Jodi Dean Sample Grant Application - Partial Narrative

Initial Funding $50,000.00

Mission and History

Since 1951, Western School has provided students from South Dakota and beyond Mission

Statement. The K-12th grade school, in Miller, SD, currently operates a day school program for

students grades K-7th and a boarding school for students in 8th -12th. Western School is the only

nondenominational boarding school statewide, and one of two private boarding school options

for high school students in the state.

Target Population

Western School's Native American Tuition Assistance Program will provide reservation youth

needs-based tuition assistance to obtain a rigorous education at a Christian boarding school. The

program will prepare the targeted students higher education at a private or public, two-year or

four-year institution. The targeted youth are students entering 8th-12th grades and reside upon the

Crow Creek and Pine Ridge reservations. For many youth living upon these reservations, the

adolescent years are marked by economic, academic and environmental challenges.

The targeted reside in areas prone to high levels of unemployment, poverty and resources, and

are often unable to prepare for a career that requires higher education. Upon the Pine Ridge

Reservation, 46% of the total population and 52.7% of youth under 18 reside in poverty.

According to the Ann E. Casey Foundation1, 84% of the youth qualify for free-and-reduced

lunch rates. The high poverty is driven by low-wages and high unemployment. The capita

income is $6,260 and the median income is $20,9162. According to government resources the

official unemployment is 33.40%3, while social services agencies estimate the actual

unemployment rate is between 80-90%.

Crow Creek Reservation youth reside in an impoverished area. The Casey Foundation4 reports,

48.8% of the general population and 51.5% of those under 18 live at or below poverty. The

Census5 reports that the median household income is $24,408, and the per capita income is

$5,213. The unemployment rate is 21.7%6, however local estimates state it is as high as 85%.

According to the United States' Bureau of Indian Affairs7, 100% of Crow Creek students were

eligible for free-or-reduced lunch.

Pine Ridge and Crow Creek youth often drop out of high school before graduation. During the

2011-2012 school year, the South Dakota Department of Education reported that 54.1% of

reservation youth dropped out of high school8. However, individual high schools on each

reservation report a higher dropout rate. Schools that serve the Pine Ridge Reservation report

that 7% to 49% of their students graduate in four years9; And, Crow Creek officials report a

1 Ann E. Casey Foundation, Kids County, June, 2013. www.kidscount.org. 2 United States' Census Bureau. American Fact Finder, June, 2013. www.factfinder2.census.gov. 3 United States' Census Bureau, et. al. 4 Ann E. Casey Foundation, et. al. 5 United States' Census Bureau, et. al. 6 United States' Census Bureau, et. al. 7 United States' Bureau of Indian Affairs, July, 2013, www.bie.edu/cs/groups/xbie/documents/text/idc012922.pdf 8 South Dakota Department of Education, July, 2013. www.sd.doe.gov. 9 Rapid City Journal, July, 2013. www rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/district-still-dealing-with-high-native-dropout rates.

44.66% graduation rate10. The high dropout rate is contributed to a lack of parental and

community support; 63.26% of Crow Creek adults and 66.7% of Pine Ridge adults over 25 have

a high school degree or higher11. The high number of parents without a diploma, means that the

students are often unable to get the appropriate assistance, leaving them unable to complete

homework assignments or prepare for upcoming tests.

The targeted youth engage in risky behaviors that negatively impact their school experience.

According to the most recent (2011) South Dakota High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey,

Crow Creek and Pine Ridge high school students often engage in harmful activities that impair

their ability to do well academically. Before the age of 13, 34.2% of the youth have tried

cigarettes, 28.5% have alcohol and 29.5% have tried marijuana. By age 18, 80.7% tried cigarette

smoking, 80.5% have tried alcohol and 72.8% have tried marijuana. The use of alcohol and other

drugs often lead to high-risk behaviors. The survey revealed that 12.8% of students drove while

drinking, 41.6% were involved in a physical fight and 34.8% seriously considered attempting

suicide12. Anecdotal evidence points that adolescents who use alcohol and other drugs have

higher rates of tardiness and absenteeism, which is also linked to high school dropout rates.

Need Statement

Because of the high levels of unemployment and poverty many families reside in substandard

housing without access to electricity and internet. Crow Creek and Pine Ridge students whom

attend public schools often lack access to computers before, during and after school. Without

regular access to technology, these students are unprepared for higher education and the digital

world. They are unable to gain information on careers, learn about higher education institutions,

research college scholarships and prepare applications for higher education programs. Currently,

17% of Native American students go on to college from high school, and 82% of those never

graduate.13

The targeted youth are unprepared for the rigors of higher education. Evidence shows the

unstable school environment is to blame. The Pine Ridge reservation boosts a teacher turnover

rate 800% over the national average; Crow Creek's teach turnover is 200%14 over the national

average. Studies show that high needs, minority youth need to have experienced, high-quality

teachers to improve academically. Unfortunately, the targeted students have a high number of

novice teachers. Reports show that half these beginner teachers leave the education within two

years15, and a newly minted teacher is placed in the classroom. The constant turnover results in a

disconnect between the student and teacher, the teacher and the curriculum and the teacher and

his/her professional peers resulting in lower academic expectations. During the past two years

the drop rate for Native American youth has increased from 51% to 54%.16

10 United States’ Bureau of Indian Affairs. et. al. 11 United States' Census Bureau, et. al. 12 Centers for Disease Control: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2011). South Dakota High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

July, 2013. www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs 13 South Dakota Department of Education. et. al. 14 Bureau of Indian Affairs, et. al. 15 Rapid City Journal, et. al. 16 Rapid City Journal, et. al.

Student and school safety concerns also contribute to the achievement gap between youth who

reside and live upon reservation lands, and their non-Native peers. Both Pine Ridge and Crow

Creek youth who attend public schools located on or near their respective reservations are often

the victims or witnesses of violence, fueled by alcohol and other drugs. According to the Youth

Risk Behavior Survey, 26.70% of high school students were bullied on school property and

24.50% were involved in a physical fight during the school day. And, 26.1% of the public high

school students were offered, sold or given drugs by someone on school property17.

Western School provides an alternative for Native American students who wish to pursue a

career, especially those that require higher education. The boarding school environment allows

students to participate in a rigorous curriculum that prepares them for a two-or-four year college

degree. As a boarding school, each student is able to have the advantage of access of teachers

and technology, during after-school sessions without having to fear missing transportation

arrangements.

Since Western School is a boarding school, students can obtain assistance from their classmates

during nightly study sessions. Western School's faculty is dedicated to the field of education and

mission of the school, meaning their turnover rate is substantially lower. Seventy-percent of the

current faculty has taught five or more years; less than 15% have taught less than two years.

Ninety-percent the long-term faculty has taught for five or more years at Western School. The

faculty's commitment to the school and students increases the level of collaboration among

teachers so that each individual student's needs are met. Due to the small class sizes, personal

attention and learning goals, Western School students graduate on time. The class of 2013 had a

100% graduation rate; 25% of the graduates are pursuing a two-year degree at a community

college and 50% of the graduates pursing a four-year college degree at a public and private

university. Students from the last three graduating classes have matriculated to several public and

private universities, including but not limited to South Dakota State University, North Dakota

State University, Dordt College, George Washington University and University of Massachusetts

– Amherst.

As a faith-based organization, Western School places a strong emphasis on avoiding alcohol,

tobacco and other drugs. This emphasis to “say no” to harmful substances is modeled by

administration, faculty and staff who uphold Western School's code of conduct to “not use

alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs” while during their term of employment. In addition, each

student learns the importance of avoiding alcohol and other drugs during physical education,

health and religion courses, in addition to chapel and bible studies. Research shows students with

strong spiritual values and faith-consume less alcohol and avoid drugs, as they consider the sense

of right and wrong, their priorities in life and society. The students who avoid or infrequently use

alcohol and other drugs have significantly lower levels of tardiness and absenteeism and care

more about their school performance.

17 Centers for Disease Control: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2011). et. al.