Toward an Ideal Democracy

Abstract

This article explores the impact of standardization policies of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 on the American Indian/Alaska Native community and the ability of educational policy to promote sovereignty, liberty and equity within indigenous communities. Examining current research and data generated from the National Indian Education Study (NIES) of 2009, we argue that the English-only assessments of NCLB devalue indigenous social and cultural capital through the salient measure of language revitalization efforts. Consequently, by virtue of a narrowing effect on the curriculum, school-community relations are strained by standards-based reforms, as representative of current educational policy. We examine educational policy within a historical interpretation of Federal Indian policies in its capacity to promote language revitalization and student achievement. Federal Indian policies have both hurt and helped Indian education exist as a vehicle towardsmaintaining sovereignty, liberty, and equity. The concept of social capital is explored further as a recommendation to strengthen school-community relations. Ultimately, educational policy that unites the concepts of sovereignty, liberty, and equity is integral toward revitalizing indigenous language without sacrificing a focus of raising student achievement; thus, emblematic of responsive Indian educational policy.