An Exploratory Case Analysis of the Relationship Between American Indian Education Funding and Achievement

Introduction

Studies seeking to analyze funding for American Indian students are virtually nonexistent. This single district case analysis is to fill this huge literature gap by analyzing effects of relative funding mechanisms on American Indian student achievement, using a fiscal adequacy framework with a vertical equity lens. The study focuses on Indian students educated in public schools rather than tribal or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. The context of the current study is Oklahoma, a state that has been linked to Indian peoples and in which most Indian students attend public schools.

Indian students may well be considered an underserved population, as public education systems have not equipped American Indian peoples for academic, formal schooling when compared to non-Indian counterparts (Powers, 2012; Pewewardy & Fitzpatrick, 2009; Powers, Potthoff, Bearinger, & Resnick, 2003). American Indian academic achievement has traditionally lagged other ethnic minorities (Grigg, Moran, & Kuang, 2010; Mead et al., 2010; Pewewardy & Fitzpatrick, 2009; St. Germaine, 1995). Many of these students attend public schools (Tippeconnic & Tippeconnic Fox, 2012; Pewewardy & Fitzpatrick, 2009), but do not receive an adequate education based on their needs (Glenn, 2011; Mead, Grigg, Moran, & Kuang, 2010; Pewewardy & Fitzpatrick, 2009; Powers, Potthoff, Bearinger, & Resnick, 2003). The problem of whether funding of public schools is adequate to address the challenges faced by this underserved population remains unclear given the lack of empirical studies.

Both policymakers and district leaders are concerned about the potential consequences of funding disparities on students, particularly students in under-served populations. Historically, the federal government has stepped in to support public school districts with large American Indian populations when local governments have failed to provide adequate funding. However, supplemental federal funds may not reduce funding disparities depending on how these funds are distributed. This current single-district case analysis attempts to draw on empirical evidence to examine if funding relates to academic achievement for American Indian students.

The purpose of this quantitative single-district case analysis was to examine the extent to which adequate supplemental funding has been provided to promote academic achievement as it relates to American Indian students attending a high Indian enrollment (HIE) public school district (Pavel, 1999). As a minority population, American Indian students are supported with federal dollars, but little is known about the relationship between this funding and student academic achievement. Therefore, this study will explore fiscal trends and their impact on American Indian students in an Oklahoma public school district. This is a single district exploratory study, emphasizing a contextualization of new practical knowledge as it applies to quantitative research methodologies. This study is not intended to infer to a global population where a high Indian enrollment is present.

The present study was guided by a fiscal adequacy framework, using a vertical equity lens, as it pertains to academic achievement among American Indian students in a HIE school setting. Funding sources include general operating funds without federal revenue, Title I funding, and Title VII funding with direct instructional costs connected to each. This study questions whether general operating funds without federal dollars, Title I funding, and Title VII funding affect reading scores for American Indian students.

This study sought to explain how school finances relate to academic achievement among American Indian students, which has critical implications for district leaders, policymakers, and tribal leaders seeking to understand how school funding is related to academic achievement. Moreover, this study provides a framework of fiscal adequacy, in particular the vertical equity lens, to effectively generate district revenue based on fiscal trends. The study analyzed how district leaders should support eligible American Indian students with more funding to improve academic achievement via the vertical equity lens. The goal of this study is to use findings to critique and revise district and building policy to promote adequate funding for American Indian students’ education.

This study addresses a critical gap in the literature, as there is an insufficient quantity of research on this issue (Pewewardy & Fitzpatrick, 2009). Few researchers have authored research about American Indian students (Huffman, 2010), particularly related to funding. Furthermore, quantitative studies about American Indian education is even...