TITLE: Oppose the “Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation’s” Implementation of Standard 3.2.
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, education is the key to a better future for American Indian and Alaska Native peoples and is the foundation for building thriving Native communities and strong leaders; and
WHEREAS, American Indian and Alaska Native teachers are positive role models that inspire and empower Native youth to reach their goals. Numerous case and qualitative studies have demonstrated the educational benefits of a culturally based education. However, American Indians and Alaska Natives are underrepresented in the teaching profession; and
WHEREAS, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is the sole accrediting body for educator preparation providers, and the only organization in the United States that accredits universities, colleges, and other specialized programs that educate and train future Preschool – 12th grade teachers; and
WHEREAS, in 2013 CAEP adopted Standard 3.2, requiring at a minimum that educator preparation providers ensure its accepted cohort of teacher candidates have a grade point average of at least 3.0 and meet the following average performance on nationally normed ability/achievement assessments such as the SAT, ACT or GRE:
• For 2016 – 2017, top 50%,
• For 2018 – 2019, top 40%, and
• By 2020, top 33%; and
WHEREAS, American Indian and Alaska Native students perform below the average of SAT test takers due to social and economic barriers as well as lack of and unequal access to exam preparation opportunities such as high school courses and SAT preparation classes. For example, fewer than 50% of American Indian and Alaska Native students have access to the full range of math and science courses in their high schools. Thus, Native students are being held to a standard they are not being adequately prepared for; and
WHEREAS, there is no definitive research or data that demonstrates performance on standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT is an effective indicator of a prospective student’s success in an educator preparation provider program or as a teacher; and
WHEREAS, Standard 3.2 will force educator preparation provider programs to accept fewer American Indian and Alaska Native education students in order to retain their accreditation, resulting in continued low representation of American Indians and Alaska Natives serving as teachers; and
WHEREAS, because Standard 3.2 will decrease the number of Native students pursing bachelor degrees in education, it will have a direct negative impact on the number of Native students qualified to pursue graduate degrees in education. This is significant because American Indian and Alaska Native students pursue post-bachelor degrees in education at a higher rate than any other field of study – 32% of Master degrees and 22% of Doctoral degrees awarded to Native students are in the education field; and
WHEREAS, Congress has recognized the new standard creates disparate treatment and on July 29, 2015 introduced House Resolution 405 - “Calling on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation to modify its accreditation standards to prevent the standards from negatively impacting Alaska Native and American Indian teacher candidates.” House Resolution 405 calls upon CAEP to “(1) consult with Tribes and Native Organizations, (2) jointly develop changes to its accreditation standards to ensure that Alaska Native and American Indian teacher candidates will not be negatively impacted by such standards, and (3) adopt changes to its accreditation standards expeditiously.”
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) encourages the Congress and Administration to ensure American Indian and Alaska Native teacher candidates will not be negatively impacted by existing CAEP standards, and urge CAEP consultation with Tribes and Native Organizations to expeditiously develop and adopt an alternative Standard containing no disparate impacts; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.