Senate Passes Key Amendments to Boost Native Education

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), praised the Senate's passage of several key Indian education amendments to S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015, the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In the 114th Congress, SCIA has held oversight hearings demanding results to end Native youth suicides and on topics related to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.

"Indian schools must be included in national education reform," said Chairman Barrasso. "These important amendments passed by the Senate will help increase Native student achievement across the country. It also means that Native teachers and school administrators receive the tools they need to promote learning, pass on traditional cultures, and create environments where students feel safe."

Some of the key amendments to S. 1177 passed by Senate include:

· Amendment 2078 - Commissions a study at the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior to examine staffing challenges, limited funding, and graduation rates across more rural and poverty stricken parts of Indian Country. (Offered by Senator Mike Rounds [R-SD]);

· Amendment 2107 -- Restores grant programs for teacher trainings, fellowships for students, adult literacy, and GED programs in Indian Country. (Offered by Senator Jon Tester [D-MT]);

· Amendment 2149 -- Enables the Bureau of Indian Education to apply for competitive education grants, similar to the ability of state education agencies to apply. (Offered by Senator Tom Udall [D-NM]);

· Amendment 2155 -- Requires an interagency report on the administration's efforts to address the outbreak of suicides among elementary and secondary school students in Indian Country. (Offered by Senator John Thune [R-SD]); and

· Amendment 2240 -- Creates a demonstration project and federal grant, at the Department of Education, for Native language immersion education programs. (Offered by Senator Brian Schatz [D-HI]).

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