The following timeline highlights key legislative, policy, and educational milestones that have shaped the landscape of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) education in Oregon.
1800s: Indian Boarding Schools were established and forced Indian children into cultural assimilation.
1928: The Meriam Report exposed the abuse of Indian children at boarding schools resulting in the improvements for Indian students’ education and the establishment of public schools on reservations.
1934: Johnson-O’Malley (JOM) Act of 1934 allowed Native students to enroll in public and private schools.
1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 allowed tribal education departments (TEDs) to govern their education systems and receive federal financial support. This act also created funding for State Tribal Education Partnerships (STEP) grants.
1972: The Indian Education Act of 1972 gives direct financial support to improve academic achievement for Indian students who attend public, Tribal, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. It also created the Office of Indian Education and the National Advisory Council on Indian education.
1975: The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEA) of 1975 allowed federally recognized American Indian Tribes to enter contracts with the federal government but they had to follow federal guidelines.
1988: The Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988 allowed federally recognized tribes to apply for federal grants so they can operate their own schools, operate other tribally controlled schools, and choose to operate BIE-funded schools.
1989: ORS 336.067(1)(b), “Instruction in Ethics and Morality,” led the State Board of Education to specifically address the incorporation of American Indian history, culture, and heritage into the general curricula.
1991: The first Oregon American Indian/Alaska Native Education State Plan was developed and published by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) after seven years of collaborative work by members and educators of the American Indian and Alaska Native communities, the State Board of Education, and ODE staff.
1996: Executive Order 96-30 was issued by the Governor of Oregon, establishing Government-to-Government relations with the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon to improve services and develop avenues for consultation.
2011: The State of Oregon enacted ORS 350.014, creating the 40-40-20 educational achievement goal for Oregon by 2025.
2013: ODE hired a full-time staff member dedicated to supporting the 40-40-20 goal for AI/AN students. That same year, a study by the Chalkboard Project released The Condition of Education for Members of Oregon’s Indian Tribes.
2014: ODE, in collaboration with partners, began updating the 20-year-old American Indian/Alaska Native Education State Plan. This process culminated in the State Board of Education adopting the updated Native American/Alaska Native Education State Plan in 2015.
2015:
- Under Section 1111 of the ESSA, tribes and tribal organizations were able to receive funding to increase academic achievement and tribal relationships between local and state governments.
- Part C, Title VI of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) outlined national expectations for providing quality education for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian students. Additionally, a Temporary Rule— Tribal Attendance Pilot Project (TAPP) was established under OAR 581-018-0520 to 581-018-0535, granting funding for TAPP.
2016: ODE hired an additional Education Specialist to further support AI/AN education initiatives.
2017: ODE’s Office of Accountability, Research, and Information Services prepared the American Indian/Alaska Native Students in Oregon: A Review of Key Indicators report, which was updated in 2020 to further discussions on improving outcomes for Oregon’s AI/AN student population. Senate Bill (SB) 13, known as Tribal History/Shared History, was also passed, directing ODE to create K-12 Native American curriculum for inclusion in Oregon public schools and to provide professional development for educators.
2019: The Oregon Legislature passed the Student Success Act, which represented a historic investment in the state’s education system, providing over $1 billion annually to support educational improvements, including specific provisions for AI/AN students. The legislature also codified the AI/AN Student Success Plan into statute (ORS 329.843) as part of the Student Success Act.
2020: The State Board of Education adopted the current 2020-2025 AI/AN Student Success Plan.
2021
- Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past.
- ODE’s Office of Indian Education (OIE) hired a Native American Student Success Coordinator and an Indian Education Coordinator to enhance its support for AI/AN students.
2022: The first Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report was published in May.
2022: OIE expanded its team by hiring an Indian Education Engagement Coordinator, an Indian Education Specialist, an Executive Support Specialist, and an Office Specialist.
2023:
- The passage of HB 3198 focused on advancing early literacy initiatives, which include targeted support for AI/AN students to ensure they have the foundational reading and language skills necessary for academic success.
- OIE began the process of updating the AI/AN Student Success Plan for 2025- 2030, working closely with the State AI/AN Advisory Committee, internal partners, and the Government-to-Government Education Cluster.
2024:
- The Second and Final Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report Volume II was published under President Joe Biden who delivered national remarks to the Nation and issued a formal apology on the atrocities committed under the American Indian Boarding School policy to all Tribal Nations and peoples.
- OIE continued to expand its efforts by hiring an Early Literacy Program Analyst to further support the educational needs of AI/AN students.