ABSTRACT
The National Indian Education Study (NIES), 1 which is a part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report card under the National Center for Education Statistics (Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education), conducts a survey every two years that extends beyond the traditional NAEP standardized testing to measure other factors important to American Indian and Alaska Native education (AI/AN) (Stancavage, Mitchell, Bandeira de Mello, Gaertner, Spain & Rahal, 2006). The NIES 2011 report highlights the help seeking patterns for AI/AN students in grades 4 and 8. The majority of grade 4 students (73%) reported asking for help from family members at least once a week and more than half sought help from teachers (63%) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). In grade 8, the family members and teachers remained key relationships within which to discuss educational issues (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). In Native American communities, immediate family members often include aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Furthermore, Bock (2006) found that Native American students were shown to care deeply about teacher support and approval, even more than peer support. Teachers identified as mentors because they personally help students beyond the usual capacity have also been shown to be vital for disadvantaged minority youth to improve academically (Erickson, McDonald & Elder, 2009). Teacher relationships that support culturally responsive practices are especially effective.
