confusion and delays in the ordering process as officials from
Acquisitions and BIE worked to reconcile the information.
Having up-to-date information on BIE schools' IT needs is
essential for schools' readiness to deliver distance learning
and requires policies and procedures to gather information from
schools and verify its completeness and accuracy. However, BIE
lacks such policies and procedures and as a result was unable
to place the laptop order in a timely fashion. Federal internal
control standards state that agencies should collect reliable
and quality information in a timely manner to inform
decisionmaking. \33\ Furthermore, BIE's strategic plan states
that BIE will work collaboratively with schools to continuously
improve the quality of education by prioritizing needs and
making data-driven decisions, among other factors. \34\
Establishing policies and procedures to gather information on
schools' IT needs and verify its completeness and accuracy
would help BIE ensure it has the information it needs to guide
IT purchases now and in the future.
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\33\ GAO-14-704G.
\34\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education
Strategic Direction 2018-2023, (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 2018).
Insufficient IT expertise and capacity: BIE officials said
that a lack of IT expertise and staff capacity at schools
contributed to delays in distributing laptops to students. Once
laptops reached schools, school officials tagged, configured,
and distributed the laptops to students. However, BIE officials
said students at some schools received laptops later than they
otherwise would have because schools did not have personnel
with the IT expertise needed to tag and configure the laptops.
Officials said that the laptop tagging and configuration
process was time-consuming and, in some cases, confusing for
staff who lack IT training. BIE officials stated in March 2021
that OIMT had contracted for an IT workforce assessment and was
developing a workforce plan to support the IT needs of BIE in
all its major IT functions. \35\
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\35\ BIE officials stated that as of March 2021, OIMT had not yet
completed the documentation regarding this assessment and workforce
plan, so we were unable to review this documentation during the course
of our audit work.
The delayed order, delivery, and distribution of laptops to some
students put them at risk of falling behind their peers. An official at
one BIE-operated school said that the school lost 15 percent of its
students because, unlike local public schools, it was unable to provide
online distance learning to students in the fall. \36\ Additionally,
thousands of students in BIE-operated schools participated in distance
learning programs without online learning during fall 2020 because they
had not received a laptop or other device to access the Internet, and
some schools relied primarily on providing packets to students,
according to BIE information. As of March 2021, 25 BIE-operated schools
were still providing instructional packets to approximately 1,400
students, some of whom have continuing connectivity issues, according
to Interior officials.
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\36\ This school official stated that in many cases these students
withdrew from the BIE-operated school and enrolled at a local public
school.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusions
BIE officials said that as Interior plans to purchase laptops and
other devices for students and teachers on an ongoing basis, BIE will
continue to need accurate and up-to-date information on schools' IT
needs. For example, in addition to the laptops ordered in September,
Acquisitions, along with some BIE schools, purchased over 1,300 iPads
for students and over 1,600 laptops for teachers between February and
September 2020, according to Interior information. Further, BIE
officials said BIE plans to provide students with laptops and other
devices even if schools are not operating in a distance learning
environment because schools will begin to integrate technology into
their everyday curricula. As IT devices become damaged or obsolete and
school enrollment numbers change, officials will need up-to-date
information on schools' IT needs. Having policies and procedures to
collect and verify this information will be essential to guide these IT
purchases.
BIE has an obligation to ensure schools continue to provide
education to students when school buildings are closed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, according to agency documentation. To that end, the
CARES Act provided BIE with more than $220 million and subsequent
legislation provided significantly more funds to help BIE and its
schools respond to the pandemic. BIE took some steps to support
schools' online distance learning programs and used CARES Act funds to
buy laptops and invest in IT infrastructure so that students can
participate in these programs online from their homes or in their
communities. However, BIE's limited guidance on distance learning for
schools and the lack of policies and procedures for assessing schools'
technology needs have impeded the agency's ability to ensure that
schools can provide online distance learning when their buildings are
closed to students. Addressing these areas would better position BIE to
ensure that schools have the information they need to deliver distance
learning programs and students have the technology to participate in
those programs now and in the future.
Recommendations for Executive Action
We are making the following two recommendations to BIE:
The Director of BIE should provide comprehensive guidance to
schools on distance learning to ensure they have the information to
create and maintain effective distance learning programs during
extended school building closures. (Recommendation 1)
The Director of BIE should work with Indian Affairs' Office of
Information Management Technology to develop and implement written
policies and procedures for collecting timely information on BIE-
operated schools' technology needs. (Recommendation 2)
Chair Schatz, Vice Chair Murkowski, and Members of the Committee,
this completes my prepared statement. I would be pleased to respond to
any questions that you may have at this time.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Next, we have Mr. Tony Dearman, Director of the Bureau of
Indian Education. Before you begin, I just wanted to note that
Rule 4(b) of this Committee requires that testimony be
submitted on time. It was late; and actually, our rule requires
that you testify as to why this testimony was submitted late.
I will waive that in the interest of getting to the
substance of the matter. But I will just note that we have had
some difficulty as a committee getting information out of BIE.
I would like to reset expectations, and not just comply with
the letter of our rule and our procedures, but more generally
be able to conduct oversight, which is going to require more
responsiveness than we have seen in the past.
With that said, Mr. Dearman.
STATEMENT OF TONY L. DEARMAN, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF INDIAN
EDUCATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Dearman. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Committee
members. Thank you for the invitation to appear before you on
behalf of the BIE.
As you can imagine, the pandemic caused many hardships to
our tribal communities and our schools. BIE had its own
personnel losses, with 9 school staff passing and nearly 200
COVID-19 cases reported. Please know that BIE, Indian Affairs,
and the Department considers any single death as one too many,
as we pay our respects to those lost and to their families.
BIE schools are operating in-person, hybrid and remote
learning, guided by local decisions to keep students,
educators, and communities safe. BIE school leaders and their
staff dedicated themselves to ensure students had a scholastic
environment to learn.
BIE agency staff worked hard with their schools,
communities, States and tribal leaders to support local
academic and behavioral needs of students and staff. They
coordinated with tribes as they exercised their sovereign right
to protect their people.
While BIE's goal has been and remains on-site learning to
the extent it is safe, BIE is using the latest updated
Department of Education and CDC guidance to inform school site
reopening activities. The decision is made locally, at the
school level, in coordination with our field staff, public
health officials, alongside tribal governments, as we honor
their sovereignty and decision-making authority.
To support our students and staff, with the geographic
isolation of many BIE schools, we prioritized the need to
bridge the gap in the internet connectivity and access to IT
hardware to support distance learning. Our team works across
Indian Affairs to support high-speed broadband access to all
BIE school sites.
BIE ordered more than 8,000 hotspots and jet packs to
provide internet for students at home, and supplied more than
10,000 laptops to school leaders to determine delivery to their
students. Our goal is to support fully a full connectivity
infrastructure in the communities we serve, as outlined under
the President's American Jobs plan.
BIE is also working with a team to integrate a unified
learning management system that will support long-term digital
curriculum and our ability to implement our first-ever
standards assessment and accountability system. Our entire team
has worked to ensure that our BIE direct appropriations are
helping schools and improving operations as effectively and
efficiently as possible.
Of the [indiscernible] $153 million of Department of
Education CARES Act funding, more than 93 percent has been
obligated. Sixty-seven .5 percent of the $409 million in BIE
funding through the second tranche of relief funds has also
been obligated. Most recently, the American Rescue Plan
provided an additional $850 million to BIE, which was
distributed this past week after consultation with tribes.
While technology and funding relief has been critical in
supporting our schools locally, reopening our school sites
safely also requires safe and modern school facilities. BIE
coordinated with our Indian Affairs Public Health and Safety
Program for a school reopening health and safety training
summit over the past year. The program is also working with a
third party to conduct school ventilation system assessments to
provide recommendations for site improvement supported by COVID
relief funds.
With 86 schools in poor condition, 44 are prioritized for
action. However, 73 school projects remain unfunded. Funding is
a key factor in our ability to provide modern, inspiring, and
safe schools. Currently, the average cost of replacing a school
in poor condition is $62 million, putting the total cost of
replacing BIE schools in poor condition at roughly $4.5
billion.
I also want to note that during consultation in March, a
tribal leader shared that tribes are deeply invested in
educating our children, because we know our kids are the future
community leaders, cultural protectors and language speakers.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected our
elder population, who are often the community's remaining
Native speakers. This year, BIE awarded $14 million in language
immersion awards to 17 schools who are working to get funding
distributed more efficiently to help schools conduct classes
aimed at increasing Native language proficiency and support the
cultural needs of our communities.
BIE has increased our employment from 43.6 percent filled
in 2018 to a high of 70.3 filled in recent months. Staff also
implemented the BIE's first ever standards assessment and
accountability system to better align academic supports to the
needs of our students and schools.
Thank you again for the invitation to appear today. I look
forward to answering your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Dearman follows:]
Prepared Statement of Tony L. Dearman, Director, Bureau of Indian
Education, U.S. Department of the Interior
Good afternoon Chairman Schatz, Vice Chairman Murkowski, and
Members of the Committee. Thank you for the invitation to appear again
on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). I am glad to join
you today to discuss the BIE regarding ``Examining the COVID-19
Response in Native Communities: Native Education Systems One Year
Later.''
As you may know, COVID-19 death rates for Native people are
disproportionally higher than for other demographic groups. BIE has had
its own personnel losses from COVID-19 over the last year. So, please
know that BIE, Indian Affairs, and Department of the Interior
leadership considers any single death related to COVID-19 as one too
many. I am also personally cognizant, from my own family experiences,
that such loss can affect an entire school and local community, so BIE
is working to provide personnel supports, where appropriate, as well as
help our schools and staff as we all work to recover from the last
year.
BIE career and school staff across the country also understand well
the toll the pandemic has taken on our schools and communities as many
work locally and have experienced hardships alongside many of our
students and school staff. As such, I want to acknowledge the faculty
and staff we have lost to, or have been personally affected by, COVID-
19. We pay our respects to those lost and to their families. We lost
nine school staff members and tracked nearly 200 cases of COVID-19 to-
date.
Our school leaders have dedicated themselves each day to ensure
students have as normal a learning environment as possible as schools
work to physically reopen their local sites. BIE staff across the
organization are actively working with their schools, communities,
states and tribal leaders to better understand local conditions as well
as to address behavioral health and wellness needs of our students
during these trying times.
Across the organization, BIE staff are working with tribal
communities to ensure we emphasize collaboration among school
administration, parents, staff, tribal leaders, and their communities.
We respect tribal public health orders, we reaffirm our commitment to
tribal sovereignty, and active and ongoing coordination helps us
support our tribal, school and community leaders.
Student and School Support: COVID-19 Recovery
Through the pandemic, BIE has been, and continues to be, focused on
supporting our students, schools, tribal communities, and stakeholders
by meeting a broad range of challenges. BIE staff across the
organization are dedicated to supporting the following priorities as a
result of direct engagement and consultation with Indian Country over
the last year, including:
School Site Closures and School Year 2021-2022 Reopening
Planning
Mental and Behavioral Health Supports and IHS Coordination
Student Connectivity and IT Infrastructure
COVID-19 Relief Funding
Native Language Supports
I also include several congressional recommendations that may
assist with ensuring BIE is better situated to continue its support to
our schools and students. We want to help increase parity among BIE
students with their non-Native peers under these unique circumstances.
School Site Closures
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, BIE and its Indian Affairs
partners worked to transition school sites to remote learning
operations as quickly and safely as possible. BIE worked to provide
distance learning supports and critical services at the local level
such as providing onsite school lunches where it was safe. When tribes
requested additional support, such as at Navajo Nation, BIE worked with
its partners across Indian Affairs to directly provide specific
guidance that addressed the requests of the tribe and the needs of the
local community. We did this collectively to protect our students,
educators, staff and communities to the extent practicable during the
quickly changing COVID-19 environment.
As part of the site closure work in the spring 2020, BIE used its
emergency management (EM) team and its dedicated personnel with
specific roles and responsibilities to support schools and address
mitigation needs. Using the BIE chain of command, the EM team and
support staff from BIE's School Operations Division provided dedicated
support to schools and has continued that support. BIE leadership
communicated specific points of contact for the field to improve BIE
support to schools, such as providing additional personal protective
equipment (PPE) or mitigation services for instances of COVID-19.
Today, BIE-funded school opening status is different from the
initial onset of COVID-19. BIE is now using Department of Education
(ED) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reopening
guidance \1\ for our schools as they look to reopen activities and
support the mix of students learning on-site, remotely, or through a
hybrid model that combines distance and on-site learning. As has been
the case throughout the pandemic, the goal remains to support on-site
learning. This decision is made locally at the school level, in
coordination with our field staff and public health officials, and
alongside tribal governments as we honor their sovereignty and
decisionmaking authority. The below statistics relate to the status of
BIE-funded schools as of mid-April 2021. These numbers change weekly
based on the priorities and direction of tribal governments and the
needs of local communities. BIE continues to support local and tribal
coordination as BIE staff honors the best path forward to keep students
and community members safe.
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\1\ Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and
Secondary Schools and COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening
Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs.
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Bureau Operated Schools: Of the 22 Bureau Operated Schools, no
schools are operating under a traditional, on-site classroom setting,
while seven schools are operating with a hybrid learning model
consisting of onsite and remote learning models. The remaining 15
schools are operating completely remotely using distance learning
educational models to support educational continuity for students.
Tribally Controlled Schools: Of the 98 Tribally Controlled Schools,
15 schools are operating under a traditional, onsite classroom setting,
while 32 schools are operating with a hybrid learning model consisting
of onsite and remote learning models. The remaining 51 schools are
operating completely remotely using distance learning educational
models to support educational continuity for students.
BIE Navajo Schools: To adhere to local Tribal orders, of the 64
schools serving the Navajo Nation (both Bureau Operated and Tribally
Controlled Schools), 62 schools are operating remotely using distance
learning educational models to support educational continuity for
students and one school site is now operating under a hybrid model.
Richfield Residential Hall, a Tribally Controlled peripheral dormitory
facility that supports a local public high school, is open for onsite
services for Native youth.
School Year 2021-2022 Reopening Planning
BIE staff are working to address the needs of students who have
been disrupted by the pandemic. BIE is determining the best means for
assessing the gaps in learning due to the lack of traditional face-to-
face instructional hours. As such, we plan to consult with tribes and
stakeholders on May 4-5 regarding the extent to which BIE-funded
schools can administer BIE's assessments this year and whether BIE
should request an assessment waiver from ED. BIE will also host school
reopening consultations on May 10 for Grades K-12 and BIE residential
facilities and May 11 for post-secondary institutions to determine if
supplemental reopening guidance is needed due to the unique nature of
our system. BIE staff is also working with schools to identify summer
school options with eight tribally controlled schools and 17 Bureau
Operated Schools that have plans to host summer school. BIE is
implementing plans to expand operational capacity through BIE's first-
ever bureau-wide learning management system (LMS), which will align
student data, communications, and curriculum for learning inside the
classroom and in a remote environment interchangeably. We are also
providing additional hotspots and other hardware, working across Indian
Affairs to provide dedicated Information Technology (IT) support staff,
and improving BIE's IT infrastructure more broadly that will support
BIE schools, students and families for years to come.
Through consultation with tribal leaders and stakeholders, BIE will
work to identify gaps in existing ED and CDC reopening guidance
respective to our unique education system, such as BIE's residential
facilities. As BIE staff gathers recommendations for reopening, they
will work with schools to assist in the updating of locally and
culturally responsive individual school reopening plans to prepare for
the 2021-2022 school year. Further, BIE is partnering with states with
high Native populations through our ED-funded comprehensive center to
exchange best practices for reopening and also supporting school
leaders by providing opportunities for cross-collaboration and
professional development. Directives provided from Washington, DC must
allow for local flexibility to be successful due to the unique local
needs of tribes and BIE schools.
Mental and Behavioral Health Supports and IHS Coordination
The BIE, through the efforts of our Student Health Program
Specialist, implemented the agency's first-ever comprehensive
behavioral health and wellness program to support those in need during
and post-pandemic. The $2.1 million proposal is providing behavioral
health/crisis support services for students, families, and staff in
Bureau-Operated and Tribally Controlled Schools as well as at the
agency level to meet their unique and local needs presented as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Student Health Program Specialist
researched and met with other federal agencies before finalizing the
proposal. The supports under the contract will work to address the
following at a national level:
The expansion of BIE's current Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) contract to include students and Tribal school staff for
a minimum of five months (approximately $1.5 million). Services
would include a BIE-specific 24/7 toll-free number connecting
individuals to a licensed mental health professional; virtual
counseling sessions (three sessions per individual); and
proactive mental health/suicide prevention screenings.
The creation of a specific wellness, emotional support, and
telehealth contract (approximately $2 million) with a Native-
owned vendor focusing on: weekly virtual wellness events/
trainings, a resource library specific for BIE staff and
students, and telehealth counseling support with licensed
clinicians from the University of New Mexico.
The creation of a specific clinical/therapeutic service
contract (approximately $400,000 for 200 hours of service
delivery) with a Native-owned clinical provider. This vendor
employs the following types of mental health service providers:
adult/child psychiatrists (MD), licensed clinical social
workers, adult/child psychologists (Both PhD and Masters level
clinicians), traditional counseling (using Native specific
traditional interventions), and case managers.
Additionally, BIE initiated communication with the Indian Health
Service (IHS)-Division of Behavioral Health (IHS Headquarters) and IHS
Regional Office behavioral health consultants in 2020 to begin COVID-19
coordination for BIE off-reservation boarding schools. BIE is also
hiring additional behavioral health staff members in each of its three
divisions (Bureau Operated, Tribally Controlled, and Navajo Schools) to
expand capacity to better support schools while coordinating nationally
with BIE Central Office. BIE also continues to coordinate with IHS at
the occurrence of a student or employee death to support counseling
services that IHS may have available for students, families, and school
employees.
Through our partnership with IHS on various issues, a weekly
coordination call has expanded direct coordination with IHS on
counseling/crisis support and local memoranda of agreement for specific
behavioral health supports in Bureau-operated schools. BIE leadership
also meets weekly with IHS personnel and leadership, as necessary, to
support IHS COVID-19 vaccination efforts to prioritize BIE school staff
and employees due to their essential status, which will support local
school reopening, where feasible.
Student Connectivity and IT Infrastructure
Due to the geographical isolation of BIE schools, we understand
connectivity challenges well. We are coordinating across Indian Affairs
to support high-speed broadband access at all BIE school sites. We made
rapid gains over the last year to provide high-speed Internet to BIE
students in remote environments. To further support this work, the
funding request in the President's American Jobs Plan proposal for
broadband expansion as well as inter- and intra-Departmental
coordination will also help BIE and tribal communities address gaps in
access. We are not content to rely solely on hotspots and jetpacks to
expand access. Our goal is to support the better, more expansive
solution of full connectivity infrastructure in the communities we
serve as outlined more broadly under the American Jobs Plan.
In the near term, BIE staff are responding to issues pertaining to
Internet connectivity as well as having the correct device, often
dictated by the age of the student, to access the Internet for
learning. BIE not only ordered more than 8,000 hotspots or jetpacks
that provide Internet for students at home, but we also piloted a
project to create 25 ``smartbuses'' for the BIE's 25 longest bus routes
that can also be parked near centralized housing locations or in
parking lots for students to access Wi-Fi while remaining socially
distant during the pandemic. BIE ordered more than 10,000 laptops, and
to date, 99 percent have been delivered to schools for school leaders
to determine how best to deliver the new hardware to their respective
students. BIE staff coordinated and continue to hold calls several
times per week with Indian Affairs staff to plan for new students and
potential hardware repair needs as identified by school leaders.
We also continue to focus support for IT through implementation of
BIE's LMS as described above. However, we face continued challenges,
including the inability of jetpacks to receive a signal in student
homes and powering devices in homes without electricity. To meet these
challenges, BIE staff used school check-in calls to assist with Wi-Fi
extension supports and investigated how solar chargers might be used to
support distance learning.
Understanding the need to continue local support, BIE plans to
provide extensive professional development for educators that support
improvements in instructional design. Staff members are working to
empower teachers, academic aides, and school administrators to
effectively use technology to support student learning. BIE's LMS is
expected to be in place later this year to facilitate and support
student learning. BIE-funded Tribally Controlled Schools will continue
to use their own systems. Field staff are working to engage families in
using technology by providing support, such as tutorials on the use of
technology and platforms provided by the school. And, BIE, through
coordination with Indian Affairs, also identified a dedicated IT
support group to assist schools with IT problems as they arise.
COVID-19 Relief Funding
BIE-U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) funds under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has targeted
immediate student needs related to mental health and safety, staff
training, and IT investments. The identified goals of the more than $46
million in DOI CARES funding targeted for K-12 schools are distinct but
complementary to ED Education Stabilization Funding (ESF) of $153
million. When I testified last year, we discussed the importance of
getting BIE funding to communities and schools as quickly as possible
to make the most impact.
Our entire team has worked to ensure that our BIE direct
appropriations are helping communities and improving operations as
effectively and efficiently as possible. As of early April, I can
report that 92 percent of the BIE direct appropriations have been
obligated. Of the initial $153 million ED Stabilization dollars, more
than 90 percent has been obligated. The ED ESF-2 funding of $409
million under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) is 33 percent obligated. The American
Rescue Plan (ARP) funding also provides an additional $850 million, on
which BIE consulted, in coordination with Indian Affairs, to receive
further input from Indian Country on BIE uses of relief funding. The
ARP funding was routed to recipients by April to meet the 45-day
funding deadline.
The relief funding equips individual schools with the necessary
resources to provide customized solutions to locality-specific
reopening challenges. In locations where a school has unfortunately had
COVID-19 related cases and/or deaths, the relief funding equips school
leaders with the ability to provide staff and students critical mental
health support through contract services. Other relief funding, such as
that from ED, is designed to provide schools the ability to plan for
and address mid-to-long-term challenges in providing continuation of
instruction, such as gaps in IT infrastructure. Because each BIE-funded
school faces unique COVID-19 related challenges, and pursuant to
current ED guidelines, specific percentages of expenditures vary by
school location. Providing schools with this flexibility to match
funding to the immediate reopening needs of each school is critical to
ensuring that schools expedite a return-to-traditional operations as
quickly and safely as possible.
Safe and Modern Facilities
Reopening schools safely also requires safe and modern school
facilities. BIE coordinated with our Indian Affairs public health and
safety program for a School Reopening Health and Safety Training
Summit. The Summit addressed a wide range of needs and guidance
regarding safe practices to mitigate transmission of COVID-19, face
coverings, social distancing, cleaning, disinfecting, ventilation
systems, and appropriate measures for water systems like flushing and
testing, as well as procedures for COVID-19 related requests, emergency
preparedness, and opportunities for one-on-one virtual site visits and
consultation. The Public Health and Safety Program is also moving
forward with a third party to conduct school ventilation system
assessments and provide recommendations. CARES Act and ARP funding will
help address these needs.
In the long term, the President's American Jobs Plan will also help
modernize our nation's schools and upgrade federal facilities that
service our students. We are modernizing our schools through additional
resources provided under the Great America's Outdoor Act and improved
management actions, such as our new site assessment and capital
investment process and the use of smart acquisition vehicles. However,
modernizing our schools will take time. There are currently 86 Grades
K-12 schools in poor condition, 44 schools prioritized for action, and
73 unfunded schools. Resources are a key factor in our ability to
provide modern, inspiring schools.
The average cost of replacing a school in poor condition is $62
million, putting the total cost of replacing BIE schools in poor
condition at roughly $4.5 billion.
Native Language Supports
During formal tribal consultation in March 2021 a tribal leader
from the Fort Belknap Indian Community told BIE staff that ``tribes are
deeply invested in educating our children because we know these kids
are our future community leaders, cultural protectors, and language
speakers.'' Unfortunately, COVID-19 has also disproportionately
affected elder populations who are most often a community's remaining
Native speakers.
Through this loss, COVID-19 has taken away primary support
structures for our students. Native language immersion and nest
programs are also directly supported through the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services' Administration for Native Americans (ANA),
Native American Language (NAL) grants from ED under Title VI of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and Native American and
Alaska Native Children in School Program (NAM) Grants from ED under
Title III of the ESEA. Also, the BIE, ANA, and ED collectively have
hosted an annual Native Languages Summit to provide cross departmental
language support resources.
The BIE continues to focus its Native language development funding
through Indian School Equalization Program (ISEP) and Education Program
Enhancements. Due to the pandemic, local implementation may have varied
over the last year in delivery. But, in general, schools conduct
classes aimed at increasing Native language proficiency during the
instructional day. Schools also provide teachers with professional
development to incorporate Native language use in their curricula and
integrate language and culture into instruction. The Education Program
Enhancement subactivity enables BIE to provide services and necessary
resources to meet the unique needs and priorities of individual tribes
and their schools. BIE local Education Resource Centers use the
Enhancement Program to fund professional development and technical
assistance at all levels of the BIE school system to improve student
outcomes.
The ISEP funding formula generated $27.9 million for Language
Development in BIE-funded schools in School Year 2018-2019, and $27.6
million in School Year 2019-2020. In accordance with the congressional
set-aside for Native language immersion, the BIE also distributed $2
million in grant funds in each of Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019 to 30
Bureau-funded schools to increase oral Native language proficiency by
expanding or creating language immersion programs. For this year, BIE
has awarded $14 million in language immersion awards to 17 schools. Of
the 17 schools, 16 were tribally controlled schools like Navajo Prep
School, Hopi Junior High and High School, Pine Hill School and one BIE-
operated school.
Conclusion
Throughout the pandemic, I have consistently witnessed the
dedication of our local-level school staff and our employees in the
field. It has been a difficult year for all, but whether they are
essential staff providing direct on-site services at a school or
support staff working virtually to indirectly support our agency's
mission, BIE employees have continued to improve our services. BIE has
worked to improve school-level supports and has ensured Bureau-wide
projects continued under often stressful conditions by continuing to
increase our agency-level capacity even during the pandemic. This
includes a position filled rate of just 43.6 percent filled in 2018 to
a high of 70.3 percent filled in recent months with more hires in
process. Staff have also continued their work to implement the BIE's
first-ever Standards, Assessment, and Accountability System to better
align academic supports to the needs of our students and schools.
Through this work and support for other national Bureau priorities,
BIE staff are focusing attention on the needs of our schools and
communities as well as upholding our trust responsibility to Indian
Country and our dedication to tribal sovereignty. Whether our employees
were making sure students had food, bus drivers were making photocopies
and delivering paper packets to students with poor connectivity, or
field employees had to work virtually, the support of BIE staff members
for our communities has been dedicated and always cognizant of the need
to partner and support the students and tribes we serve.
However, no system is perfect and the unique environment under
COVID-19 required coordination on an unprecedented scale and consistent
support from BIE leadership and the field to school leaders. Early on,
BIE Central Office and field staff like Education Program
Administrators held calls directly with school leaders to improve
communication and identify solutions to problems in real time. Through
direct engagement with our schools and support to our field staff, I am
proud that when nearly 46 percent of the BIE workforce was retirement
eligible in 2018, and with that eligibility rate increasing annually,
our staff has remained on the job, our capacity is increasing, and we
are resilient to provide improved education services to BIE students.
Chairman Schatz, Vice Chairman Murkowski, and Members of the
Committee, thank you again for the invitation to appear today. I look
forward to answering your questions and our continued partnership in
improving educational services to BIE students as we plan for the 2021-
2022 school year. I appreciate the opportunity to share the needs of
BIE students in our schools and the supports BIE provided over the last
year. Thank you again for your leadership and the continued support you
provide for our students and BIE schools.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Next is Mr. Lance West, Principal of Schurz Elementary
School in Nevada.
STATEMENT OF LANCE WEST, PRINCIPAL, SCHURZ
ELEMENTARY; VICE CHAIRMAN, BIE PYRAMID LAKE SCHOOL BOARD
Mr. West. Chairman Schatz, Vice-Chair Murkowski, and
Committee members, thank you for the invitation to testify on
behalf of the Agai Dicutta, Walker River Paiute, and Cui-ui
Dicutta, Pyramid Lake Paiute. How mu. Nu Lance West me nanea.
Nu Cui-ui Dicutta. Nu pooenabe tunedooedu. How are all of you?
My name is Lance West. I am an enrolled member of the Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe.
I am an elementary school Principal for Schurz Elementary
School, a public K-6 school located on the tribal lands of the
Walker River Paiute Reservation. I am also an elected school
board member for Pyramid Lake Junior/Senior High School, a 6-12
BIE-funded school, located in Nixon, Nevada on the Pyramid Lake
Paiute Reservation.
First, Pesa mu. Thank you all for your continued support as
members of this important Committee. You allow for our voice to
be heard and concerns to be presented that can result in
policymaking for the benefit of our people.
Your work as a committee and with Senatorial colleagues to
advocate for all Indian children, including the 70 Schurz
Elementary Students and 150 Pyramid Lake students that I get
the privilege and honor to serve every day is recognized and
greatly appreciated. Pesa mu.
I will summarize one strength and one area of improvement.
One strength identified during the past year is recent high
speed internet connectivity and access for Schurz Elementary
School and Walker River Paiute Tribal Community. Historically,
both the school and community endured poor, unreliable internet
access. The only options were a nationwide cellular network or
satellite-based internet.
This lack of high-speed access prevented our educators'
ability to provide a 21st century education to our students.
How could our teachers incorporate internet-based projects if
only a small percentage of students had internet access from
home?
In 2018, I advocated for school internet infrastructure
improvements, recognizing immediately the inequity that existed
when comparing ourselves to nearby districts and towns. Thanks
to my advocacy, the Mineral County School District applied and
was approved for E-Rate grant funding. As of late spring last
year, right in the midst of the pandemic, Schurz Elementary
School began running at 1 gigabyte internet speed.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe were also included in the E-
Rate grant, attaining high speed access. All of our students'
homes received installation and high-speed internet access,
thanks to a partnership between Walker River Paiute Tribe and a
local internet company using CARES Act funding.
I consider this a major accomplishment for myself, for the
tribe and for each of you on this Committee. Pesa mu.
One area of improvement that must receive attention is
this. As a school board member, there was very little guidance
and direction provided from BIE with respect to reopening last
summer. Unlike my experience in Mineral County, where a
committee composed of parents, teachers, certified and
classified staff, and administrators, developed a reopening
plan over several meetings, Pyramid School's reopening plan was
created primary by staff and administrators.
Sitting in school board meetings over the summer during
discussion of reopening, I could not help but think of all of
the guidance and the direction provided to the school districts
from the Nevada Department of Education. All the while, my
question was, where is BIE in all of this? Where is their
guidance and direction? We were missing important stakeholder
input, which would have been extremely valuable to the
planning.
If there were BIE deadlines and submission requirements for
the reopening plan, I was not made aware, nor was the school's
leadership team. To the staff's credit, they did a fantastic
job creating a plan. All reopening plans deserve high quality
review and support, especially with the damage COVID could do
to our Native communities. As a BIE-funded school board member,
I believe questions should be asked.
In conclusion, during the past year, the pandemic has
impacted every facet of the lives of our Native students,
particularly their education. As you know, statistically, prior
to the pandemic, the achievement gap comparing Native students
to their white counterparts was wide. Now that gap has
increased.
Our tribal governments and school districts that serve high
Native student populations need access to timely, reliable and
accurate achievement data for all students, K-16. How can you
ask tribes to exercise their educational sovereignty when they,
one, do not have access to the most recent data on their
students, enrolled tribal members, and two, are not trained to
interpret and support students effectively based on this data?
I ask each of you to provide Federal support for a
statewide framework for data sharing resources that tribal
governments can use to effectively support and maintain K-12
and higher institution student achievement. No defined
structure exists for tribes to quickly acquire vital short term
and long-term achievement data. This includes grades, State and
national test results, attendance and discipline data.
Once a system is established a tribe will require highly
qualified and effective professional development to understand
how to interpret and implement education services.
The second ask is expansion of funding from the Office of
Indian Education's Indian Professional Development Program. Our
Native students must see more of themselves represented in the
classroom. Service and post-service programming that recruits
and retains highly qualified culturally responsive Native
teachers and administrators must become a priority.
As of today, no higher education institution in Nevada
offers such a program. The time to act is now. The Federal
Government should also encourage the importance of growing your
own teacher preparation programs in tribal communities as well.
With that, I look forward to answering any questions you
may have for me. Pesa mu.
[The prepared statement of Mr. West follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lance West, Principal, Schurz Elementary; Vice
Chairman, BIE Pyramid Lake School Board
Chairman Schatz, Vice-Chair Murkowski, and committee members, thank
you for the invitation to testify on behalf of the Agai Dicutta (Walker
River Paiute) and Cui-ui Dicutta (Pyramid Lake Paiute). How mu. Nu
Lance West me nanea. Nu Cui-ui Dicutta. Nu pooenabe tunedooedu. How are
all of you. My name is Lance West. I am an enrolled member of the
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. I am an Elementary School Principal for
Schurz Elementary School, a public K-6 school located on the tribal
lands of the Walker River Paiute Reservation. I am also an elected
school board member for Pyramid Lake Junior/Senior High School, a 6-12
BIE-funded school, located in Nixon, Nevada on the Pyramid Lake Paiute
Reservation.
First, Pesa mu. Thank you all for your continued support as members
of this important committee. You allow for our voice to be heard and
concerns to be presented that can result in policymaking for the
benefit of our people. Your work as a committee and with Senatorial
colleagues to advocate for all of Indian children, including the
seventy Schurz Elementary Students and one-hundred fifty Pyramid Lake
students that I get the privilege and honor to serve every day is
recognized every day is greatly appreciated. Pesa mu.
My experiences as a public school administrator and BIE school
board member serving in high native student communities during the past
year will provide you with a full perspective of how this pandemic has
impacted Indian Education in Nevada. My perspective will focus on
strengths found, areas of improvements, and realistic solutions moving
forward which I believe each of you need to be aware
I am currently in my third year as Principal and sixteen months
into my role as a Pyramid Lake Schools Board of Education member.
I am a realist. Realism is the philosophy I have lived and worked
by in my profession the last nineteen years. This approach has received
criticism at times that my outlook is viewed as pessimistic, where my
focus is that on the negative. Improvements to Indian Education
requires one to acknowledge the conditions found in educational systems
today in order for progress to be made. Those conditions include
acknowledging and addressing systemic racism, inequities for students
of color, and the deficit mindset. One personal goal that I strived for
since my acceptance into the University of Nevada Reno's College of
Education's Teacher Program all those years ago is this: Improving
education for the young Native people in my community.
The opportunity, or achievement gap, between students of color and
their white counterparts, has widened, make no mistake, due to the
Pandemic. Despite improvements to tribal Internet connectivity and
access to technology for students, the Digital Divide remains. Once the
funds associated with the pandemic are long gone, Indian Education
continues. My schools, along with all other high Native student
population schools in Nevada and throughout the country, will continue
with the business of preparing students for college and/or careers
after high school. The current education system in place, before the
pandemic, has yet to build capacity for success for our Native American
children will continue, business as usual. The achievement gap has
widened, make no mistake. Additional funding for interventions, mental
health, Native teacher recruitment and retention pre- and post-service
programming, and culturally relevant pedagogy should become the
priority of this committee.
The Pandemic and the murder of George Floyd are defining moments
for me and many of my fellow Indigenous educators the past year. A
group of us Indigenous educators and community activists realized that
rather than wait around for the help from the state's department of
education to provide solutions to Indian Education in Nevada to
problems that have existed for far too long, that we organize and
become the voice of Native communities in our state. Our organization,
Indigenous Educators Empowerment, regularly collaborates with NDE's
Indian Education Department, the Nevada Indian Commission,
universities/community colleges, and school districts. This
collaboration discusses all the issues and concerns that we have seen
in Indian Education locally for years. We have solutions, but we cannot
do it alone.
I look forward to answering any and all questions you may ask of
me. Pesa mu.
Strengths--Student Access to Technology
PLHS staff early in the pandemic recognized the need for technology
and didn't hesitate to request funding for purchase. Same with the
Internet for students at home. In collaboration with PLPT, full time
distance learners were provided with devices for Internet access. At
Schurz Elementary, WRPT had developed a relationship with a local
Internet provider and utilized COVID CARES funding to pay for
installation and funds toward monthly payment of Internet services. The
provider, Preferred Internet, provided enough bandwidth to support live
streaming video for students learning from home. At MCSD, getting
technology into the hands of our Schurz students was not an issue.
Schurz Elementary was at a 1 to 1 student/Chromebook ratio and with the
support of MCSD district office, were able to provide our JH/HS
students attending Hawthorne the technology. Food services for both
communities was well coordinated by all staff.
Veteran staff as well, not accustomed to technology in their normal
teaching schedule, were hesitant as well and struggled with the
transition to the blended learning model. The lesson was learned, but
it took an entire semester to figure out a revised approach, at
semester, there was a push to bring struggling students back in person.
This approach was very helpful and continues to be the right decision.
Area of Improvement: Addressing the Widening Opportunity (Achievement)
Gap
Academic achievement for Native students in grades 3-12 is lower
than their white counterparts. Nevada has a Nevada School Performance
Framework (NSPF) that rates schools on a number of factors from state
assessment results to chronic absenteeism. his rating is based on a
scale from 0-100 and one to five stars. Schurz Elementary School has
been rated a Rising Star (one star) school for all three years. Last
year (2019-2020 SY), no testing took place so we were rated based on
the 2018-2019 data. The majority of high Native student population
schools in Nevada have a similar rating. This was before the pandemic.
Now, with the gap widening due learning from home and/or hybrid
learning. We have interventions in place, but have had no time to
implement due to the reopening plan requirements such as social
distance. For us this meant to create two sessions, one AM and the
other PM. All of our in-person learners at Schurz Elementary School are
on campus for no more than 3 hours each day. That is just enough time
to eat lunch or breakfast (depending on your session) and 90 min of
Reading and Math blocks. There is no time for Intervention. Another
requirement of our reopening does not allow our classes to interact.
Typical Intervention programming allows a student, below grade level,
to interact with students with the same skill level. So a 3rd grader,
behind academically in Reading, would be allowed to work in a small
group with 2nd graders during our Intervention Block (30-40 minutes).
There are distance learners' parent/guardians who have not allowed
them to take their quarterly MAP assessments in Reading, Math, Science,
and Language Usage because of their own concerns, despite the protocols
in place. We respect their concerns and allow them not to test.
However, without a baseline, our teachers are in the dark in this area.
There are other data points of course, such as grades, attendance, unit
test scores, and projects to determine any re-teaching to those
students.
We are currently in the middle of completing our state SBAC
testing. Now, our distance learners will return to test this week, we
can only hope for the best.
Next year, we will need to maximize Intervention blocks to a level
never seen before. With my small staff, that will not be possible
without more feet on the ground. This means hiring more teacher aides,
an Interventionist, a Literacy Strategist, a PD Coach, a Student/Parent
Involvement Coordinator, a Counselor, etc. I need these positions.
Strengths--BIE funding to Address Additional Staffing Needs
Pyramid Lake Schools have a large budget for being a smaller
school. School administration has been hiring additional staff to
support our students during their return to hybrid learning second
semester. As a board member, we will continue to monitor student data
points and identify areas of need with the confidence that hiring
qualified staff to support student achievement is a top priority.
Strengths--Strict Tribal Community Lockdowns
Tribal leadership in both communities and lockdown of the
reservation with curfews and restrictions for visitors helped keep
overall COVID numbers and deaths down.
Each of the two community's tribal governments early on took
immediate action to protect our people such as enacting strict
lockdowns and curfews. This approach, in hindsight, reduced the number
of infections and loss of life. This approach could not be ignored by
both schools. As board member, no decision by the board was made
without thorough discussion regarding the impact it would have on our
vulnerable populations. As Principal, all matters were shared with
Walker River Paiute tribal leadership. Over the summer both schools
designed and implemented reopenings plans in collaboration with tribal
leadership and emergency response teams. During planning, My
Superintendent would always remind district leadership to keep in mind
the tribe's pandemic policies and to be respectful, always, of their
decisions.
Strengths--Upgraded Internet Connectivity/Infrastructure
Another strength was Internet connectivity. Historically, the town
of Schurz, located on the Walker River Paiute Reservation, had poor
Internet access. Nationwide cellular network or satellite Internet were
the primary and reliable options. Of course, there would be an Internet
provider business that would pass through the town, but would
eventually move on. As an educator, the thought of assigning any work
that required home Internet access, was out of the question. For years,
the digital divide was evident in the community. Our children were not
prepared for a 21st Century education. You might be asking yourself,
``If the community had poor Internet access, what about the school's?''
Schurz Elementary School's current building is 21 years old. Until late
Spring 2020, the school had a network infrastructure that fell way
below the standard of all academic institutions. The Internet was
delivered to the school via a satellite dish that was aimed directly at
another satellite installed on top of the El Capitan Casino in
Hawthorne. It was horrible. So, yes, generations of students were not
receiving a 21st Century education with adequate Internet access.
Thanks to a collaborative effort between the school district and the
Walker River Paiute Tribe, MCSD applied for an E-Rate grant. It was
approved and CC Communications was awarded the contract. As of Spring
2020, our school was outfitted with one gigabyte of Internet. Fiber
optic lines were run and connected up to the school. The final quarter
of the school year, like all other schools in the state, we sent home
paper packets. Over the summer, we were directed by NDE to provide
distance learners using an acceptable and proven LMS (Learning
Management System). We were allowed to choose a platform. We selected
Google Classroom, rather than Canvas.
Returning to the inconsistent community Internet access, a company
began marketing high speed Internet, six months before the Pandemic, it
was much better and reliable. It could stream! The community began
replacing their bulky satellite dishes with smaller dishes. There were
still way too many families without Internet. Thanks to the COVID-19
relief CARES Act, the tribe used the funding to pay for installation
and months of Internet access. By the start of the school year, 95
percent of our families were connected from home. Eventually, every
family had high speed and reliable Internet. A lesson, however, was
going to be learned. Limited Teacher Technology Literacy.
Pyramid Lake Schools also had a combination of nationwide cellular
network and Internet access.
Strength--In Person and Distance Learner Curricular Alignment
Pyramid Lake School teacher expectation was to provide live
instruction via Google Classroom and Google Meet at the start of the
school year. The roll out of distance learning, like all other schools,
was shaky. Nonetheless, the PL teachers persisted. Professional
Development was provided with weekly meetings to address concerns with
shifting their curriculum to accommodate distance learners. The first
nine weeks of the school year, all students were distance learning. In
hindsight, this forced teaching staff no other option for providing
instruction except with Google Classroom. This, in my opinion, was a
good thing. As any school reopening plan will mention, should there be
an exposure of students by someone who tests positive for COVID, the
class, or depending on contact tracing, the entire school, may shut
down for two weeks at a time. Transitioning their curriculum and fine
tuning it the first nine weeks was of great benefit to students; with
administration providing feedback and support.
Fast forward to the end of March. I was conducting class
walkthroughs with the PL school principal. In every classroom I
observed the teachers were easily alternating between the in-person
learners and distance learners seamlessly. Back at Mineral County
School District, you would not see such a thing, particularly at their
junior high/high school.
My expectation as principal was the same at Schurz Elementary
School. Live instruction, every day. You provide distance learners the
same content as in person learners. Equity.
Area of Improvement--In-Person and Distance Learner Curricular
Inequities
How would you feel, if your child was at home learning, with no
real, formal way to communicate with any of their seven teachers? It
took months for the school to enact something in the way of teacher
contact information. How would you feel if your child was at least two
years below grade level in ELA? Yet, the curriculum content was at
grade level? Your child would struggle.
Lessons learned specific to academics for our distance learners was
rolling out distance education without time to test and create a system
that could accommodate all learners. Both community's teachers
frantically changed and revised curriculum to meet the needs of
distance learners with only a few days of professional training.
Professional learning was real time. What didn't work was dropped and
replaced on a whim. In the meantime, our students below grade level or
working from home was not an optimal situation and struggled while our
teachers figured out a best approach. The emphasis of using online
credit recovery programs such as Edgenuity did more damage as our
learners below grade level struggled with at-grade level content.
A large majority of the WRPT 7-12 students attending MCSD were full
time distance learners. Elementary and Secondary teachers and
leadership took two different approaches when it came to providing
instruction for distance learners. Elementary emphasized daily live
instruction via Google Meet and Classroom, while Secondary educators
decided against daily live instruction. Instead, secondary educators in
MCSD chose an online credit recovery program called Edgenuity. Rather
than daily live interactions between student and teacher, all 7-12
Walker River students would complete activities using this program.
Direct communication was found in the program's built-in email system.
When a student encountered issues with their progress, failed quizzes,
exams, or missing required files, they emailed teachers. Now, the
teachers also were responsible for their in-person learners as well as
their distance learners. But, the instruction, when comparing the two
groups, were completely different. Student issues and questions were
answered immediately by in-person learners, while distance learners
waited days on end for a response or ``unlocking'' of the next content
area within the Edgenuity software. Every one of our Walker River
students experienced this. They would contact me at the elementary
school to ask me to follow up. Or, I would hear about their lack of
progress and inquire directly with the high school administrator and
teachers.
The entire first semester was a waste due to poor communication,
on-grade level content for students below grade level, and inequities
between distance learner and in-person curriculum. Our parents and
guardians accepted and acknowledged they were the ``last in line''.
That the teachers would ``get to us, when they get to us.'' An
acknowledgement that was painful to hear because they were accepting
that there were not important enough to have their concerns addressed.
The educational system, in the middle of the pandemic, failed our
Walker River Paiute 7-12 students attending Mineral County School
District during the Fall Semester of 2020.
As I reflect on the past year, a pattern of behavior among our
student's parents and guardians emerged that was concerning.
These experiences and interactions with our 7-12 students and
parents/guardians reminded me of a response to trauma. The awful
feeling of accepting that you may not matter nor be valued. It reminds
me of our Native people visiting our local Indian Health Clinic, with
genuine health concerns and an optimism that our IHS resident doctor
will do everything he/she can to let us know everything will be ok.
Hoping that their every ounce of expertise will be dedicated to us.
Then, to find out the reality that the doctor dismisses or invalidates
your concern or your community tells you how horrible the doctor is.
You try not to believe it. You hold judgement and remain optimistic.
You make excuses such as, ``He was busy'' or ``Maybe I'm not as sick as
I think I am.''
Over time, perhaps your interactions continue to be similar and the
advice and affirmation that the doctor does not care about you or the
community sinks in. ``I don't have insurance, just IHS, how am I going
to afford to see another doctor?'' You are stuck with the same health
care system, the clinic. These realities present themselves and maybe,
you resign yourself to the notion that our health care is not
acceptable, but the only one I have, so the sooner you accept and
acknowledge that you will be given poor health care for the rest of
your life.
This is the attitude I have seen with our parents/guardians here
the past three years. They believe they have no power or control of the
quality of education their child receives. They have accepted the fact
that their child will receive a poor to modest education. What reality
checks did they encounter to validate their resignation? Cycling
through school principals yearly, continued rumors about Schurz
Elementary School closing, low quality teacher hirings, and non-
existent teacher communication have all contributed to this reality to
name a few.
Our parents/guardians feel marginalized in this school system in
which I work as elementary school principal.
I see it, I feel it and it fuels the fire inside me. I acknowledge
the resignation. I know this feeling all too well as a person of color.
I respond to this equity with solutions.
Area of Improvement--Limited Educator Technological Capacity
An area of improvement discovered was the teacher's technological
capacity. In a school culture where limited Internet service was the
norm for generations and lack of emphasis in digital curriculum, high
quality and consistent professional learning for teachers must be a
priority.
Strengths--Organized MCSD Reopening Committee
Mineral County School District created a reopening committee
composed of staff, parents, and administrators. Multiple meetings were
held.
Summer reopening meetings were often, with plenty of backtracking
and re-interpretation of CDC guidelines. Eventually, Schurz Elementary
Reopening Team had a reopening plan that was approved by the school
board, Nevada Department of Education, and tribal emergency management
leadership.
Area of Improvement--Limited Stakeholder Input in PLHS Reopening
Planning
PLHS Reopening Plan was an agenda item for every board meeting held
in late Spring leading up to September 2020. PLHS Administration
reopening presentations were met with the typical concerns and
questions referencing social distancing, cleaning and sanitation
protocols, daily screenings, COVID indirect/direct contact protocol,
and distance learning planning.
We hired a new administration team early summer. In the meantime,
staff developed what would become the reopening plan. Most of our
reference and reopening template focused on nearby district state
submissions. School administration confirmed what I had noticed in
board meetings with reopening plans on the agenda. There was very
little from BIE. There was no direction from BIE. The school board and
I looked to the administration for direction, the administration should
be able to look to BIE, but without induction and some training, all of
us were left with addressing the reopening based on NDE and nearby
school district plans. There were missing stakeholders whose input was
extremely valuable. Parents, Tribal Leadership, and BIE were noticeably
absent from the planning. Annual school improvement plans require input
and sign off by all stakeholders. Same with high school accreditation.
How could there not be a planning committee for reopening? The absence
of parents, tribal leadership, and most importantly BIE, was
concerning. There was no listed deadline and/or approval of the
school's reopening. If there was, I was not made aware of it, nor was
the school's leadership team.
PLHS Reopening Plan was an agenda item for every board meeting held
in late Spring leading up to September 2020. PLHS Administration
reopening presentations met the typical board concerns and questions
referencing social distancing, cleaning and sanitation protocols, daily
screenings, and COVID indirect/direct contact protocol, and distance
learning planning.
My Asks
Provide federal support for statewide frameworks for data sharing
resources that tribal governments can use to effectively support and
maintain K-12 and higher ed student achievement. No defined structure
exists for tribal education departments to quickly acquire vital short
and long term achievement data including grades, discipline,
attendance, and state and national test results (SBAC, MAP, ACT).
Once a system is established, the tribes, to flex their educational
sovereignty rights, will require effective professional development to
understand how to interpret and implement services that must include
all stakeholders.
Our Native students must see more of themselves represented in the
classroom. Recruitment and retention of highly qualified, culturally
responsive Native teachers and administrators programming must be
implemented. Office of Indian Education has a grant CFDA 84.299B, the
Indian Professional Development Program. This highly valuable program
should be expanded. The capacity exists in Nevada where this
programming can finally become reality like the University of Idaho's
IKEEP program. \1\ This program is a Teacher Pre-service program. Here
in Nevada, I propose a Higher Education Institution offer both a
Teacher and Administrator pre-service program. I formally mentor
Natives students from their IKEEP (Indigenous Knowledge for Effective
Education Program). Due to this relationship, I have been able to
successfully recruit a Native teacher who is now working for Mineral
County High School as their new PE teacher. The federal government
should encourage the importance of ``Grow Your Own'' teacher
preparation programs in tribal communities.
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\1\ https://www.uidaho.edu/ed/resources/student/ikeep
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. West.
Now we have Dr. Kauanoe Kamana, the principal of Ke Kua `O
Nawahiokalani`opu`U Demonstration Laboratory School in Keaau,
Hawaii. Welcome, and aloha.
STATEMENT OF DR. KAUANOE KAMANA, PRINCIPAL, KE KUA `O
NAWAHIOKALANI`OPU`U DEMONSTRATION LABORATORY SCHOOL
Dr. Kamana. Aloha, Committee Chair Senator Schatz, Vice
Chair Senator Murkowski, and members of the Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs.
Mahalo for this opportunity to testify before you on COVID-
19 impacts upon Native education systems.
My name is Dr. Kauanoe Kamana. I am an associate professor
at the State Hawaiian Language College. My position there is
director of laboratory school programs, and I also serve as
principal of the largest of the college's four P-12 laboratory
schools, Ke Kua `O Nawahiokalani`opu`U, also known as Nawahi
School.
My testimony will focus on Nawahi. However, it will have
some relevance for Native Hawaiian education as a whole. In
addition, because Nawahi is the largest Native language medium
school in the United States, the challenges of Nawahi are
relevant for Native language medium education on a national
level.
We at Nawahi School remember your visit to us, Senator
Schatz, as one of your first outreach efforts after joining the
Senate. We also remember your visits to our community to assess
hurricane and lava flow damage. COVID-19 is but the latest
emergency that we at Nawahi have faced.
Nawahi shares many of the challenges found among other
schools with a Native majority enrollment. We are located in a
large rural area with spotty wi-fi connectivity and high
poverty. Our distinctive Native-related issues are often poorly
addressed or much less understood by State government education
authorities.
Prior to COVID, many of our families lacked the necessary
technology for distance education. The school's infrastructure
was already insufficient for our expanding enrollment. In order
to bring groups of students back to campus, and provide the
required social distancing, we needed to make major adjustments
to the management and delivery of the overall P-12 program.
However, as a Native language medium school, Nawahi has
relied on its cultural strengths to navigate through these
challenging times. Those unique strengths come from our Native
identity and our shared purpose rooted in the revitalization of
our Native language.
Researchers of dual language education describe cognitive
advantages of students such as ours. Nawahi is proud of our
student outcomes including high school graduation and college
attendance rates.
Nawahi was quick to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. We used
our own aloha to begin to provide parent learning, student
learning, physical and mental health services, technological
assistance and food distribution. We have since implemented a
safe and timely return to on-campus learning for our most
vulnerable populations of students. They include the youngest
students, special education students, students without internet
access and other students with academic challenges.
Nawahi faces distinct challenges as a Native language
school delivering distance learning and hybrid scheduling. Many
parents speak Hawaii Creole English rather than Hawaiian. Their
homes cannot provide their children with the Hawaiian language
medium environment that exists on campus.
This language gap impacts the maintenance and further
development of our students' Hawaiian language proficiency. It
also affects their access to academics through Hawaiian, and
mastery of standard English as taught formally at Nawahi.
Nawahi continues to struggle with a lack of learning
materials through Hawaiian. Distance learning has increased an
already difficult situation. Nawahi teachers must create all
online lessons on their own. Online lessons are widely
available through English for English medium schools.
Lower funding of charter schools compared to standard
public schools in our State reduces Nawahi's ability to address
challenges in general. Nawahi's language nest preschool
component provided through the non-profit 'Aha Punana Leo has
been especially impacted by COVID-19. Its private school
delivery is extremely vulnerable to economic challenges.
COVID-19 has negatively impacted our already existing
teacher and staff shortage. Hawaii faces a 4.9 percent shortage
of certified teachers compared to the national average of 2.6
percent. For Hawaiian language medium schools, the shortage of
certified teachers is 45 percent. A major contributor to this
problem is the lack of scholarship support addressing the
distinctive features necessary to develop certified Native
language medium teachers.
Mahalo again, Senators, for this opportunity to testify
today. I would be happy to answer any questions and can provide
additional written information as needed. Mahalo and nui loa.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Kamana follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Kauanoe Kamana, Principal, Ke Kua `O
Nawahiokalani`opu`u Demonstration Laboratory School
Aloha Committee Chair Senator Schatz, Vice Chair Senator Murkowski
and members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
Mahalo for this opportunity to testify before you on COVID-19
impacts on Native Education Systems.
My name is Dr. Kauanoe Kamana. I am an Associate Professor at the
state Hawaiian language college. My position there is Director of
Laboratory School Programs and I also serve as Principal of the largest
of the college's four P-12 laboratory schools--Ke Kula `O
Nawahiokalani`opu`u, also known as Nawahi School.
My testimony will focus on Nawahi. However, it will have some
relevance for Native Hawaiian education as a whole. In addition,
because Nawahi is the largest Native language medium school in the
United States, the challenges of Nawahi are relevant for Native
language medium education on a national level.
We, at Nawahi school remember your visit to us, Senator Schatz, as
one of your first outreach efforts after joining the Senate. We also
remember your visits to our community to assess hurricane and lava flow
damage. COVID-19 is but the lastest emergency that we at Nawahi have
faced.
Nawahi shares many of the challenges found among other schools with
a Native majority enrollment. We are located in a large rural area with
spotty wi-fi connectivity and high poverty. Our distinctive Native-
related issues are often poorly addressed or much less understood by
state government education authorities.
Prior to Covid, many of our families lacked the necessary
technology for distance education. The school's infrastructure was
already insufficient for our expanding enrollment. In order to bring
groups of students back to campus, and provide the required social
distancing, we needed to make major adjustments to the management and
delivery of the overall P-12 program.
However, as a Native language medium school, Nawahi has relied on
its cultural strengths to navigate through these challenging times.
Those unique strengths come from our Native identity and our shared
purpose rooted in the revitalization of our Native language.
Researchers of dual language education describe cognitive advantages of
students such as ours. Nawahi is proud of our student outcomes
including high school graduation and college attendance rates.
Nawahi was quick to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. We used our own
aloha to begin to provide parent learning, student learning, physical
and mental health services, technological assistance and food
distribution. We have since implemented a safe and timely return to on-
campus learning for our most vulnerable populations of students. They
include the youngest students, special education students, students
without Internet access and other students with academic challenges.
Nawahi faces distinct challenges as a Native language school
delivering distance learning and hybrid scheduling. Many parents speak
Hawai'i Creole English rather than Hawaiian. Their homes cannot provide
their children with the Hawaiian language medium environment that
exists on campus. This language gap impacts the maintenance and further
development of our students' Hawaiian language proficiency. It also
affects their access to academics through Hawaiian, and mastery of
Standard English as taught formally at Nawahi.
Nawahi continues to struggle with a lack of learning materials
through Hawaiian. Distance learning has increased an already difficult
situation. Nawahi teachers must create all on-line lessons on their
own. On-line lessons are widely available through English for English
medium schools.
Lower funding of charter schools compared to standard public
schools in our state reduces Nawahi's ability to address challenges in
general. Nawahi's language nest preschool component provided through
the non-profit 'Aha Punana Leo has been especially impacted by COVID-
19. Its private school delivery is extremely vulnerable to economic
challenges.
COVID-19 has negatively impacted our already existing teacher and
staff shortage. Hawai'i faces a 4.9 percent shortage of certified
teachers compared to the national average of 2.6 percent. For Hawaiian
language medium schools, the shortage of certified teachers is 45
percent. A major contributor to this problem is the lack of scholarship
support addressing the distinctive features necessary to develop
certified Native language medium teachers.
Mahalo again Senators for this opportunity to testify today. I
would be happy to answer any questions and can provide additional
written information as needed. Mahalo.
The Chairman. Mahalo.
Next, we have Dr. Michelle Thomas, Superintendent of the
Belcourt School District in Belcourt, North Dakota.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN HOEVEN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH DAKOTA
Senator Hoeven. Mr. Chair, may I be allowed to make an
introduction?
The Chairman. Yes, sorry, Senator Hoeven, I wasn't sure if
you were online. We would be pleased to have you introduce your
testifier.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it.
The education of our Nation's youth is an important
endeavor. We must strive to uphold our trust and treaty
responsibility to this Nation's tribes, and that includes
ensuring Indian Country has the resources and tools necessary
to provide quality education to students who attend Bureau of
Indian Education operated schools. This important
responsibility is made even more challenging over the course of
the last year due to the COVID pandemic.
With that, I would like to introduce Dr. Michelle Thomas.
Dr. Thomas is the Superintendent for the Belcourt School
District in Belcourt, North Dakota. The Belcourt School
District serves the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
through a cooperative agreement between the school district and
the Bureau of Indian Education.
Dr. Thomas was unanimously approved to serve as
superintendent in January of 2020. She started her role as
superintendent one week before the start of the pandemic. Dr.
Thomas has devoted her professional career to educating our
youth. She previously served as an assistant principal at both
the middle and elementary schools, and is principal of Dunseith
Indian Day School. Dr. Thomas has done a commendable job of
managing the Belcourt School District in light of the COVID-19
pandemic. I am glad she is here to testify today, and I look
forward to learning more about the impacts of the pandemic on
the Turtle Mountain education system.
So I thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it, and welcome
to Dr. Thomas.
The Chairman. Dr. Thomas, please proceed with your
testimony.
STATEMENT OF DR. MICHELLE THOMAS, SUPERINTENDENT, BELCOURT
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dr. Thomas. Thank you, Senator Hoeven. It is hard not to
call you Governor, as I remember.
[Laughter.]
Dr. Thomas. So, Chairman Schatz, Vice Chairwoman Murkowski
and members of the Committee, my name is Dr. Michelle Thomas. I
am the School District Superintendent in Belcourt, North
Dakota. I am a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony.
When the pandemic hit the United States, all schools across
the Country were forced to rethink pedagogy to reach students
without face-to-face instruction. This became an even bigger
challenge in Indian Country, where hunger, mental health
issues, student safety and technology support were additional
disparities in our schools.
Data continuously points to the fact that Native American
students in Bureau operated schools operated schools have been
significantly behind in reading and math. Since COVID-19 these
achievement gaps have increased at an even higher and more
rapid rate. Native schools scrambled to continue education with
the limited resources they had available while waiting for the
necessary support from tribal, State and Federal Government.
The experiences I am about to share with you have always
been obstacles in Indian Country. COVID-19 only magnified them.
As COVID-19 spread, the shift to remote learning was immediate,
as well as other unanticipated challenges in instructional
delivery. Many schools incurred a delayed delivery of devices
for students due to the high demand. Indian Country incurred
longer delays due to the late allocation of ESSER funds from
BIE. Many schools were forced to resort to paper and pencil
instruction for up to six months.
Unfortunately, once the devices were received, Federal
requirements to set them up were cumbersome. Adding to this
conundrum was the lack of IT staff at each respective school.
The expectation of immediate delivery to students upon receipt
of these devices was unrealistic and frustrated the efforts of
school administrators and staff.
Indian Country is also amongst those who struggle most to
access broadband due to rural locations. A study in 2016 by the
U.S. Government Accountability office revealed that seven of
ten tribal residents lack access to broadband. Unfortunately,
the effort to provide mobile hotspots and jet packs for
students proved to be a struggle as well, due to few carriers
in Indian Country, resulting in little to no connectivity.
Fortunately, tribal and State governments stepped in and
provided internet broadband support to their ESSER funds, which
provided a more level playing field for our Native American
students.
Learning management systems also allowed schools to more
effectively manage online instruction. Many schools in Indian
Country quickly navigated toward specific yet different systems
to suit their needs. I have great respect for all tribal
nations and their student needs, and it is my hope that the BIE
will consider all current learning monitoring systems that
individual schools have already embraced before and during the
pandemic.
Background checks adhering to the Department of Interior
regulations is a process I support, as it protects our
students. However, the length of time required to complete
these have become a huge obstacle for attaining the highest
level of educators. Principals consistently share the
frustration of losing valuable and often hard to fill positions
due to the length and complexity of this process.
The electronic process poses a problem due to lack of
internet connectivity and competency of technology skills of
applicants and the short time frame for these responses, which
often leads to postponement and even termination of background
checks of highly qualified applicants.
Training local professionals could assist BIE's centralized
office in an efficient yet just as effective background
process. Localized support could ensure a thorough submission
of required documents, ultimately moving toward a quicker
appointment of applicants.
School year 2021 is the inaugural year for the BIE spring
assessment, but very little is known about it at the local
level. We need resources to understand what the test comprises,
what standards it focuses on per grade level, and the weight
each question carries. We also seem to be punishing our Native
students by double testing them in order to satisfy Federal and
State requirements in cooperative schools such as ours.
Finally, the importance of timely feedback from Federal
Government from standardized testing causes great concern as
the results of these assessments are often delivered months,
sometimes years, later. Considering these points, my
recommendation would be to provide a waiver for States to
determine which assessment best serves their student
population.
As Native Americans, we still strive to recover from more
than 100 years of historical trauma and educational malpractice
by the dominant culture. Now, during COVID-19, we are quite
literally witnessing the loss of language, culture, history,
and heritage, with the passing of our tribal elders and
community leaders. This emotional toll has drained our school
staff to the point where there is not much left to give, and
has pushed many of them closer to their professional,
physiological, emotional, and psychological breaking points at
a rapid pace.
Now, we are also expecting them to provide mental health
support to students when they too have experienced the same
historical trauma and COVID-19 loss. Our staff have been
trained to be professionals in education, not in health
services. Direct counseling support to BIE students and staff
is imperative and urgent.
In closing, I must stress that although this pandemic
prevented educators from reaching students personally, it also
pushed them to find creative and innovative ways to deliver
instruction. I humbly ask that this is considered, and that
each school initiative be respected when considering
government-wide mandates.
As educators, we differentiate based on individual needs of
students. We ask the same courtesy to be given to us in BIE
funded schools, to allow and support us in determining best
practices and platforms to address the unique needs of our
students in each school
I would like to thank you again for this opportunity, and I
would be honored to answer any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Thomas follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Michelle Thomas, Superintendent, Belcourt
School District
Chairman Schatz, Vice Chairwoman Murkowski, and members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf
of Indian Country in regard to the COVID-19 response. My name is Dr.
Michelle Thomas. I am a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
I was born and raised on our reservation, and my school and
professional career has been centered on Native education systems. I
have been an educator for 26 years: a teacher for ten, a BIE
administrator for fifteen, and a School District Superintendent for one
(I started my current position one week before the pandemic). Today, I
will share my experiences, as well as others within our community, as
to how the pandemic impacted our efforts to educate our Native American
students.
COVID-19 Impact on Native Education Systems
When the pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, all schools
across the country were forced to rethink pedagogy to reach students
without face-to-face instruction. This became an even bigger challenge
in Indian Country, where the poverty level became a huge obstacle for
delivery of effective instruction in a virtual environment. Hunger,
mental health issues, student safety and Internet/technology for
instruction were only a few disparities our schools were faced with.
Now, more than ever, support was needed for technology, highly
qualified staff, and mental/behavioral support for both students and
staff.
Data continuously points to the fact that Native American students
in Bureau Operated Schools (BOS) have been significantly behind in
Reading and Math. \1\ Federal, state and local governments have
endlessly searched for solutions to remedy this tragic failure.
Historical implications continue to impact current educational issues
in Indian Country. The same problems have been identified for over a
century, but a solution has yet to be discovered.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Indian Education Study (NIES). Retrieved from https://
nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/studies/pdf/
2017161.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since the onset of COVID-19, the achievement gaps for Native
American students have increased at an even higher and rapid rate,
although not unexpected. Educators and administrators scrambled to
continue education with the limited resources they had available while
waiting for the necessary support from Tribal, State and Federal
Government. The entire world became reactive to the pandemic, resulting
in delayed and/or weak educational services to students. This is
detrimental to our Native Youth.
The experiences I'm about to share with you were always educational
obstacles in Indian Country. The COVID-19 Pandemic only magnified these
disparities. I urge you to consider the following priorities:
1. Technology Equipment
2. Internet Connectivity
3. Learning Management Systems
4. Background Checks
5. BIE Assessments
6. Teacher and Student Mental/Behavioral Health Support
Technology Equipment
As schools closed down across the country, the shift to remote
learning was immediate, and educators were faced with unanticipated
challenges requiring flexibility and grace to the students they served.
Due to the high and immediate demand for technology, many schools were
faced with a delayed delivery of devices for students. However, Indian
Country incurred even longer delays due to a late allocation of ESSER
funds from the Bureau of Indian Education. Funds were not released
until June of 2020, and the process required to order the laptops
delayed the delivery until October and November for most schools, and
December 2020 in some cases. Many schools were forced to resort to
paper and pencil instruction for up to six months of SY 20-21 due to
lack of laptops.
Unfortunately, once the laptops were received (approximately in
November 2020), federal requirements to set up the laptops were
cumbersome and time limited, meaning the setup process for an
individual device had to be completed within a 24 hour window, or it
would have to be repeated. Adding to this conundrum was the lack of
Information Technology staff at the respective schools to image each
computer. The expectation of immediate delivery to students upon
receipt of the laptops was unrealistic and frustrated the efforts of
many school administrators who desperately wanted to deploy a
functioning remote learning environment for Native American students.
Laptops that were received from the Federal Government have quickly
become defective (such as overheating, camera failure, systems
failure), resulting in wasted funds and time. Tribal and State
Government assisted in the purchase of chromebooks to provide devices
in a quick and efficient manner.
Internet Connectivity
Indian Country is amongst those who struggle most to access
broadband due to rural locations. A study in 2016 by the U.S.
Government Accountability Office revealed that 7 of 10 tribal residents
lack access to broadband. Reasons include inability to access high
speed Internet connection due to rural location, affordability, and/or
lack of knowledge in Internet capabilities. \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Broadband Internet: FCC's Data Overstate Access on Tribal
Lands. Retrieved from: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-18-630
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The effort to provide mobile hotspots for students without
connectivity proved to be a struggle as well. There are very few
carriers in Indian Country, and the data connection is very limited,
resulting in little to no connectivity in many households.
Again, on behalf of our schools in Turtle Mountain, Tribal and
State Government stepped in and provided Internet broadband support
through their ESSER funds, which provided a more level playing field
for our Native American students in a remote learning environment.
Learning Management Systems
Learning management systems (LMS) in education allow schools to
more effectively manage participation, ensure completion of
assignments, and monitor student progress (or lack of it). There are
many worthwhile LMS to choose from, and many schools in Indian Country
quickly navigated towards specific LMS's to structure online learning
in the most productive way possible. I have great respect for all
Tribal Nations, and acknowledge that student learning needs differ from
tribe to tribe, resulting in different LMS selections. Because of this,
a grave concern of mine and others is that the BIE will determine ONE
system for all. My hope is that BIE will give consideration to current
LMS's that individual schools have already embraced and become fluent
in before and during COVID-19.
Background Checks
Background checks adhering to the Department of Interior
regulations is a process I support, as it only serves to protect our
Native American students. However, the length of time required to
complete a background check has become a huge obstacle for attaining
the highest level of educators. Principals have consistently shared the
frustration of losing very valuable (and often hard to fill position)
applicants due to the length and complexity of the background check
process. Although I applaud the movement to the electronic process for
the background check process, the lack of Internet connectivity,
incompetency of technology skills of applicants, and short timeframe
for responses to continue the electronic process without personal
support has resulted in postponement and/or termination of numerous
background checks of highly qualified applicants.
Training local professionals could assist the BIE's centralized
office in a more efficient, yet just as effective, background clearance
process. Providing onsite support would ensure a thorough submission of
required documents of the highly qualified staff selected for the
position, ultimately moving towards a quicker appointment process. This
support would ultimately benefit our students, where obtaining highly
qualified staff in Indian Country is an issue in itself.
BIE Assessments
There is a lack of any Memorandum of Agreement between the BIE and
States, causing double testing in cooperative school locations. This
limited understanding for the need of a triangular relationship many
BIE schools must operate within (BIE, State and Tribal) puts strenuous
and repetitive expectations on our Native Students.
SY20-21 is the inaugural year for the BIE Spring Assessment, but
little is known about it at the local level. We need resources and
tools to better understand what the test comprises, which ELA and
mathematics standards it focuses on per grade level, and the weight
different kinds of questions carry for student scoring. Providing the
fundamental understanding of the creation of the BIE Spring assessment
could perhaps bring stronger support of it.
Finally, the importance of timely feedback from the Federal
Government from standardized testing causes great concern for Indian
Country. The results of these assessments serve no purpose to school
improvement, as they are often delivered months, sometimes years later.
In an ever changing school environment based on current research, many
educators and administrators view this additional assessment as another
obstacle to accelerated student learning.
Considering double testing of many Native American students,
limited information about the BIE Spring Assessment, and the delayed
delivery of feedback regarding standardized assessments, my
recommendation would be to provide a waiver for states to determine
which assessment(s) best serve their student population (State or
Federal).
Teacher/Student Burnout/Mental Health Support
The COVID-19 Pandemic forced teachers to work in a technological
environment that they had little training or professional development
for and zero preparation time. The stress of being an effective and
responsive professional while training to maintain personal health and
safety has pushed many school staff members closer to their
professional, physiological, emotional and psychological breaking
points and faster than ever before. Local retirements and resignations
are at an all time high resulting from the pandemic.
As Native Americans, we are still trying to recover from more than
100 years of historical trauma and educational malpractice by the
dominant culture. Now, during the COVID-19 Pandemic we are quite
literally witnessing the loss of language, culture, history and
heritage with the passing of tribal elders and community leaders. This
emotional toll has drained our school staff to the point where there is
not much more that they can give.
Indian Country has been underserved in many health areas, but
particularly in the area of mental health. BIE Director Tony Dearman
himself cited this significant challenge in testimony provided before
the Committee on Indian Affairs in May 2018. Indian Health Service
(IHS) providers have always been limited in regard to access to
resources, isolated locations of Tribal Nations, and the struggle to
recruit and retain qualified personnel to address behavioral needs of
our schools, let alone our communities. Now, coupled with the COVID-19
pandemic, IHS service providers have been pushed to their limits as
well.
As a result, we are pushing our educational staff to provide the
mental health support to their students, when they too have experienced
historical trauma and current loss due to COVID-19. Our staff have been
trained to be professionals in education, not in health services. The
mental health concerns of our Native youth have exponentially increased
during COVID-19. Direct counseling to BIE students and staff is
imperative to the survival of our school systems, as the lack of
support in this area is an epidemic itself.
Conclusion
In closing, I must stress that it is important to take what works
from the past and bring forth to the present moment. COVID-19 did not
allow us to be proactive, but rather reactive as we navigated into
uncharted waters in education. However, it is crucial to examine what
worked for different Tribes on many reservations throughout the United
States, and respect the time and effort each respective school took to
provide the best education possible during one of the most difficult
pandemics in history.
During a pandemic that prevented educators from reaching students
personally, it also pushed them to find creative and innovative ways to
deliver instruction. I humbly ask that this is considered and that each
school initiative be respected when considering government-wide
mandates. Allowing the many different tribes the autonomy to determine
the most effective platform to deliver instruction empowers educators
and students to work on the achievement gaps of Native American
students. Whether Chippewa, Sioux, Navajo, Cherokee, etc., those of us
working in BIE school systems have witnessed firsthand what works and
what doesn't work for our students. This is what we as educators
practice--we differentiate based on the individual needs of our
students. We ask that the same courtesy apply to us in BIE funded
schools--to allow and support us in determining best practices for the
unique needs of our students at each respective school.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present this testimony. I
appreciate your continued dedication to our Native American students
and look forward to working with you to ensure that BIE funded students
educated on Tribal lands are provided with the opportunity to achieve
academic success in a functional, safe and secure learning environment.
I would be honored to answer any questions you may have.
The Chairman. Thank you to Dr. Thomas, and thank you to all
of the testifiers.
We will start with Senator Lujan.
STATEMENT OF HON. BEN RAY LUJAN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO
Senator Lujan. Chairman Schatz, thank you so very much for
allowing me to go first. I thank all my colleagues as well for
that consideration.
Ms. Embrey-Arras, according to GAO's estimates, what
percent of homes on Navajo Nation lack broadband?
Ms. Embrey-Arras. I am going to have to look this one up,
but I have it right at my fingers. We noted that in nearly half
of all BIE school communities, where data were available, less
than 50 percent of households had access to broadband. This is
prior to the pandemic. So there are significant broadband
access issues.
Senator Lujan. It is my understanding that about 70 percent
of homes on Navajo Nation lack broadband. We will come back to
that.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Yes, we have several statistics in here.
I think there are also some challenges with the data, some data
limitations. But your point is well taken, there are
significant limitations to broadband access.
Senator Lujan. And how many Navajo households do not have a
computer?
Ms. Embrey-Arras. We note that about half of the Navajo
Nation reservation homes lacked a computer.
Senator Lujan. About 51 percent is my understanding.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Correct.
Senator Lujan. Do you know how many BIE schools are located
on the Navajo Nation?
Ms. Embrey-Arras. I don't have that number at the tip of my
finger, but I can get back to you on that.
Senator Lujan. It is my understanding that is over one-
third, but I would appreciate if you could get back to us to
confirm that.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Sure.
Senator Lujan. Yes or no, did BIE issue guidance on
distance learning methods for areas without broadband?
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Yes, but it is extremely limited.
Senator Lujan. It is my understanding that BIE's Return to
Learn guide for the 2021 school year was 76 pages long. Of
these, how many pages were devoted to what schools should
provide for students who were unable to access the internet?
Ms. Embrey-Arras. I know that only seven pages were focused
on distance learning, and of that, even less was focused on
students who did not have access to the internet. So that was
one of the main concerns that we uncovered in our survey, was
that the guidance that was being provided was not meeting the
needs of the school officials that we had surveyed.
Senator Lujan. So if could verify this, it is my
understanding that of 76 pages, only half a page provided
guidance for students who were unable to access the internet.
Mr. Dearman, we know that many students will continue to
learn remotely in the foreseeable future, so there is a long
term need to provide schools with adequate information as to
how to navigate the digital divide. Yes or no, will you commit
to including information for schools on what they should
provide for their students who are unable to access the
internet when BIA releases its guidance for the 2021-2022
school year?
Mr. Dearman. Thank you, Senator, and yes, we will
definitely work with our schools and other Indian Affairs
agencies to make sure that guidance is provided.
Senator Lujan. And as was noted earlier, Mr. Dearman, due
to the pandemic, many BIE students have been forced to complete
their schooling at home. Unfortunately, over 1,400 BIE students
have been forced to rely on paper packets to learn over the
past year, due to inadequate access to the internet.
In addition to BIE providing many students with computers
at hotspots, many live in areas that don't have any
connectivity, what we would call dead zones, where they cannot
access online instruction. I challenged everyone that I have
been able to ask this question, I still don't understand how
someone can get in an airplane in Los Angeles, connectivity in
the air at 30,000 feet, land in New York or in Miami and stay
connected to the internet, yet our students that live in
communities where those planes fly over cannot. Students in
tribal lands don't have access to fast, affordable internet to
simply complete their homework.
It is my understanding that one of the areas that BIE did
make investments was wi-fi on school buses. Can you expand on
how BIE was able to expand and what difference that made?
Mr. Dearman. Thank you, Senator Lujan. I agree, it goes
even beyond internet access. We still have communities and
students that are living in homes without electricity or
running water. We do have some issues that we definitely need
to make sure that we are addressing, to make sure our students
are educated.
We did equip the 25 longest bus routes within BIE with wi-
fi. The intent was to make sure the students had access to
internet to and from school. Then the pandemic hit. When the
pandemic hit, the locations shifted. So depending on the
reservation and what the tribe had in place determined how the
buses were used. There were some locations that they actually
put a bus out into the community and parked it so the students
could have access to wi-fi. Then there were also areas to where
the restrictions did not allow any transportation or any
movement of the buses, and they remained on campus.
So it varied, depending on the situation, as far as the
pandemic on each reservation, and what the tribe had in place.
Senator Lujan. Thank you, Mr. Dearman.
Chair Schatz, this may be an area where we can also work to
get an inventory from BIE, as we have already requested from
IHS, of how many households, which households don't have access
to electricity, running water, wastewater and broadband.
Thank you, Chair, and I thank my colleagues.
The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Lujan. I think your point
is well taken about the lack of data and the lack of a plan. We
are still in this period of time where the BIE has to provide
guidance about reopening. I have experienced this in the State
of Hawaii, where everyone is trying in earnest.
But the truth is that school leaders and educators are not
epidemiologists. They are not public health officials. They are
rules followers, so they are going to rely on CDC or their own
departments of health, or in this case, the BIE for guidance.
So as we think about the vaccine succeeding and eventually
being on the other side of this pandemic, one of the tragedies
that I think we really aggressively need to avoid is losing the
fall of the school year, losing next school year. It is tragic
enough, it is devastating enough that kids missed this year of
school, but it is somewhat understandable, as devastating as it
was for millions of kids.
But if we do it again, shame on all of us, because there
will be no public health reason to do that, it will be purely
the fault of the adults. So all of us have to be leaning into,
at a minimum, where we are going to have in-person school
across the Country, in Indian Country, in Alaska Native
communities and in Native Hawaiian communities. Assuming the
trajectory of the pandemic continues in a positive direction we
need for schools to be open this fall.
Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well said. We
all recognize that as we are hearing within this Committee,
districts are not equally situated, schools may have access to
the laptop, but if you can't connect to anything, or if you are
in this dead zone, it doesn't really get you where you need to
be.
Another issue with access that can be a barrier is the
issue of cost. I was on a Zoom call yesterday with some folks
from the North Slope Burrough School District, so right there
at the top of the State of Alaska. They shared with me that
while they have internet, the connectivity is pretty poor, but
that doesn't mean that they get a bargain rate on the price.
They shared with me that prices per month are between $700 and
$800 per month for families to connect to the internet. So
think about what that means, if you have an internet bill that
is close to $1,000 for your usage, it may as well not even
exist if you cannot afford your internet.
So we asked in that situation, and again, I indicated we
don't have BIE schools elementary, but we do have a tribal
college up there in the North Slope Borough, Ilisagvik. So
Ilisagvik is in a place where you have very poor or non-
existent broadband, internet connectivity, that again is
incredibly expensive.
So the question that I have is whether or not, and this is
to Mr. Dearman, whether the Bureau has a plan to assist tribal
colleges like Ilisagvik that are located in places like this,
where the cost is just exorbitantly high.
When I ask you to answer that question, I would just also
share that the FCC is considering now stakeholder comments
about how to provide flexibility to schools to use E-Rate
funded connectivity and equipment. I don't know whether BIE has
submitted comments as part of that process, but I would ask you
that question as well, what possible support might be had for
those institutions that are experiencing extraordinarily high
costs for lousy internet.
Mr. Dearman. Thank you, Senator. One of the things that the
BIE is trying to really get the data we feel is important
[indiscernible] Indian energy [indiscernible] National
Telecommuting and Telecommunications Administration and the
National Broadband Availability Map program. Because we need to
understand where our communities are, do not have
[indiscernible] our service areas. So once we get hold of that
data, and we are expecting the maps to be available sometime
around early summer, we can actually start addressing what we
need to do to bring some of the costs down.
You are right about the E-Rate programs, and I will follow
up to see how that applies to our TCUs. But we are willing to
work with the Committee and any other organization or agency to
address the situation that you brought up today.
Senator Murkowski. So in other words, there are no
resources. Again, it was outlined in both my opening statement
and that of the Chairman that there are significant resources
that are coming by way of the American Rescue Plan and the
multiple measures that we advanced and put into law last year.
Are you looking to perhaps be able to provide some level of
financial relief to help offset some of these extraordinarily
high internet costs?
Mr. Dearman. Again, thank you, Senator. We would be happy,
with appropriations we receive from Congress, to provide
additional appropriations to our TCUs or anyone else to help
bring down and assist with the costs of the high connectivity
situation that they are currently in. But that would be
determinant on the appropriations that we receive from
Congress, how much we can actually help our TCUs in remote
locations.
Senator Murkowski. Well, it seems to me that we have,
again, we have the American Rescue Plan funds that are coming
your way. So again, I would encourage you to look at that
aspect of what access means as well.
Last question for you here relates to mental and behavioral
health. According to your testimony, BIE has implemented the
agency's first ever comprehensive behavioral health and
wellness program. It is available to those in Bureau operated
and tribally controlled schools.
So the question is whether BIE is providing behavioral and
health crisis support for tribal colleges as well. I think we
all recognize the stress that our students, both young and
older, have experienced during this time of the pandemic.
Mr. Dearman. Yes, Senator, and we did include all thestaff
and the students at our tribal colleges and universities to
make sure that they were covered through the contract. We are
in the process of addressing the privacy issues within the
contract and we are able to provide [indiscernible] and the
direct crisis or TCU staff and students will be included in
that contract.
One of the things that we have done, Senator, along with
the contract, as a kind of a sidebar, we have also been
providing youth mental health first aid contract, which is an
eight-hour training. What that does is help staff identify the
unique risk and the warning signs of mental health problems. Up
to this date, we have 432 staff that have been trained and
another 120 that are scheduled for May to have the training
complete.
Senator Murkowski. Mr. Dearman, thank you. Unfortunately,
some of your comments were cut off. We seem to have a little
bit of lag with your particular testimony. I am not sure why.
But it just is a reminder that this is the reality that so many
face, the connections are there but they are still tough to
follow.
I have specific follow-ons to that particular question. I
will do so. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Although I think Mr. Dearman is in Washington, D.C., oh, he
is in Oklahoma, I am sorry.
Dr. Kamana, thank you for your great work. It has been a
long time since we have seen each other in person. I want to
talk about the American Rescue Plan. As you know, $2.5 billion
overall for Native students, including $85 million specifically
for Native Hawaiian education. Can you just talk about the
importance of those dollars and specifically what the Congress
and the United States Department of Education need to do to
make sure that the implementation of these funds works best for
you on doing the work?
Dr. Kamana. Hi, aloha. First of all, mahalo nui, thank you
so much for the NHEP funding that we received. Because that
essentially is the only way that the money can come directly to
the communities.
So in that way then we can spend the money, the funds, in
the way that we see as being important and significant within
our school community, within our Hawaiian language medium
school community. If it weren't for that kind of funding, we
would not be able to really pivot in March of last year to do
what we did. I did mention that we did things with our aloha
and trying to address the issues of technology and distance
learning right away.
So for our school, then, we made decisions to do online
learning right in March. And for all of our staff, we did
virtual work from home and just had the essential people on
campus there. We would not be able to really move that quickly
if we didn't have that kind of support funding to our schools.
So having designated funding for Native culture and
language medium charter schools is very important. Because the
regular public school system usually, if Federal funds come
through that way, it never really gets to us on time, which is
the case this past year also.
Also for Native American language non-profit operated
language nests, it is very, very important for our work with
revitalizing the language, professional development, curriculum
development by our teachers. So our funding would all go to
training our people.
We talk about technology or even the people who are working
on our campus to work with parents on technology, how to use
the computers, how to get online, how to help their children.
That needs training, and we don't have that available to us,
but we try the best that we can with what we have.
So if we did not have that kind of funding, we would not
have been able to provide immediate assistance to our families,
to our teachers, and to our staff on campus.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Dr. Kamana.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. I want to talk to you a little bit about
the institutional capacity issues that landed BIE on the GAO's
high risk list in 2017. I am just wondering whether you see
those institutional capacity issues flagged by GAO as feeding
into the problems that we had in responding to the COVID-19
crisis, understanding that everybody was dealing with an
emergency that was totally, in a lot of ways, unforeseeable for
most institutions. Unless you are in the CDC you are not
thinking about pandemic preparedness necessarily. Lesson
learned.
But it seems to me some of these problems that we have
experienced have to do with issues unaddressed in the 2017
report. I am wondering if you can speak to that.
Ms. Embrey-Arras. Certainly. We do think that capacity is
key to effectively supporting BIE schools. In terms of the
vacancy rate right now at BIE, our understanding is that
overall it is around 30 percent. However, there is variability
within BIE in terms of the vacancy rate and the school
operations division has a vacancy rate that I believe is around
50 percent. That division provides assistance to schools with
education technology, and there are vacancies for IT positions
that are supposed to be supporting schools at the school level.
So I think it makes it harder for BIE to support schools
with those vacancies in place.
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
Mr. Dearman, the last time you testified before the
Committee the BIE was unable to confirm the specific number of
students forced to use paper packets during distance learning,
whether all schools were actually offering some form of
learning opportunities, and also how many BIE students and
staff are known to have contracted COVID-19.
BIE never responded to questions for the record. I know
that you have data collection issues. So this is not to say
that you have to magically configure data that may not be
possible to gather. But it seems to me not responding at all to
a member of the Senate who writes you a question for the record
is not the way to allow us to conduct oversight.
So do I have your commitment to respond to all
correspondence from members of this Committee on a bipartisan
basis to the extent that they are pursuant to our work?
Mr. Dearman. Thank you, Chairman. I just want to let the
Committee know that BIE takes all Congress inquiries as well as
our tribal leaders. We respond very quickly. Once we provide
the response, it is put into a clearance system within the
Department. Then we lose control of that document.
But what we will do, Chairman, we will definitely take this
concern back to the Department and make sure that this was
brought up today and see what we can do about improving our
response time.
The Chairman. So in other words, you developed responses
and then you sent them upstairs, so to speak, and then they got
buried? Is that what happened?
Mr. Dearman. Yes, Chairman, we have a data tracking system
that we enter all documents into. It is routed through
different offices through Interior. So we will definitely go
back and address our administration.
The Chairman. Okay. It seems to me that one way we could
sort of build trust and get back into a rhythm of working
together but also understanding that we are co-equal branches
of government is to respond to those questions that remain
unanswered, because they are still relevant to our policy-
making process on a going-forward basis. So we will follow up
on those QFRs that remain unanswered.
Another thing I would like to do is work with you and
members of the Committee on having a school reopening plan. And
I understand, first of all, schools are going to have
individual needs. Communities are going to have individual, not
just idiosyncrasies, but are going to have different situations
as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. And you have tribal
sovereignty, which has to be exercised. So all of that is the
context.
Yet, it still occurs to me that BIE needs to display some
leadership here on criteria for reopening, on the mechanics of
reopening, of how to provide resources from CDC or local health
agencies or whomever is most helpful. Because yes, that
sovereignty has to be exercised. But it really can't be
exercised without the logistical support, without the technical
support, without the expertise on the public health side.
So hopefully we can work together on clarifying reopening
criteria. Again, a lot of these decisions are going to be made
at the local level. But we want to at least get people in a
position so they can decide whether or not to open. I lean very
strongly towards opening all schools in the fall. But I
understand there may be individual circumstances where that
becomes difficult.
But we should not, by virtue of our bureaucracy not being
mobilized, end up in a situation where an individual principal
has to behave like some public health expert. That is not what
they are trained to do, and they should be able to rely on our
Federal agencies to provide that guidance on when, how, and
under what circumstances to reopen.
Senator Cortez Masto.
Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really
appreciate the conversation today.
Principal West, let me start with you, focusing on mental
health. I know in the past you have talked about how important
it was for students' social and emotional well-being to have
in-person learning. And you made it possible because Schurz
Elementary was able to use a hybrid learning model. It allowed
students to see their peers, at least a few hours a week, I am
told. And now with more Federal funding coming into Nevada, you
will be able to move to 80-20 in person and virtually.
Can you talk about your experience working with students in
the classroom, and have you seen an in-person learning boost
and better mental health outcomes because of it?
Mr. West. Yes, Senator, thank you for the question.
I attribute our increase in in-person students compared to
our distance learners through the strict tribal lockdown in
both Pyramid Lake and down here at Walker River. From the very
beginning, the tribal government took it extremely seriously
and implemented signage on the borders of the reservation as
well as curfew. So early on, I don't believe that we would have
that type of sense of security moving through the pandemic if
we didn't have the leadership of our tribal governments to make
sure that we had everything we needed in terms of planning.
In the same ways with our reopening plan, everything was
well coordinated between the school district down here and the
tribal government, and then up at Pyramid Lake as well, there
was a lot of back and forth with the tribes and the school.
Another thing has to do with technology. In my written
testimony I spoke about areas of improvement. This was spoken
earlier, that we didn't know what we were up against. So in
terms of distance learning and getting that curriculum online,
which most of our teachers have never really done, we provided
maybe three to one week of professional development and then
said, all right, there you go, you have your training, and now
it is time to go out and do your curriculum online.
That was a challenge for some of our students as well, and
our parents and guardians saw that as, they were unhappy with
it, some of them. And they knew that the best for their
children was to attend in person.
Senator Cortez Masto. Was it good for their mental health?
My concern during this pandemic and the challenges that we have
seen for children particularly, the isolation and not being in
normal school, that has impacted their mental health. Did you
see that with any of your kids?
Mr. West. They are only on campus for three hours a day per
session. So we have not seen much because we are so focused on
our reading and math blocks and getting the instruction to them
as quick as possible. By the time any students have some off
time or maybe some episodes of dysregulation occur, it has been
rare. But again, they are at home more than they are here.
Senator Cortez Masto. Right.
So let me jump to Mr. Dearman because I know there were
some glitches when we were talking about this and your
implementation of the agency's first-ever comprehensive
behavioral health and wellness program. I am trying to
understand, if I heard you correctly, you said you already have
training on mental health and wellbeing for the staff that you
have conducted already. Is that correct?
Mr. Dearman. Yes, it is.
Senator Cortez Masto. How many have been trained?
Mr. Dearman. The current numbers that I have, Senator, 432
have actually been trained in the eight-hour course, with
another 120 scheduled to go through the training in May.
Senator Cortez Masto. And then as you develop the
curriculum for the training that is necessary to understand the
students' mental health and wellbeing, did you work with IHS or
any health care professionals?
Mr. Dearman. Great question, Senator. We are in weekly
contact with IHS for support, and any type of trauma or any
type of situation that comes up in any of our school locations,
we make sure that we are reaching out and coordinating with
Indian Health Services as well as the tribal health agency to
make sure that we have counseling there on the ground.
Another thing, Senator, that we have done, is we have
identified the need for behavioral health. That has been in my
previous testimonies. We have put positions of behavioral
health support specialists within the Associate Deputy
Director's offices. So all three Associate Directors' offices
will have a behavioral health specialist underneath their
authority to where they can directly work with the schools
within their regions.
We have two of the behavioral health specialists that have
been cleared and are now on board. Our third one is still going
through the background clearance as we speak.
Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you. I know my time is up.
I have additional questions, I will submit those for the
record. Thank you again, everyone, for this discussion.
The Chairman. And I know Mr. Dearman will respond to those
questions for the record.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Thomas, what do you believe are the most important
lessons learned over the past year when it comes to addressing
the educational needs during this pandemic?
Dr. Thomas. Thank you, Senator. In my opinion, as I have
stressed in my testimony, it is looking back as to lessons
learned, what worked and what didn't work. Because we are a
cooperative school within the State of North Dakota, we also
followed the State guidelines in regard to a return to learn
plan.
So speaking on behalf of North Dakota educators, with the
guidance there, I thought we were very well prepared. My
biggest fear is that what worked and what was proven effective
for our Native students will be dismissed in lieu of trying to
get a one size fits all. And I stressed that often in the
testimony, that I hope the BIE considers what works at each
respective school versus a blanket approach in regard to
education.
Senator Hoeven. So what were the biggest challenges?
Dr. Thomas. Well, the biggest challenge is the
connectivity. As Director Dearman stated, there were hotspots
and jet packs. However, in Indian Country, one of our biggest
issues is transportation. So actually getting those students to
those hotspots proved to be very difficult. So we tried to set
up hotspots within highly populated areas, such as our housing
projects, but that doesn't reach those students in rural
country with the thick forest, that prohibits the connectivity.
So I would say in that event, it was the actual internet
and technology issues.
Senator Hoeven. Were there things you thought were
particularly helpful that are temporary, based on the pandemic,
and that we should look at extending or making permanent?
Dr. Thomas. I have many thoughts. I can tell you our
educators have come so far in regard to a hybrid approach. It
forced creativity, I wouldn't say forced it, but I am so proud
of our educators in Indian Country, because they found every
way possible to reach our students.
So that could be a question that could be answered by those
who are in the trenches.
Senator Hoeven. Yes, you might want to ask them that
question. Because if there are some things that we should look
at those, perhaps in legislation, in terms of continuing them
after the pandemic. Are you back in school full time or are you
still doing a hybrid?
Dr. Thomas. Right now, we are still in a hybrid. We have
weekly health meetings and luckily, we do have a tribal
epidemiologist who assists us. However, there are some barriers
that are preventing us from coming back onsite.
In the State of North Dakota, we can provide Binax testing
to our students under the clear waiver of DPI. However, we
still are waiting on a consent form through the BIE to actually
allow our parents to do it. Because we have our students in
Federal buildings, we are unable to Binax test for asymptomatic
individuals. We have the tests, we have the trained
individuals, we just need that consent form to come back to our
hands so we can begin.
Senator Hoeven. And then how about in the area of mental
health? Any particular challenges, any particular things,
tools, that you found useful that we should be looking at
extending or adding?
Dr. Thomas. Well, as I stated, it is a huge issue. We are
limiting the amount of IHS service providers here, and our
staff are suffering right now. Because we started in mid-
September, the BIE determined our school date would be a month
or so behind.
Our staff are going to be teaching into mid-June. They have
high burnout. We still have important professional development
that we have to present. But at the same time, we know that
they are not going to listen. They are tired.
So we need more people in that area to provide direct
support services to our staff and our students as well. We
don't have enough people.
Senator Hoeven. I certainly understand that.
Dr. Thomas, thanks for all you are doing and all your
service on behalf of the students. It is truly appreciated.
Thank you for testifying today.
Dr. Thomas. Thank you, sir. It was an honor.
The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Hoeven, and Dr. Thomas.
Let's follow up on the issue of the pending approval at BIE
for the ability to test symptomatic students. That seems to be
a resolvable issue, but also a very important one.
Senator Smith.
STATEMENT OF HON. TINA SMITH,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA
Senator Smith. Thank you so much, Chair Schatz and Vice
Chair Murkowski. Thanks to all of you for testifying today.
I would like to talk a little bit about the state of BIE
facilities around the Country. Last month I met with school
leaders and educators from the National Indian Education
Association. I heard a lot about the challenges that they have
faced over this last year because of lack of access to
broadband and to technology. This has clearly been a through
line in the questions and the discussion that we have had all
during this hearing.
They are also worried about what is going to happen to
students when they return to the classroom and how these
buildings are going to be able to accommodate things like
social distancing and staggered student schedules, and all the
other adjustments that they are going to have to make. The main
concern is making sure that BIE funded schools have the
resources they need so that students can learn in a safe
environment. Of course, we all know that this is a longstanding
issue, annual funding for Bureau of Indian Education has been
insufficient for years. The situation at some schools is
deplorable. We have experienced this firsthand in Minnesota.
Director Dearman, let me start with you. Could you tell me,
what is the maintenance backlog at BIE funded schools across
the Country?
Mr. Dearman. Thank you, Senator Smith, for the question.
That is something that I will definitely have to go back to the
Department and provide that to you in writing. I know that we
have been addressing the maintenance backlog as I have
testified before. Through our inspections [indiscernible] we
have taken over in BIE we have actually gone in and assisted
schools in making sure that the abatement plans were input into
the system to where it captured the estimated cost that it
would take to correct all the deferred maintenance issues that
we have identified.
So I would be happy to go back and provide that in writing
to you.
Senator Smith. Thank you. I would appreciate that.
I am told that the Department of Interior estimates that
there is over $639 million needed to address just the most dire
of needs in BIE schools, not yet all of the needs, but the most
dire of needs.
I would like to turn to Dr. Thomas and Dr. Kamana and Dr.
West, could you just talk a little bit about what the impact of
this maintenance backlog is? Dr. West, I can hear in your voice
as I listen to you the stress that educators are under in this
moment. I think about all the signals that we are sending to
educators and students when we ask them to work in facilities
that are not up to par. Maybe you would like to start.
Mr. West. Yes, thank you for that question. At our facility
at Pyramid Lake Schools we actually have a fairly modern
facility. My only concern is social distancing and what
guidance will look like. If they expect all our students to
return in person, there is no way we will have the classroom
space.
Senator Smith. Right.
Mr. West. So that is our biggest concern right now.
Senator Smith. It is the space, not having the space,
right.
Dr. Thomas, I would love to hear your response.
Dr. Thomas. The backlogs are extremely frustrating on
everybody's part. There are still unsafe conditions that are in
each respective school even prior to the COVID pandemic that
have yet to be funded. But especially with the onset of the
pandemic, the need for more space or adequate space is another
problem in itself. Items on backlogs for years have continued
to remain there. So I would agree, it is a big problem.
Senator Smith. I know that this is one of those problems
that we have talked about for a long, long time, since way
longer than I have been in the Senate. Again, like so many
issues, COVID is laying bare the inequities. It is not creating
the inequity, but it is showing us what it is.
We are also, both tonight and over the last couple of
weeks, we are talking about making trillions of dollars of
investment in infrastructure, housing infrastructure, roads and
bridges, water systems, all desperately needed all over the
Country.
But I think particularly about educational infrastructure
for Native learners, and the message that we can send by making
this a priority. I am just determined about this, and I
appreciate all of you and what you are doing. I look forward,
Director Dearman, to hearing back from you.
While I have you, I want to just mention, I know that you
and I know that we have been in touch around the issue of Fond
du Lac Tribal and Technology College eligibility given their
unique status for COVID relief funds. I appreciate the letter
that I received from you last month, I think it was, and I
would ask if you will continue to stay in close touch, so that
we make sure we get this issue resolved for Fond du Lac in a
way that works.
Mr. Dearman. Absolutely, Senator. Thank you.
Senator Smith. Thank you, Chair Schatz.
The Chairman. Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to
be very brief. I am going to excuse myself and go vote, I know
we need to do that.
As you know, I am the Vice Chair of the Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee. On that committee we had an
opportunity to have folks from the IHS before us. So many of
the same questions in terms of an inventory of need have been
asked for and not received. To have Mr. Dearman say he is going
to get back to us on the maintenance backlog, we keep asking,
on this Committee, and I keep asking on the Interior
Appropriations Committee.
Sometimes you don't want to know how bad the bad news is in
understanding the inventory and the maintenance backlog. But in
order to adequately address it, we need this kind of
information from the agency. We need the information from BIE
just as we do from IHS.
Several members have raised it, and I hope it does not fall
on deaf ears. We have a new Administration, we have new folks
in place. So I would certainly encourage all of us to keep the
pressure on to get an accounting of where we are. We know the
need is there, but we need to see that in writing.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for letting me interrupt before
other colleagues.
The Chairman. Thank you. I couldn't agree more, Senator
Murkowski. We have some follow-up oversight to do, and on a
bipartisan basis.
If there are no more questions for our witnesses, I want to
say thank you for all of your good work. We look forward to
continuing our collaboration and exercising our oversight
obligations.
Members may also submit follow-up written questions for the
record. The hearing record will be open for two weeks. I want
to thank all the witnesses and all the staff for their time and
their testimony today.
This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:00 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Brian Schatz to
Melissa Emrey-Arras
Question 1. GAO recommends that BIE provide comprehensive guidance
to schools on distance learning as a result of its recent findings. How
will GAO evaluate BIE's efforts to address this recommendation?
Answer. We will review the guidance BIE develops in response to the
recommendation to see the extent to which it includes information
requested by schools. For example, 13 of the 25 schools that responded
to our survey said they wanted BIE to provide information on developing
and implementing distance learning programs.
Question 2. Your written testimony states, ``Different [BIE] field
offices provided different [distance learning] trainings to schools in
their jurisdiction.'' Based on GAO's review, does it appear that this
decentralized approach to trainings was to provide flexibility to
better meet local training needs? Or, was it the result of coordination
issues between the education resources centers and BIE central offices?
Answer. We did not evaluate whether BIE's approach to training was
to provide flexibility to better meet schools' individual needs, or
whether coordination between the education resources centers and BIE
central offices was an issue. However, school officials we interviewed
and surveyed said that BIE's overall level of support for delivering
distance learning was insufficient. For example, officials we
interviewed from five schools noted the limited nature of the support
BIE provided to help them prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. An
official from another school reported that the school felt it had to
determine on its own how to deliver distance learning. Additionally,
officials from another school told us that its local education resource
center offered to provide help when asked, but it did not provide
specific assistance.
Question 2a. Does GAO believe that more coordination to share
trainings between resource centers and schools would have improved
distance learning professional development across BIE?
Answer. We did not evaluate the effectiveness of BIE's approach to
providing training to schools during the pandemic. According to BIE
officials, a contractor is currently, among other tasks, evaluating
BIE's delivery of distance learning to provide recommendations on the
training, professional development, and integrated tools available for
teachers, school staff and administrators so they can incorporate
distance learning in their educational system.
Question 3. Your testimony identifies issues BIE had determining IT
needs at its schools as a major contributing factor in the delayed
distribution of student laptops during COVID-19 campus closures. It
also states: ``The Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT)
is responsible for supporting IT across Indian Affairs, including BIE.
OIMT includes staff responsible for assisting BIE-operated schools with
their technology needs.'' Is GAO aware of the extent to which OIMT and
BIE worked together prior to the pandemic to address student and school
IT needs?
Answer. We did not evaluate the extent to which BIE and OIMT worked
together on school IT issues before the pandemic to address schools'
and students' IT needs.
Question 3a. Does GAO believe that OIMT and BIE coordination issues
or delays contributed to the delayed distribution of student laptops
purchased with COVID-19 relief funds?
Answer. We did not conduct an analysis of coordination between OIMT
and BIE on school IT issues.
Question 3b. What role--if any--does GAO recommend OIMT play in
addressing its recommendation that BIE establish policies and
procedures to ensure it has complete, accurate, and up-to-date
information on schools' technology needs?
Answer. The focus of our recommendation was for BIE to work with
OIMT to develop and implement policies and procedures to collect
information on schools' IT needs.
Question 4. GAO's work on this engagement focuses on BIE's efforts
to improve distance learning capabilities for BIE students during
COVID-19 related campus closures, but the Committee received reports
suggesting teacher Internet access and IT hardware issues contributed
to distance learning issues at many BIE schools. Specifically, last
year, the Committee heard that deployment of a new BIE email and online
portal system in April left many BIE staff without the required
Personal Identification Verification (PIV) credential cards necessary
to access the online BIE systems after BIE closed all school campuses
for the Spring 2020 semester. Did GAO hear from any BIE schools that
this credentialing changeover in BIE email systems left BIE staff
members unable to access these systems and/or created additional
distance learning barriers for BIE schools?
Answer. While this was not a focus of our review, one school
official told us in the fall that when BIE migrated emails to a new
system over the summer, many teachers and administrators were unable to
access email after the migration because BIE did not train them on how
to do so.
Question 4a. Is GAO aware of any efforts BIE undertook to ensure
teachers and staff had access to the Internet and the IT equipment they
needed to offer online instruction and complete their work remotely?
Answer. According to Department of the Interior documentation,
Indian Affairs' Division of Acquisitions, along with some BIE-operated
schools, purchased over 1,600 laptops for teachers at BIE-operated
schools between February and September 2020. Additionally, some school
officials told us they provided Internet access to teachers at home. As
of March 2021, 37 of the 54 BIE-operated schools reported that at least
90 percent of teachers had access to the Internet at their homes.
Question 5. The Bureau had difficulty providing real-time
information on the operational status--in-person or remote--of BIE
schools last year. Additionally, media reports suggest that some BIE
schools operating remotely lost touch with students or suspended remote
instruction completely.
Your written testimony states, ``Many [BIE] schools provided
learning opportunities while their school buildings were
closed.officials from 23 of the 25 schools that responded to our July
2020 survey reported that their school provided distance learning
online or through paper instructional packets.'' Additionally, a
footnote related to that portion of your testimony indicates that at
least one school did not provide distance learning. Does GAO's footnote
mean that the school that did not provide distance learning closed
completely? Or, did this school not offer distance learning because its
campus remained open for in-person instruction?
Answer. Officials from the school referenced in the footnote
reported in our July 2020 distance learning survey that the school
ended the academic year on March 11, 2020 as a result of the pandemic-
about 8 weeks earlier than scheduled. The school officials also
reported that they did not provide any distance education after that
time. Our survey defined distance learning broadly to include any
educational activity conducted with or assigned to students by school
staff or contract personnel through a remote means, including paper
instructional packets. We take the school officials' responses to mean
that its students did not receive academic instruction of any kind
during the last 8 weeks of the 2019-2020 school year.
Question 5a. As part of its work on this engagement, did GAO find
any evidence that some schools suspended all instruction and/or lost
touch with students during COVID-19 related campus closures?
Answer. Aside from the school discussed above, none of the
remaining 24 schools that responded to our July 2020 survey, including
the 10 we conducted interviews with in fall 2020, indicated that they
had suspended all instruction during COVID-19 related school closures.
However, our sample of schools was not generalizable to all BIE
schools. Also, we were not able to determine whether the schools we
collected information from lost touch with students during school
building closures. However, some school officials we interviewed
discussed the challenges of engaging with students during the pandemic.
For example, one BIE school principal told us that some students had
taken jobs during the pandemic and the school responded by recording
lessons and making them available online so students could watch them
later.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Brian Schatz to
Lance West
Question 1. Please describe the infrastructure and facilities needs
of the school systems you work with and the federal resources that
would most help schools serving Native communities to address these
needs.
Answer. Schurz Elementary School requires a modernization of our
schools: Adequate playground equipment, artificial grass, and
basketball playing surface. Our equipment is badly outdated. Our
playground is a dirt lot with an asphalt basketball court. Both are at
least 20 years old. We need a baseball field, track field, softball
field. We need the basics in our community. Mental health for our youth
is in the form of physical activities and extracurricular
opportunities. In terms of federal resources, I would ask any
Congressmen that sits on the House Education and Labor Committee to
help us meet our needs. I ask that the GAO also conduct or include
recent surveys and data that validate the need for improvements to
infrastructure and facilities with schools that support high native
student populations. This could be a coordination effort between the
GAO and US Dept of Education. I would ask that the federal government
complete a comprehensive review of the Nevada Department of Education
and any recent research or recommendations for educational
institution's infrastructure in rural Nevada.
a. In addition--repaving of our parking lot and a physical
barrier system to prevent out of control vehicles from driving
into our classrooms. Our school is just feet away from a major
US highway (US 95).
b. Replacement of all classroom furniture. Furniture is
outdated.
c. Additional transportation including multiple vans, school
vehicles.
Pyramid Lake Junior/Senior HS: Additional buildings to house
classrooms and CTE equipment. Our current facilities limit the number
of students we can enroll.
a. A second gymnasium and practice facility.
Question 2. Native school systems have made progress towards
closing the digital divide this past year. But it is obvious there is
still more work to be done. Will Schurz Elementary continue to utilize
digital learning tools once all students return to in-person learning?
Answer. Yes, Schurz will continue to utilize digital learning tools
after our students return to in-person learning. We must continue to
utilize technology to fully prepare our students with 21st Century
skills needed for success in their future careers.
Question 2a. What do we need to concentrate on in this area moving
forward - broadband infrastructure, capital investments (e.g., hotspots
and laptops), or digital supports (e.g., learning management systems,
professional development, and STEM opportunities)?
Answer. All of the above. The CARES Act and ARP funds be expended
at some point. My concern is there is not a comprehensive framework
that can provide an equitable manner to cycle replacements and repairs
of aging/outdated equipment including broadband, laptops/chromebooks.
Digital supports focusing heavily on LMS (google or Canvas UIs) require
continual professional development opportunities for our educators.
STEAM supports cannot be undervalued. Our school and staff are huge
supporters of any STEAM kits that are purchased from PCS Edventures!
(PCS Edventures--Experts In Hands-On STEM Education. Their drone,
bricklab, and digital video collections are top notch in providing
hands-on and engaging content to our elementary students. Their
products and similar companies offer so much benefit.
Question 3. Your testimony mentioned the successful use of a
"reopening committee" composed of staff, parents, administrators, and
representatives of relevant government entities within the Mineral
County School District to guide operating decisions at Schurz
Elementary School. Would you recommend BIE schools take a similar
approach when planning for the 2021-2022 school year?
Answer. Yes! BIE must step up their support beyond email or phone
calls. They must show a full commitment of supporting our BIE-funded
school.
Question 3a. Do you have any suggestions on how to ensure that
these types of "reopening committees" are successful?
Answer. The best advice I can give is for BIE leadership to submit
guidance documents that set specific requirements for reopening to all
of their schools. There must be set deadlines that include a required
collaboration between the school, tribe, and all stakeholders. A
template or model of a ``full reopening plan'' must also be provided as
a blueprint. The approval process must include a sign off my tribal
leadership and/or any other local government leaders. I would like to
think of the collaboration for full reopening in the same manner as the
junior high/high school accreditation process. You seek input and
survey the stakeholders. Incorporate those concerns into a living
reopening document. Have committees composed of different levels of
reopening (food services, transportation, curriculum/instruction,
administration). Include parents, students, and community in those
committees. There must be follow through and quarterly evaluation of
the progress or any changes made by the schools. Documentation off
changes or progress are key. The committees/teams should be included
and updated as well.
Question 4. You recommended that the Committee prioritize mental
health funding as it considers how to support Native education systems'
COVID-19 response. In your opinion, are there enough resources for
locally-led school mental health initiatives?
Answer. No, there are not enough resources for locally-led school
mental health initiatives. The only forms of additional supports have
come from the Nevada Department of Education in the form of free tele-
doc services where parents/students can meet virtually with licensed
mental health professionals. It seems very poorly planned and rolled
out too quickly. From what I can recall, this initiative is grant
funded. Most tribal communities have very limited funding in social
work and/or HIS counselors, psychologists, etc. Most communities have
one employee of each type on staff. I have not seen nor heard of any
tribes in Nevada using funds to expand/increase staffing in Social
Services, or tribal health clinics. All tribal governments continue to
express this importance but is quickly forgotten.
Question 4a. What resources do you think schools serving Native
communities need to help Native students navigate the mental health
challenges posed by COVID-19? And are the needs of BIE schools
comparable to those of local public schools serving Native communities?
Answer. Our local public school (Schurz Elementary) must create
spaces for extracurricular activities. It is my opinion, based on my
experiences this past year and a half, that our kids simply need more
to do rather than be at home or play on the playground for 45 min daily
or PE. Our community has extremely limited adequate playground,
swimming pools, gymnasiums, baseball and softball fields, outdoor
running track, football field. We lack so much extracurricular
infrastructure that is pathetic. Our kids and their parents cannot be
content with the below minimum expectations in our community. We need
your help!! This is what mental health supports look like for my
students. Of course, I ask for additional funding for more social
workers in the school along with a counselor. We are the only school in
Mineral County School District that does not have a counselor!!! Our
parents constantly advocate for more fun activities and participatory
events for their kids. These extracurriculars can also support our
parents/guardians/community members as a way to cope with the
challenges and stressors due to the Pandemic. The needs of BIE schools
are comparable.
Question 5. You also noted that recruitment and retention of highly
qualified Native educators is a growing need for many schools serving
Native communities, and suggested expanding federal programs that
specifically support Native educator training and professional
development. Have Mineral County schools and Pyramid Lake seen an
increase in teacher and staff vacancies and retirements since March,
2020?
Answer. Yes!
Question 5a. In addition to providing more support for Native
teacher training programs, how else could Congress help support
pathways for recruiting and retaining Native educators?
Answer. Congress must require state departments of education to
collaborate with their respective tribes to develop a framework that
can be presented to their respective university/college higher
education system leadership. This framework prototype has been created
by a local nonprofit organization, Indigenous Educators Empowerment
based out of Las Vegas. I would encourage Congressional officials to
reach out to this nonprofit for detailed information.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Brian Schatz to
Dr. Kauanoe Kamana
Question 1. Your testimony underscores that infrastructure is both
a COVID-19 issue and a larger pre- COVID-19 challenge facing Nawahi
School. Can you provide any additional details on the kinds of
infrastructure and facilities needs you are facing? And, what federal
infrastructure resources would most help your school and other Native
Hawaiian immersion schools?
Answer. As a P-12 laboratory school, Nawahi faces all the
challenges listed in the attached report regarding Hawaiian Culture-
Focused Charter Schools. Among those needs are basic facilities
funding, culturally relevant facilities, and room for expanding
enrollments. The Nawahi campus includes K-8 programming funded as a
charter school, Nawahi Iki. That portion of the program was included in
the data provided for the attached Hawaiian Culture-Focused Charter
Schools report. There are other needs at Nawahi`s preschool and high
school levels.
Ke Kua `O Nawahiokalani`opu`u (Nawahi) is a P-12 laboratory
program. It is the largest Indigenous language medium/immersion program
in Hawai`i and the United States as a whole with students on three
campuses. Nawahi is an interagency collaboration between the Ke Kua `O
Nawahiokalani`opu`u Iki K-8 (Nawahi Iki) charter school program, the
Punana Leo Preschool early education program and the DOE Hilo High
School program. All are located on the main campus of
Nawahiokalani`opu`u in Kea`au, Hawai`i. The preschool and K-8 charter
components include two satellite campuses, one in Waimea, Hawai`i and
the other in Wai`anae, O`ahu. All features of the program have
infrastructure needs. Our model of growth includes entities that are
outside standard sources of funding and are likely to be overlooked.
Nawahi requires constant attention to the provision of support to
address the facilities needs at all levels.
The 0-5 early education program on the Nawahi campuses is operated
by the non-profit `Aha Punana Leo (`APL) with qualifying four-year old
children from certain economic backgrounds being funded through the
Nawahi charter school. The `APL early education program and K-12
program are also integrated in terms of parent programs, development of
curriculum/instruction and teacher in-service. The main campus is owned
by the `APL under an agreement that encumbers the property to the state
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The satellite campuses are located on
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property.
The Punana Leo is the preferred entry level for families seeking
Hawaiian medium education at Nawahi. Its long waiting list and limited
space are ongoing barriers to meeting community demand to enroll at
Nawahi. There are ten other Punana Leo schools statewide that serve as
the base for Hawaiian language medium/immersion public and charter
school K-12 programs.
Under COVID-19 restrictions, at the preschool level there is a
combined Fall 2021 enrollment of 75 on the three campuses of Naw. Once
COVID-19 restrictions are lifted that enrollment is predicted to return
to full capacity of 117. That preschool enrollment receives no
facilities support from any government agency.
For the Fall 2021 school year, Nawahi has 575 K-8 charter school
students. Neither the state Department of Education nor the state
Charter School Commission provides facilities funding for those
students.
Nawahi has a Fall 2021enrollment of 159 in grades 9-12 that is
supported with some resources from the state mainstream public high
school system. However, the state public high school system does not
provide any facilities support for Nawahi.
The needs of Nawahi`s collaborative model are more complex than
those of most other schools because of Nawahi`s strategic uniting of
three distinct organizational entities with a purpose of assuring
services through Hawaiian for families. The `APL has supported Nawahi
building on its main campus, and could build on all campuses if funding
were available.
Nawahi is unable to meet the demand for its program given the
facilities and infrastructure that exist at present. At the main campus
we need ten more classrooms to meet P-8 needs and another 8 classrooms
to meet anticipated high school needs. The preschool utilizes old and
deteriorating facilities sufficient to house only half of those who
apply yearly. The existing facilities need to be replaced and
additional facilities provided in order to serve another 50 students.
Our growing enrollment continues to create a need to house performing
arts, physical education, a science laboratory as well as an athletic
field, all in addition to facilities to accommodate ever changing
student academic needs and interests.Similar needs, but on a smaller
scale exist at the two Nawahi satellite campuses.
A challenge for all schools taught through Hawaiian, including
Punana Leo preschools and K-12 programs is that the state of Hawai`i
focuses on funding the mainstream English language medium model of
education. Hawaiian language schools historically emerge from
grassroots efforts from within the community. Public school principals
decide on whether or not to accommodate Hawaiian language medium
streams in their schools. Families are dependent on those few schools
where principals have decided to offer or maintain Hawaiian medium/
immersion education.
Nawahi has opened two satellite campuses in partnership with the
`.PL to accommodate communities where there is no access to Hawaiian
language medium education or where families have faced challenges at
existing schools.
On Hawai`i Island there is a single state Department of Education
operated K-12 Hawaiian immersion site. It is in the Kona District.
There are no other Department of Education operated K-8 Hawaiian
immersion programs on Hawai`i Island. There are no Hawaiian language
medium education schools in the large and remote districts of Ka`u,
North Kohala or Hamakua. In the Hilo and Puna districts Hawaiian medium
education is provided solely by Nawahi and one other charter school. In
South Kohala, the sole program for Hawaiian medium education is offered
at a satellite campus of Nawahi.
On Maui, there are three Hawaiian immersion streams in English
medium complex areas: Hana School; Pa`ia Elementary-Kalama
Intermediate-Kekaulike High School; Nahi`ena`ena Elementary-Lahaina
Intermediate-Lahainaluna High School. There are three Punana Leo
preschools feeding into those streams. Those Punana Leo need facilities
development support.
On Kaua`i Island there are no Department of Education-provided
Hawaiian immersion sites. Education through Hawaiian on that island is
provided by two charters as well as by the nonprofit `APL.
On Lana`i Island, there is no Hawaiian immersion education. The
State of Hawai`i lost a lawsuit regarding access to education through
Hawaiian on Lana`i (Clarabal vs State of Hawai`i 2019), yet no such
education has been provided by the Department of Education there.
Moloka`i Island has a single Hawaiian immersion stream. It combines
the private `APL, a Hawaiian immersion stream in an English medium
Hawaiian culture-focused K-6 charter in Ho`olehua, a Hawaiian stream in
Moloka`i Middle School and a Hawaiian stream in Moloka`i High School.
These programs are on four separate sites, only two of which are
operated by the state Department of Education.
On O`ahu, the most populous island, there is one total Department
of Education operated K-12 Hawaiian immersion site and five Hawaiian
immersion streams in elementary schools. There is a K-8 satellite site
of Nawahi and a P-12 Hawaiian immersion charter.
The difficulty in addressing community demand for Hawaiian
immersion education is due to the manner in which the state operates
through the Department of Education. The decision to open a Hawaiian
immersion stream in an existing Department school rests with
principals, who also decide whether such a stream continues and under
what conditions such a stream operates. Standard Department of
Education schools are not designed to provide education from a Hawaiian
cultural base and lack culturally-appropriate facilities to provide
such an education.
Charters are the vehicle that communities depend upon to develop
Hawaiian culture-focused education, including Hawaiian language medium
education for their children. However, the lack of facilities funding
and other equity challenges in funding charters, hamper the development
of a charter response to community demand for education through
Hawaiian. The Hawai`i State Department of Hawai`i does not have an
effective strategy to meet community demand for Hawaiian medium/
immersion education.
In order to assist Nawahi and other Hawaiian medium/immersion
schools, the federal government could possibly provide funding through
the one of the following: (1) charter schools, (2) the Hawai`i State
Hawaiian Language College laboratory school program, (3) Native
Hawaiian language non-profits (e.g., `Aha Punana Leo), (4) Office of
Hawaiian Affairs, or other entities. Such support could be part of a
national effort to support Native American language medium education.
It is my understanding that challenges similar to those that exist in
Hawai`i exist for other Native American language medium schools.
Question 2. Your testimony also highlights the unique issues Native
language medium schools faced transitioning to distance learning and
hybrid scheduling. Could you provide any examples to illustrate the
issues created by lack of distance learning language materials created
for your teachers and students over the last year?
Answer. Nawahi teachers are unable to provide education through
Hawaiian on a level comparable to that provided by English medium
teachers due to lack of distance learning materials and resources in
Hawaiian and other teaching materials.
Mainstream English medium education has access to much distance
learning material, both for purchase and for free (e.g., Khan Academy).
Such distance material can also be used during face to face instruction
by a regular teacher or by a substitute when a teacher is unable to
teach, for example if the teacher is sick, or has to tend to a sick
child. Such materials can also be used by parents to help children
learn material when they need to review what was covered by the
teacher. Also when a teacher lacks expertise in a particular area, such
material can also be used in face to face education or distance
education by the teacher to provide more complete instruction. Distance
learning materials include illustrations, video clips, and sound clips
that enrich teaching in the digital classroom environment to make up
for the lack of field trips and laboratory work.
Nawahi teachers, students and parents lack such educational
materials support.
Native language medium schools already struggled before COVID-19
due to limited resources in the Native American language of
instruction. Besides audiovisual resources important for both face to
face and distance education, Native American language medium schools
have needs in terms of science equipment, art equipment, sports
equipment and transportation to and from school and for field trips.
Teacher shortages have required Native American language medium schools
to assign teachers to instruct in subject areas where they have limited
academic content knowledge. Without digital resources and support such
teachers are not able to deliver adequate instruction face to face or
online. When teachers are absent from work for various reasons, it is
often impossible for those substituting or watching over students to
provide adequate instruction without digital learning materials and
technology. Substitute teachers may not even have the language
proficiency to provide any instruction without access to digital
materials in the language.
Question 2a. How has COVID-19 and the challenges of the last year
impacted Native language medium schools' ability to recruit and retain
certified teachers?
Answer. COVID-19 had a major impact on Native language medium
schools in Hawai`i and elsewhere relative to recruiting and retaining
certified teachers. Teacher shortages in these schools were already
dire previous to COVID-19. The pandemic made the situation worse.
Teacher shortages in Hawaiian medium/immersion schools provide an
illustration of the problem. In the 2020-2021 school year, 43 percent
of those teaching in Hawaiian immersion school classrooms lacked
certification ( https://www.hsta.org/crisis/ ). The overall state
shortage of certified teachers has been around 4 percent. That
percentage much lower than that in Hawaiian medium/immersion schools is
considered by the state to be a major problem ( https://
www.civilbeat.org/2019/05/where-hawaiis-chronic-teacher-shortage-hits-
hardest/ ). The challenge for Hawaiian medium/immersion education has
not been an inability of schools to recruit and retain certified
Hawaiian speaker teachers, but a lack of sufficient numbers of such
individuals. COVID-19 negatively impacted addressing the need for
certified Hawaiian speaking teachers by reducing the numbers of college
enrollments--specifically in Hawaiian language courses--the source of
teachers for Hawaiian language medium education. COVID-19 also affected
the desirability of becoming a teacher under the difficult conditions
of teaching whether through distance education or face to face given
COVID-19 hazards and restrictions.
Addressing teacher shortages in Native American language medium
education requires teacher recruitment and training strategies and
programming different from those used to address teacher needs for
English medium schools. There is little understanding in mainstream
education in the United States, including in Hawai`i, of the
distinctive challenges in developing a teaching staff for Native
American language medium education. The first and biggest challenge is
to develop a pool of highly proficient speakers, readers and writers of
the Native American language used in Native American language medium
schools.
The U.S. Foreign Service ranks languages by difficulty for English
speakers with a recommended number of hours needed to reach
professional level proficiency ( https://www.state.gov/foreignlanguage-
training/ ). Research from the State Hawaiian Language College of the
University of Hawai`i at Hilo places Hawaiian and other Native American
languages at no less than Tier 3 of the U.S. Foreign Service list. Tier
3 requires 1,100 hours of study by adults to reach professional level
proficiency, roughly the equivalent of 30 semester college courses of 3
credits each meeting three times a week.
To my knowledge, the only bachelor level students able to access
such a number of hours in Hawaiian or any other Native American
language are at the College of Hawaiian language at the University of
Hawai`i at Hilo. Others who have access to that level of study of
Hawaiian are enrolled in graduate level Hawaiian courses at that
College or at the University of Hawai`i at its Manoa and Hilo campuses.
Throughout Native American communities, those who grew up with
first language proficiency in Native American languages are generally
too old to teach in a K-12 Native American language medium/immersion
school. Native American language medium schools therefore must depend
on second language learners for teachers. For all Native American
languages other than Hawaiian there are limited hours of college
coursework available. At no college or university outside Hawai`i are
there sufficient course hours available in any Native American language
to reach the professional proficiency recommended by the U.S. Foreign
Service. In order to develop teachers' Native American language
proficiency, community organizations affiliated with local Native
American language medium/immersion schools provide proficiency training
in the local Native American language. Such training extends beyond
what is available in local tribal colleges or state institutions.
Development of that proficiency takes much time. That time is in
addition to time required to obtain teacher certification.
For teachers of older students there is a need for additional time
to master higher level content in academic areas such as mathematics
and science. Furthermore, standard programs in teacher certification
and in academic content areas do not typically provide an approach
designed for integration with a Native American language and culture.
Teaching from a perspective based in the culture and history of the
local Native American people is a crucial component of a successful
Native American language medium/immersion program such as that of
Nawahi School.
Scholarships for Native students are not generally available for
the development of proficiency in a Native American language to a level
appropriate for teaching in a Native American language medium school.
Furthermore, time limits on general scholarships for Native American
students are too short for young adult Native Americans to pursue
Native American language proficiency, teacher certification and
specialized academic content knowledge under the same scholarship. For
Native Hawaiian students, for example, there is currently pressure from
university administrations and scholarship providers on students to
complete a bachelor`s degree in four years. It is impossible to achieve
in four years, both Hawaiian language proficiency and content knowledge
sufficient to teach through the language in areas such as mathematics,
science, or computer science. Furthermore, teacher certification
requires additional college coursework.
There are considerable populations of students in the United States
in ``dual language programs'' for foreign languages. Those programs
have distinctive teacher needs similar to those of Native American
language medium/immersion schools. However, the solutions to obtaining
teachers are quite different. Utah is an example of a state with
extensive ``dual language'' programs taught through such foreign
languages as Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish. Utah recruits a large
portion of such teachers from foreign countries, something impossible
to do for Native American language medium teachers.
The reality, then, is that Native American language medium school
teacher shortages cannot be met by applying strategies that have worked
for bringing in teachers from other states to English medium schools or
for bringing in foreign teachers for foreign language immersion/dual
language schools.
Question 2b. In addition to providing more scholarship support for
Native language teacher training and funding for Native language
immersion, how else could Congress help Native language schools and
programs address their staffing challenges and the lack of learning
materials available in Native languages?
Answer. The following are some possible ways to address staffing
and learning materials challenges for Native American language schools:
1. Extend the length of scholarships for those seeking to
become teachers in Native American language medium schools to
provide for: (a) U.S. Foreign Service recomended hours of study
Tier 3 for development of Native American language proficiency;
(b) hours of study of an academic content area (e.g.,
mathematics, science, computer science, history, etc.); and (c)
hours of teacher preparation in order to become licensed.
2. Establish a Native American Language Resource Center with a
mandate to provide support for higher level study of a wide
array of Native American languages. Such study must lead to a
level of proficiency sufficient to operate Native American
language medium/immersion schools through such languages.
3. Provide regular funding of positions in such a Native
American Language Resource Center (which may have dispersed
satellite campuses) with individual specialists positions
dedicated to the needs of particular languages. Such language
specialists shall have the ability to provide distance
education through their respective languages to several schools
in shared courses. They shall also have the ability to produce
high quality distance education resources and other materials
when not teaching.
4. Provide regular funding of positions in such a Native
American Language Resource Center (which may have dispersed
satellite campuses) with individual specialists positions
focused on cultural content and cultural-focused science,
mathematics, and language arts content regarding a particular
Native American cultural area (e.g., the Plains, Woodlands,
Northwest Pacific Coast, Pacific Islands, etc.) and language
family (Algonquin, Athabascan, Austronesian, etc.). Such
specialists would work in producing materials in cooperation
with the specialists listed in 3.
5. Establish distinctive Native American language medium school
pathways to meeting the need to demonstrate high quality in
teaching. Such pathways should be modeled on best practice.
Best practice should be reflective of community values and of
actual high school graduation and college attendance. Such
distinctive pathways should be an alternative to having Native
American language medium/immersion schools demonstrate high
quality through single state assessments and/or accreditation
under accrediting entities designed for mainstream English
medium schools. Such distinctive pathways will allow Native
American language medium schools to focus on the development of
teachers and materials that address their actual needs. Much
effort is currently diverted from best practice when Native
American language schools try to fit their programs into
frameworks not designed for them and spend time trying to meet
expectations that have minimal to no relevance to Native
American language medium programs and students.
Question 3. Native school systems have made progress toward closing
the digital divide this past year. But it is obvious there is still
much work to be done. a. Will Nawahi School continue to utilitize
digital learning tools now that students have returned to in-person
learning?
Answer. Yes, Nawahi will continue to utilize digital learning tools
into the future. Such tools are important for Nawahi under a number of
circumstances, including: (1) sharing courses with satellite campuses
which lack a teacher with expertise in a particular area; (2) serving
children who are absent from school due to medical and other
emergencies; (3) serving students whose parents move into an area where
there is no Hawaiian language medium education; (4) providing extra
help to students; (5) accessing dual credit courses through Hawaiian
from the Hawaiian language college and other distance resources.
Question 3a. What should Congress concentrate on in this area
moving forward--broadband infrastructure, capital investments (e.g.,
hotspots and laptops), or digital supports (e.g., learning management
system, professional development, and STEM opportunities)?
Answer. Broadband infrastructure, learning management systems,
hotspots and laptops are essential for any contemporary school in the
United States in order to participate in the benefits of
technologically assisted education. Certainly, these things are needed
and should be provided. I would hope that Congress assures that all
Native communities have such resources as a base from which to build.
However, infrastructure and technology are of no use if the staff and
students at schools lack the skills to use them or lack sufficient
Native American language proficiency to deliver content appropriately.
Funding for developing high levels of Native American language
proficiency is a priority need. There is also an important need for a
concerted effort to spread skills in terms of academic content
knowledge such as STEM related coursework. A unique need is to provide
professional development to teach content knowledge through a Native
American language in particular cultural-contexts to which Native
students relate.
An effective strategy would be to support the design of approaches
that reflect the holistic worldview of a Native American language and
culture. It would integrate a variety of resources where areas of study
are understood in the context of broader cultural values and Native
worldviews.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Brian Schatz to
Tony L. Dearman
Question 1. Last year, you testified that the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting an investigation into
BIE related to the Bureau's handling of school campus closures at the
start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please provide an update on the status
of this investigation and any additional information you can regarding
the circumstances that triggered this investigation.
Answer. BIE provided responses to three separate OSHA reports
during the pertinent timeframe. As such, OSHA closed the three reports
with the submission of the BIE Safety Office response.
Question 2. The Department's decision to delay the start of the
2020-2021 school year for Bureau-operated schools caused confusion for
BIE staff who work under contract with the Bureau. The Committee heard
from a number of such staff concerned about their pay and benefits,
including housing for those who reside in Bureau-owned residences; BIE
staff also informed the Committee that they received no direct
communication from the Department regarding these matters when it
announced the delayed start. How did the Department communicate with
BIE staff about the impacts of the school year start delay on pay and
benefits?
Answer. The Department did not send out communications directly to
BIE staff related to this matter. BIE Leadership coordinated with
divisional leadership to notify supervisors and the chain of command
while BIE human resources (HR) communicated to BIE staff and faculty.
HR sent out notices to BIE employees to provide as much information as
possible while BIE Leadership coordinated weekly calls to explain
information to the field as they supported their schools directly. BIE
HR also actively coordinated with the Union throughout this process.
Question 2a. Did the Department continue benefits, including health
insurance coverage, life insurance coverage, and housing without
interruption for BIE staff impacted by the school year start delay?
Answer. BIE HR worked with the Department of the Interior Business
Center (IBC) and the individual Benefit Plan Providers to ensure all
BIE staff benefits continued without lapse. HR also worked with IBC and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) housing officers to ensure that
staff housing was not negatively affected.
Question 3. The Committee received reports last year that
deployment of a new BIE email and online portal system in April 2020
left many BIE staff without the required Personal Identification
Verification (PIV) credential cards necessary to access the online BIE
systems. Is the Department aware of reports that the changeover in BIE
email systems left many BIE staff members unable to access these
systems?
Answer. The BIE email migration did not start until June 2020 to
diminish the interruption at the school level, to the extent
practicable. Any reported access issues prior to that time were not the
result of the migration. It is likely that these reports are the result
of misunderstanding by BIE PIV cardholders between access to DOI online
system, such as DOITalent and email. The Indian Affairs Office of
Information Management Technology, which provides direct information
technology (IT) support to BIE, completed the migration in tranches
while working in conjunction with the BIE Personnel Security Office to
ensure migrated users had an active PIV card in their possession.
To support the IT work, BIE HR established a way to activate PIV
cards to ensure continuity of employee access to BIE systems. Employees
lacking an active PIV card could still access BIE email on the Internal
Exchange Servers to minimize disruption. While it took time to convert
over all staff, access problems are currently at a minimal level and
are addressed on an ongoing, case-by-case basis. Currently, there are
39 users that need to complete a card activation prior to the migration
of their account.
Question 3a. What impacts did the inability of BIE staff members to
access the Bureau's email system and other online portals have on
delivery of distance learning instruction during the spring 2020 term
and on the ability of these employees to successfully telework?
Answer. Please see above that BIE is not aware of widespread email
or other access issues that would have widely disrupted successful
telework by employees. However, similar to school districts across the
country, the quick transition to virtual learning affected many BIE
schools who had to use education packets and other resources when
adequate technology was absent. Over the course of the last year, BIE
provided critical technology and hardware, as addressed in its written
testimony, to address such gaps and better prepare BIE schools for
supporting virtual learning in the future.
Question 4. The Bureau had difficulty providing real-time
information on the operational status--in-person or remote--of BIE
schools last year. Additionally, media reports suggest that some BIE
schools operating remotely lost touch with students or suspended remote
instruction completely. Has BIE investigated claims that some schools
suspended remote instruction and/or lost touch with students?
Answer. BIE divisional leadership reports to BIE Central Office on
an ongoing weekly basis regarding current school operating status and
recommendations to address areas of local-level need and gaps in
support, where applicable. Remote learning suspension was often
attributable to the lack of Internet/wireless services. However,
through guidance provided by BIE and coordinated through the chain of
command, schools were expected to provide education packets, as needed.
Through similar coordination, and as mentioned in the written
testimony, BIE Leadership worked to address technology gaps to better
support remote learning going forward.
Question 4a. How has BIE ensured that peripheral dormitory
residents are able to access distance learning opportunities offered by
the non-BIE schools they attend?
Answer. BIE Divisions coordinated with local site leaders and
homeliving staff to assist residents, to the extent possible, with
accessing non-BIE schools' distance learning opportunities. In many
cases, local public schools provided laptops to their respective
students and ensured access to online learning for those who lacked Wi-
Fi. Public schools also extended flexible hours for students who may
not fit the typical school day. They also partnered with Tribal nations
by assisting with transportation needs and providing meals for
students. In other cases, homeliving specialists contacted former
residents to check on enrollment and participation in distance and
hybrid learning models. Facilities like Blackfeet Boarding Dormitory
provided weekly enhancement and engagement packets to support grant-
and other federally-funded work. In another instance, Richfield
Residential Hall, remained open throughout the pandemic to ensure
supports, IT hardware, and access to online learning for residents
continued.
Question 4b. How has DOI ensured that BIE students with
disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities and the
services identified in their individual education programs during
COVID-19-related campus closures?
Answer. Regardless of operating status (on-site, remote, hybrid),
each BIE school was required to submit an alternate/distance learning
plan that ensured appropriate services to students eligible under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. BIE field staff provided technical
assistance to support school teachers and/or staff as they documented
such services provided, and where virtual means may have been limited.
BIE school staff made phone calls or delivered packets to students
using proper safety protocols. Where students required additional
supports, schools worked to convert to a hybrid learning model as
quickly and safely as possible to provide the pertinent in-person
services students needed.
Question 4c. Is BIE able to review system-wide trends in student
absenteeism or performance over the course of the pandemic?
Answer. Yes; BIE's Native American Student Information System
(NASIS) now captures Bureau operated school absences data, as part of
the BIE's five-year Strategic Direction implementation. For the 2020-
2021 school year, absences data, whether excused or unexcused, were
reported by schools using the NASIS system.
Question 4d. How has BIE worked to improve its coordination with
and monitoring of Bureau funded schools over the course of the COVID-19
pandemic to ensure the educational needs of students are met,
regardless of operating status? And will the new learning management
system you mentioned in your testimony assist in these efforts?
Answer. When BIE closed school sites in March 2020, BIE's Chief
Academic Office worked closely with its divisional leadership to
provide initial guidance on access to educational supports. Where gaps
persisted during the pandemic, BIE staff worked to provide improved
supports to schools as they prioritized instructional access to
students no matter the operating status. BIE's Chief Academic Office
coordinated daily and weekly calls to discuss how schools were serving
students, mental health supports provided, best virtual learning
practices, and key IT support needed. As mentioned in BIE's written
testimony, BIE schools developed individual school reopening plans that
identified needs for reopening virtually and transitioning between
hybrid and in-person learning. BIE divisional leadership coordinated
calls to ensure schools had the necessary supports in place and
coordinated with BIE Central Office where gaps persisted.
BIE divisional leadership and the Chief Academic Office coordinated
to assist schools as they updated their individual school plans when
transitions from one type of learning mode were made, in accordance
with guidance from the Departments of the Interior and Education, and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The coordination
activities using the BIE's chain of command have continued throughout
the pandemic. As planning continues for the 2021-2022 School Year,
weekly divisional reporting has provided high-level updates when
strategic support is needed, such as the development of a BIE Learning
Management System (LMS), which is expected to assist in efforts to
coordinate activities across the BIE system and improve tailored
supports to schools and students. The implementation of the LMS is one
component to ensure the educational needs of students are met with the
vision that students who live in a metropolitan area and the students
who live in a rural area, such as many BIE students, have access to the
same educational experience.
Question 5. Does BIE plan to expand its ``smartbus'' pilot program
to deploy Wi-Fi-capable buses along more BIE school bus routes? If so,
how will BIE prioritize where it expands the pilot? And, would BIE need
additional resources to support these efforts?
Answer. BIE leadership is in communication with the incoming Indian
Affairs' leadership team to determine next steps on such projects.
Question 6. Your written testimony states that BIE staff
``investigated how solar chargers might be used to support distance
learning'' for students in homes without electricity. What were the
results of this investigation? And did BIE ultimately provide solar
chargers as part of its efforts to expand access to e-learning during
the pandemic?
Answer. Through its field coordination, BIE identified that solar
chargers were an option for students in homes without electricity and
included it as part of its support framework for distance learning. In
cases where students did not have electricity but could access a local
Internet provider, these solar chargers were ordered by the local
school administrator and distributed with instructions and technical
support for distance learning.
Question 7. In your testimony, you noted that BIE's COVID-19
related consultations identified mental health supports as one of five
priorities for Indian Country. You also outlined several steps the
Bureau has taken in response to this Tribally-identified priority.
Regarding the BIE's expansion of its current Employee Assistance
Program contract to temporarily include students and Tribally-operated
school staff: How did BIE work with the Program contractor to ensure
students receive age appropriate supports?
Answer. Throughout the pandemic, BIE HR and supervisors have
continued to communicate regarding resources provided by the Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) as well as access to other mental health
resources, such as self-care webinars. EAP specific federal employee
supports are not tailored for students and the current EAP contract
with the Department of the Interior does not provide services to tribal
school staff.
Question 7a. How has BIE informed students and staff about these
new EAP resources?
Answer. Please see the response above regarding eligibility under
the EAP contract. However, in addition to EAP resources, BIE created a
completely new Behavioral Health and Wellness Program (BHWP) contract
that will provide additional supports. The purpose of the BHWP contract
is to provide culturally relevant, evidence-based, and trauma-informed
behavioral health and wellness services accessible to students and
staff at all bureau-funded institutions (BIE Staff, Bureau Operated
Schools, Tribally Controlled Schools, and BIE post-secondary
institutions).
Led by the BIE's student health specialist and working through the
BIE chain of command, BIE has provided information to the field
regarding the services provided under the contract. The BHWP contract
was awarded in October 2020 to Tribal Tech LLC, a Native-Owned vendor
that has significant ties across Indian Country and extensive
experience providing behavioral health and wellness supports in a
multitude of Tribal communities. To date, the BHWP contractor, in close
coordination with BIE staff, has primarily focused on providing
behavioral health and wellness trainings while simultaneously creating
the infrastructure needed to provide direct behavioral health
counseling and crisis intervention services for students and staff at
the institutions referenced in the question.
Question 7b. Regarding the new $2 million telehealth contract with
a Native-owned vendor: What is the length of this contract?
Answer. The $2.1 million BHWP contract currently has one base year
with an additional option year, as needed. However, the BIE has plans
to continue funding this activity to ensure the behavioral health and
wellness needs from across the system are met.
Question 7c. Could you provide examples of the types of trainings
and events the vendor will provide?
Answer. The vendor has held culturally-relevant talking circles to
support staff in schools with loss of students to suicide during the
pandemic as well as the loss of staff due to COVID-19. A few examples
of the BHWP's culturally adapted and trauma-informed supports include:
Virtual Staff Talking Circles to assist staff with
processing the impact of the pandemic on the school
environment, feelings of grief/anxiety, and other types of
mental health or wellness challenges experienced.
Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings to equip our schools
and staff with evidenced-based skills for helping our students
through mental health challenges.
Direct Technical Assistance to schools and residential
programs requesting assistance with wellness and behavioral
health challenges.
Behavioral Health Resource Directories that are tailored to
meet the unique needs of a specific school and include Indian
Health Service (IHS) and Tribal resources available locally.
Wellness Wednesdays Webinars focused on staff wellness and
self-care, initiated May 12, 2021.
Drug Prevention Virtual Learning Community using BIE's
``Culture and Drugs Don't Mix'' curriculum that will kick off
this coming school year.
Question 7d. Will BIE have permanent access to the BIE-specific
resource library made available through this contract? Or will it only
have access during the contract period?
Answer. All materials furnished or produced as a result of the
contract, including but not limited to: documents, research, data,
reports, and correspondence are the property of the BIE. Such resources
shall remain confidential, as appropriate, in accordance with BIE
policies and applicable privacy laws including the Privacy Act of 1974
(5 U.S.C. 552a) and section 444 of the General Education Provisions
Act (commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and their implementing regulations.
Question 7e. Regarding the $400,000 clinical/therapeutic service
contract with a Native-owned clinical provider: How will the services
offered by this contract differ from or overlap with the ``telehealth
counseling support with licensed clinicians from the University of New
Mexico'' offered through the contract referenced in (b) above?
Answer. The University of New Mexico BHWP contract had expired. The
current contract now includes training and counseling supports.
Question 7f. It appears BIE will pay $2,000 per service delivery
hour through this contract ($400,000 for 200 hours of service
delivery). Can BIE confirm this price per service delivery hour is
correct? And, if so, can BIE provide assurances that such a rate is
comparable to the price of these services typically?
Answer. This question references the expired University of New
Mexico BHWP contract.
Question 7g. Does BIE need further funding or statutory authority
to support school capacity to address the mental health needs of Native
students in the long-term?
Answer. BIE funding and statutory requests are included in the
President's FY 2022 Budget Request released on May 28, 2021 and
specifically outlined in the FY 2022 BIE Budget Greenbook.
Question 8. BIE's COVID-19 consultations also identified Native
language supports as another Indian Country education priority during
the pandemic. Your testimony outlines supports within BIE for Native
language education but also notes that--due to the pandemic--''local
implementation [of Native language programs] may have varied over the
last year in delivery.'' Does BIE have any information on which of its
schools were able to offer Native language classes or immersion
programing during the pandemic?
Answer. Information regarding grantees who provide such supports is
collected through BIE's Tribal Education Department grant work.
Further, BIE Divisions each have Native language support staff who
directly support their respective schools to provide varying Native
language services.
Question 8a. Has BIE done any outreach to Native language teachers
in Bureau and Tribally operated schools to determine if they need
additional supports or resources during the pandemic?
Answer. At the local level, BIE Native language support staff
within each division provides direct support and outreach to Native
language programs and teachers, usually in the form of providing
workshops, summer trainings, sharing curriculum resources, etc.
Question 8b. Is the $14 million in language immersion awards
referenced in your written testimony generated from ISEP funding
formula for language development? And, if so, can you explain why the
ISEP language development funding decreased from $27.6 million in the
2019-2020 school year to only $14 million this year?
Answer. The amount referenced in your question and the written
testimony reflects funding awarded at that time. BIE will award
additional funds as it obligates funds by the end of the fiscal year.
Question 8c. Does BIE need additional resources to support delivery
and expansion of Native language instruction for its students?
Answer. BIE funding and statutory requests are included in the
President's FY 2022 Budget Request released on May 28, 2021 and
specifically outlined in the FY 2022 BIE Budget Greenbook.
Question 9. Your testimony outlines over $4 billion in BIE school
construction needs. Does this estimate include the facility needs of
Tribal Colleges and Universities?
Answer. As stated in the written testimony, the average cost of
replacing a school in poor condition is $62 million, putting the total
cost of replacing BIE schools in poor condition at roughly $4.5
billion. This estimate excludes funding for facility needs at the 37
Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Indian Affairs (IA) conducted
Tribal consultations on May 7, 2021 with TCU leaders and stakeholders
to request input on developing a methodology for determining TCU
operating and maintenance needs to inform future budget requests.
Responses and comments were received through May 21, 2021 and are
currently in review. Responses received will assist in developing a
transparent and consistent methodology, determining need, and informing
future budget requests.
Question 9a. Has BIE looked at any other school infrastructure
needs? For example, are there estimates for school bus route
improvement needs, addressing maintenance backlogs, or modernizing
school heating/ventilation systems?
Answer. IA is engaged in a Deferred Maintenance (DM) backlog
initiative which identifies deficiencies related to fire safety,
accessibility, life-safety, health, including DM items backlogged for
three to five years. Projects are focused at school and quarters
locations at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Haskell Indian
Nations University, and select schools throughout North and South
Dakota.
The current DM backlog at educational facilities (non-quarters) is
$823,291,249 and $102,066,648 at educational quarters. The IA-Public
Health Service Program is also working to assess ventilation systems
for COVID-19 compliance at 192 school locations.
Question 9b. What other BIE-related needs should Congress consider
related to President Biden's American Jobs Plan? For example, does the
Department of the Interior have enough contracting officers and support
staff to quickly get shovels in the ground if BIE were to receive a
signification infusion of infrastructure funding?
Answer. BIE funding and statutory requests are included in the
President's FY 2022 Budget Request released on May 28, 2021 and
specifically outlined in the FY 2022 BIE Budget Greenbook. BIE
continues to work to increase the number of Contracting Officer
Representatives with subject matter expertise to improve support for
contracts. For projects over a million dollars, BIE works with the IA
Deputy Assistant Secretary-Management for contractual support.
Question 10. Mr. West testified at this hearing regarding the
successful use of a ``reopening committee'' composed of staff, parents,
administrators, and representatives of relevant government entities
within the Mineral County School District. Has BIE considered
encouraging its schools to form local-level ``reopening committees'' in
preparation for 2021-2022 school year planning?
Answer. BIE always encourages local coordination among its schools
with parents, Tribes, and stakeholders when considering reopening
planning that uses the latest guidance from the Departments of the
Interior and Education (ED), and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Using an inclusive approach helps to make sure local
needs are better addressed.
Question 10a. How will BIE ensure the views of staff, parents, and
Tribal leaders are captured in time to meaningfully inform planning for
the 2021-2022 school year?
Answer. BIE held Tribal consultation regarding safe school
reopening on May 10-11, 2021 to ensure more timely input regarding the
upcoming school year. Stakeholders had 30 days to comment and provide
feedback on any gaps related to BIE schools in the latest guidance from
ED and CDC. BIE staff compiled feedback and is formalizing the creation
of a School Reopening Task Force that includes cross-divisional BIE
experts who will support field staff as they work directly with school
leaders in their implementation of ED and CDC guidance for safely
reopening school sites.
Question 11. Your written testimony stated that nearly 46 percent
of the BIE workforce was retirement eligible in 2018 and that the
eligibility rate continues to increase annually.
Answer. To clarify, the number of retirement eligible staff has
increased annually in recent years. With the priority of expanding
staff capacity through hiring, the percentage is now approximately 39
percent. BIE continues to actively hire to further reduce the
retirement eligible rate as part of its ongoing workforce planning.
Question 11a. What were the teacher and staff vacancy rates at BIE
immediately prior to campus closures in March, 2020?
Answer. For BIE operated schools, which BIE has available
information, BIE had a total of two principal and 16 teacher vacancies.
For other support staff positions, BIE was at an approximate 5 to 7
percent vacancy rate. That figure includes an average across BIE's 53
directly operated schools, with staff leaving and new staff coming
onboard every pay period. In total, from March 2020 to present, BIE has
had 198 vacancies (from retirements to separations) with most of these
being filled or in the process of being filled.
Question 11b. Has the Bureau seen an increase in teacher and staff
vacancies since March, 2020?
Answer. Yes; BIE has experienced a small increase. This is mostly
attributable to the locations of many of our positions and the effects
of the pandemic, which often make positions often hard to fill.
Question 11c. Has the Bureau seen an increased rate of retirements
compared to the previous three years?
Answer. Yes; there was a slight increase of about 21 additional
staff member retirements this past year compared to the previous three
years.
Question 11d. What resources and/or legislative proposals would
best help BIE recruitment and workforce retention efforts?
Answer. BIE funding and statutory requests are included in the
President's FY 2022 Budget Request released on May 28, 2021 and
specifically outlined in the FY 2022 BIE Budget Greenbook.