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Dozens of Indian students honored
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Effort addresses ‘achievement gap’ Tuesday brought an opportunity for some of Del Norte’s best and brightest students to be recognized for their efforts. Seventh- through 12th-grade American Indian students who have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher will be honored at the annual Del Norte Schools Title VII American Indian Education Honor Roll Luncheon. The students receive a certificate of their achievement and a small incentive, such as a free pass to go bowling. “We’re honoring those folks who are really working hard,” said William Einman, assistant principal at Margaret Keating Elementary School. Students must be enrolled in the school district’s Title VII program, a federally mandated program that provides additional support to meet American Indian students’ academic needs. There are tutors available at several Del Norte schools. “It’s a support program to help reduce the achievement gap,” said Jim McQuillen, education director for the Yurok Tribe. Einman, who is in his first year of co-administrating the Title VII program, said there are about 520 American Indian students enrolled in the program; 94 have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher. “These are the kids who are focused and really trying to take the advantages afforded to them,” Einman said. He said there are probably almost 700 “self-identified” American Indian students in the district. Einman said the program could use another tutor at Mary Peacock Elementary School and wants to eventually get support at all the school sites “to give all the kids a shot.” McQuillen said that the number of American Indian students in Del Norte receiving the honor has remained steady for the last five to six years. This is the eighth year of the recognition luncheon. “I think we’ve come a long way considering that not that long ago we were celebrating just a handful of students,” McQuillen said. There’s also a growing number of American Indian seniors who have taken the prerequisites necessary to go to college. This year has the largest number of “university-ready” seniors, McQuillen said, about seven out of more than 50 seniors — the biggest group he’s seen in the last 15 years. “That’s a good number,” he said. There’s a couple of reason for this: family support to excel in school and go on to college and teachers who are helping students understand the material. In general, McQuillen said, education is becoming more important to American Indians students. “These kids are seeing that education is a means to making a difference,” he said. “They can be someone, be a contributor to life. They’re seeing that there is a relevant place for them in education.”
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