House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives
Republicans
Rep. Howard P. “Buck†McKeon
Ranking Member
Fiscally responsible reforms for students, workers and retirees.
NEWSROOM
Committee Statement
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Alexa Marrero |
Castle Opening Statement: Subcommittee Hearing on, “Challenges Facing Bureau Of Indian Education Schools In Improving Student Achievement”
Good morning and thank you Chairman Kildee for holding today's hearing on the important topic of “Challenges Facing Bureau of Indian Education Schools in Improving Student Achievement.” I would also like to thank today's witnesses for sharing their time and expertise with the Subcommittee on this issue.
As most of you know, the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), provides educational assistance to Indian children to ensure that they receive a high quality education comparable to their peers. Currently, the BIE-funded education system for Indian students includes 174 schools and 14 "peripheral dormitories" for students attending public schools nearby.
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requires states and the BIE to define and determine whether schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) towards meeting the goal of 100 percent academic proficiency.
In June of this year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that examined how the BIE and Indian tribes have implemented the requirements of NCLB. The report, entitled "Improving Interior's Assistance Would Help Some Tribal Groups Implement Academic Accountability Systems," found that BIE and almost all of its schools have adopted State definitions of AYP. The report did note, however, that the BIE has not completed agreements with several key states delineating the terms of BIE-funded schools' access to the state assessment systems.
As the BIE moves forward with the process of improving student academic achievement, and as NCLB is considered for reauthorization, I believe, as many proponents of Indian education do, that we must explore options which can provide additional flexibility to BIE schools in helping them meet the law’s requirements.
Although I believe strongly that the BIE should continue to have the flexibility necessary to develop assessments that accurately measure student achievement, Congress must work to ensure we and the BIE remain committed to the high standards and quality all students and schools should be held to.
I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses about what is happening on the ground regarding this issue. Thank you.
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