Announcing the U.S. Department of Education (USED) Tribal Consultation on the Alaska Native Education (ANE) Program, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015

PURPOSE OF CONSULTATION

The major purpose of the Alaska Native Education (ANE) program is to support innovative projects that recognize and address the unique educational needs of Alaska Native children and adults.  The program is designed to focus on the integration of Alaska Native cultures and languages into education, positive identity development for Alaska Native students, and local, placed-based and culture-based programming that is critical to the attainment of educational success and the long-term well-being of Alaska Native students.  Projects developed under the program must include the activities authorized under section 6304(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and may include one or more of the activities authorized under section 6304(a)(3) of the ESEA.  Tribes located in Alaska are eligible to apply for this discretionary grant program.

A tribal consultation will be conducted by the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Academic Improvement, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE).  In Fiscal Year 2017, OESE conducted the first ANE program grant competition under the ESEA, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  To clarify the meaning of new statutory terms, OESE issued a notice in the Federal Register that defined several terms that were included for the first time under the ESEA, as amended by ESSA.  Because FY 2017 was the first grant competition for the ANE program under the revised program authority under section 6304 of the ESEA, defining and clarifying definitions in the 2017 notice qualified for an exemption to the public comment requirements that govern many competitions at the Department.  However, in order to establish definitions, priorities, selection criteria, or requirements for future competitions under this statutory authority, OESE is required to undergo notice-and-comment rulemaking through the Federal Register.  Therefore, consistent with the Department’s mission and trust responsibility to tribes, the OESE will consult with Alaska Native tribes and other organizations to ensure that their views are considered in OESE’s policy decisions related to the definitions, priorities, selection criteria, and requirements that will govern future competitions under the current statutory authority.

Tribal Consultation Questions

1. Are there changes needed to the definition of Alaska Native Organization (ANO), as established under the 2017 Notice Inviting Application for the ANE program?
2. What are some criteria the Department should consider in determining whether an entity has experience operating programs that fulfill the purposes of ANE program?
3. What information or data should applicants submit to determine whether an entity is predominately governed by Alaska Natives?  Is the 80 percent minimum that was established in the 2017 Notice Inviting Application for the ANE program sufficient?
4. What documentation should be submitted with the application to demonstrate that the applicant has received an official sanction or charter from an Alaska Native tribe or an ANO?  Is the documentation required under the 2017 Notice Inviting Applications for the ANE program sufficient?
5. What information should be included in a Memorandum of Understanding/Agreement for group or partner applications?
6. What priority(ies) would improve the overall delivery and quality of the projects established under the ANE program?
7. What suggestions do you have for strengthening the ANE program, as authorized under Section 6304 of the ESEA?

The Department will provide the presentation for the Tribal consultation that includes more information related to the tribal consultation questions and process for submitting written comments at a later date.

For More Information Contact:   Almita Reed, Almita.reed@ed.gov, 202-260-1979

THIS HALF-DAY (AFTERNOON) EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND.*

*Please note that a separate email address is required for each individual registering to attend this event. Registration for the  U.S. Department of Education Tribal Consultation on the Alaska Native Education Program Tribal Consultation is for this session only and does not include the 2018 National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Conference & Marketplace.

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