True Revolution of Elders, Ancestors, Treaties and Youth, Total Immersion Education School TREATY TIES

1
True Revolution of Elders, Ancestors, Treaties
and Youth, Total Immersion Education
SchoolTREATY TIES

• Strategic Plan Framework

Authors Note While This Strategic Plan
Framework is relatively mature, it is not
complete. Furthermore, as other healthy
organizations do, we plan to republish this plan
with revisions on a quarterly basis.
2
Outline

• Themes of Total Immersion Education (Slide 3)
• The Lakotah TREATY TIES Vision (Slide 4)
• Understanding the Current Status of the Lakotah
  Pine Ridge Reservation (5-15)
• Roadmap To Achieve the Lakotah Vision (16)
• Results of Total Immersion Education
• Timeline of Maori Immersion Education Program
• Timeline of other Indigenous Peoples Immersion
  Education Programs
• Applying Lessons Learned How the Lakotah Program
  is Different
• Total Immersion Program Operational Concept
  Framework
• Risks and Mitigation Strategies
• Momentum Building
• Budgetary Items
• Next Steps

3
Total Immersion Education Themes

• Academic, Linguistic, and Cultural Education
  Program for ages 3 to 18
• Embraces and teaches traditional Indigenous
  culture and language
• Teaches how to prosper and partner with
  non-Indigenous cultures and languages
• Enables students to be fluently bilingual, which
  improves analytical and world view skills
• Restores sense of community, spirit, and sense of
  pride to Indigenous people, which has numerous
  proven socioeconomic benefits to State, Federal,
  and Reservation entities
• Students meet and exceed national standardized
  academic test scores
• Similar models have been used in Ireland, Spain,
  Hawaii, and most successfully in New Zealand

4
Vision

• It is our vision that a Total Immersion Education
  Program for the Lakotah will teach our youth to
  embrace our near extinct language and the old
  ways of our ancestors, which will instill a sense
  of pride and renewed sense of determination to be
  successful. The TREATY TIES Program will also
  teach them how to translate those traditional
  skills that have helped us persevere through so
  many periods of hardships over the centuries into
  skills which foster stronger individuals, a
  stronger sense of community, a partnership with
  non-Indigenous people to continue to strengthen
  our local economy, and an embracement of modern
  ways, without giving up sovereignty or tradition.
  Furthermore, it is our vision that as the
  community strengthens from the positive results
  of the Total Immersion Education Program that the
  negative healthcare and socioeconomic statistics
  that plague the Lakotah community will begin to
  be reversed.

5
Current State of Pine Ridge ReservationEducation
Issues

• School grades 1st 12th, drop-out rate is over
  70. 
• 52.6 of high school students perform 2.6 grades
  below the national average
• According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  report, the Pine Ridge Reservation schools are in
  the bottom 10 of school funding by U.S.
  Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian
  Affairs.
• Teacher turnover is 800 that of the U.S.
  national average
• Student attendance is problematic, as the culture
  currently promotes the students helping provide
  care for the remainder of the family. This means
  that if a mother has to pick up government
  assistance check, or complete paperwork, that the
  older children stay home to provide care for the
  younger, or help take care of elderly, etc.
• The Oglala Lakotah College, which enrolled
  approximately 1500 students this year, confirmed
  that the students have a high probability of
  completing their degrees, based on past
  performance, provided they complete them within
  the reservation education system however, the
  college also confirmed that if the students
  choose to further their education off the
  reservation, there is a 90 failure rate

6
Current Status of Pine Ridge Employment

• Recent reports vary but many point out that the
  median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is
  approximately 2,600 to 3,500 per year.
• The unemployment rate on Pine Ridge is said to be
  approximately 83-85 and can be higher during the
  winter months when travel is difficult or often
  impossible. 
• According to 2006 resources, about 97 of the
  population lives below Federal poverty levels. 
• There is little industry, technology, or
  commercial infrastructure on the Reservation to
  provide employment. 
• Rapid City, South Dakota is the nearest town of
  size (population approximately 57,700) for those
  who can travel to find work.  It is located 120
  miles from the Reservation.  The nearest large
  city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located
  some 350 miles away.

7
Current Status of Pine Ridge Reservation Life
Expectancy and Health Conditions

• Some figures state that the life expectancy on
  the Reservation is 43.9 years old for men and 52
  for women. These statistics are far from the 77.5
  years of age life expectancy average found in the
  United States as a whole.  According to current
  United Nations and USDA Rural Development
  documents, the Lakota have the lowest life
  expectancy of any group in America. And the
  lowest life expectancy of any group in the world
  when AIDS statistics are extrapolated. When AIDS
  statistics are included, only 8 countries, all in
  Africa, have lower life expectancies.
• Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge
  Reservation is 150 higher than the U.S. national
  average for this age group. 
• The infant mortality rate is the highest on this
  continent and is about 300 higher than the U.S.
  national average. 
• More than 90 of the Reservation's families
  battle addiction and disease.  Alcoholism,
  diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition
  are pervasive.
• The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is
  reported to be 800 higher than the U.S. national
  average. 
• Recent reports indicate that almost 50 of the
  adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have
  diabetes. 
• As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the
  Reservation, diabetic-related blindness, heart
  attacks, high blood pressure, amputations, and
  kidney failure are common. 

8
Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationHealth
Care

• The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge
  Reservation is approximately 800 higher than the
  U.S. national average. 
• Cervical cancer is 500 higher than the U.S.
  national average. 
• It is reported that at least 60 of the homes on
  the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with
  Black Mold, Stachybotrys.  This infestation
  causes an often-fatal condition with infants,
  children, elderly, those with damaged immune
  systems, and those with lung and pulmonary
  conditions at the highest risk.  Exposure to this
  mold can cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and
  brain, as well as cancer.
• A Federal Commodity Food Program is active but
  supplies mostly inappropriate foods (high in
  carbohydrate and/or sugar) for the largely
  diabetic population of the Reservation. 
• A small non-profit Food Co-op is in operation on
  the Reservation but is available only for those
  with funds to participate.
• Many Reservation residents live without health
  care due to vast travel distances involved in
  accessing that care.  Additional factors include
  under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities
  and outdated or non-existent medical equipment.
• Preventive healthcare programs are rare.
• The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped and
  cant possibly address the needs of Indian
  communities.  Nowhere is this more apparent than
  on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

9
Current Status of Pine Ridge Reservation
Transportation

• There is little public transportation available
  on the Reservation, which is woefully underfunded
  and inadequate.
• Only a minority of Reservation residents own an
  operable automobile. 
• Predominant form of travel for all ages on the
  Reservation is walking or hitchhiking. 
• There is one very small airport on the
  Reservation servicing both the Pine Ridge
  Reservation and Shannon County.  It's longest,
  paved runway extends 4,969 feet.  There are no
  commercial flights available.  The majority of
  flights using the airport are Federal, State, or
  County Government-related. 
• The nearest commercial airport and/or commercial
  bus line is located in Rapid City, South Dakota
  (approximately 120 miles away).

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Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationHousing
Conditions

• The small BIA/Tribal Housing Authority homes on
  the Pine Ridge Reservation are overcrowded and
  scarce, resulting in many homeless families who
  often use tents or cars for shelter.  Many
  families live in old cabins or dilapidated mobile
  homes and trailers.
• According to a 2003 report from South Dakota
  State University, the majority of the current
  Tribal Housing Authority homes were built from
  1970-1979.  The report brings to light that a
  great percentage of that original construction by
  the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) was shoddy
  and substandard.  The report also states that
  26 of the housing units on the Reservation are
  mobile homes, often purchased or obtained
  (through donations) as used, low-value units with
  negative-value equity.
• Even though there is a large homeless population
  on the Reservation, most families never turn away
  a relative no matter how distant the blood
  relation. Consequently, many homes often have
  large numbers of people living in them.
• In a recent case study, the Tribal Council
  estimated a need for at least 4,000 new homes in
  order to combat the homeless situation.

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Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationHousing
Conditions

• There is an estimated average of 17 people
  living in each family home (a home which may only
  have two to three rooms).  Some larger homes,
  built for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people
  living in them.
• Over-all, 59 of the Reservation homes are
  substandard.
• Over 33 of the Reservation homes lack basic
  water and sewage systems as well as electricity.
• Many residents must carry (often contaminated)
  water from the local rivers daily for their
  personal needs.
• Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on
  dirt floors.
• Without basic insulation or central heating in
  their homes, many residents on the Pine Ridge
  Reservation use their ovens to heat their homes.
• Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. 
  Even more homes lack central heating. Periodicall
  y, Reservation residents are found dead from
  hypothermia (freezing).

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Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationHousing
Conditions

• It is reported that at least 60 of the homes on
  the Pine Ridge Reservation have infestation of
  the potentially-fatal Black Mold, Stachybotrys. 
  There is no insurance or government program to
  assist families in replacing their homes. 
• 39 of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation
  have no electricity.
• The most common form of heating fuel is propane. 
  Wood-burning is the second most common form of
  heating a home although wood supplies are often
  expensive or difficult to obtain.
• Many Reservation homes lack basic furniture and
  appliances such as beds, refrigerators, and
  stoves.
• 60 of Reservation families have no land-line
  telephone.  The Tribe has recently issued basic
  cell phones to the residents.  However, these
  cell phones (commonly called commodity phones) do
  not operate off the Reservation at all and are
  often inoperable in the rural areas on the
  Reservation or during storms or wind.
• Computers and internet connections are very rare.
• Federal and tribal heat assistance programs (such
  as LLEAP) are limited by their funding.  In the
  winter of 2005-2006, the average one-time only
  payment to a family was said to be approximately
  250-300 to cover the entire winter.  For many,
  that amount did not even fill their propane
  heating tanks one time.

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Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationAlcoholis
m

• Alcoholism affects nine out of ten families on
  the Reservation. 
• The death rate from alcohol-related problems on
  the Reservation is 300 higher than the remaining
  US population. 
• The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale
  and possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge
  Reservation since the early 1970's.  However, the
  town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400 yards
  off the Reservation border in a contested
  "buffer" zone) has approximately 14 residents and
  four liquor stores which sell over 4.1 million
  cans of beer each year resulting in a 3million
  annual trade.  Unlike other Nebraska communities,
  Whiteclay exists only to sell liquor and make
  money. It has no schools, no churches, no civic
  organizations, no parks, no benches, no public
  bathrooms, no fire service and no law
  enforcement.  Tribal officials have repeatedly
  pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these
  liquor stores or enforce the State laws
  regulating liquor stores but have been
  consistently refused.

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Current Status of Pine Ridge ReservationWater
and Aquifer Contamination

• Many wells and much of the water and land on the
  Reservation is contaminated with pesticides,
  uranium, arsenic, and other poisons from farming,
  mining, open dumps, and commercial and
  governmental mining operations outside the
  Reservation.  A further source of contamination
  is buried ordnance and hazardous materials from
  closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the
  Reservation.
• Scientific studies show that the High
  Plains/Oglala Aquifer which begins underneath the
  Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted to run dry in
  less than 30 years due to commercial interest use
  and dry-land farming in numerous states south of
  the Reservation.  This critical North American
  underground water resource is not renewable at
  anything near the present consumption rate.  The
  recent years of drought have simply accelerated
  the problem.
• Scientific studies show that much of the High
  Plains/Oglala Aquifer has been contaminated with
  farming pesticides and commercial, factory,
  mining, and industrial contaminants in the States
  of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas,
  Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

15
Current Status of Pine Ridge Reservation Oral
Health and Hygiene

• Less than 50 of population has access to water
  fluoridation
• Lowest oral hygiene scores with lowest frequency
  of daily tooth brushing flossing
• Highest tobacco use 62 of adult population
• Children 60 have active, untreated tooth decay
  less than 50 have seen a dentist
• Ages 35 44 50 have moderate to severe
  periodontal disease
• World highest incidence of ECC (Early Childhood
  Caries/Cavites) 80

16
Immersion Education Roadmap
Current State of Lakotah Tribe Startup Transition (0-1 Year) School Operating with Maximum Attendance (2 - 5 Years) Students Begin to Graduate and Apply Skills to Tribe (6 -12 Years) Continuous Improvement (12 20 Years)
Feeling of Acceptance of current situation Massive graft and Corruption in Tribal Government Feeling of Oppression Loss of Traditional Spiritual ways, Cultural ways, and Language Loss of sense of community Negative Healthcare statistics Negative housing statistics Negative Political Environment General economic Issues Alcohol and Drug Addiction Issues Rampant Spouse and Child Abuse Issues Sanitation Waste Management Infrastructure Issues Public Transportation Issues Grocery/Food Accessibility Issues Individual and Tribal Poverty Issues Vision communicated and bought-in to by, locals, tribal government, state, and federal government Support gained from local individuals and groups, national educators and professors, congressional representatives, international indigenous leaders, local indigenous leaders, state and federal administrators Private Funding Secured for Startup Private funding secured for long-term operations School staff (cooks, teachers, facilities staff, bus drivers, administration, etc.) secured Management team identified Initial Teachers and back-ups Identified Facilities established First set of 20 students identified School transportation and maintenance secured Academic standards and objectives set Initial set of curriculum completed Total Immersion Education Begins Second, third, and fourth sets of 20 students enrolled in original school Students families become involved Initial reporting provided to state and federal government on progress Parents and Community involved in education Fulfilling west African wisdom of village to raise a child People start to care, the pride comes back Academic Standards tested and results presented to Feds Shifts in governance due to parent involvement Community develops greater sense of responsibility After 5 years, of proof of concept, second set of schools are opened Non-Indigenous Children begin to enroll Other initial schools mature through start-up challenges Local interest groups similar to (but a unique Indigenous version) 4H, FFA, Optimist Club, Key Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc. are born Healthier diets, which put a demand on grocery and convenience stores Cleaner environment and sanitation infrastructure matures Less alcoholism, less abuse of all types, due to community involvement and integration Overall negative stats begin to diminish By 10 years, is a proven success with positive trends , both academically and socially, beginning to be measured Students will be further ahead scholastically within the top 15 within first 10-15 years of program operations Cycle of Oppression Broken 100 of Pine Ridge Fluent in Lakotah Language Sense of community restored New self sufficiency model fully implemented Health Statistics Better than US National Averages Housing Statistics Better than US National Averages Self-sufficiency with lower dependence on federal assistance than other parts of country Local Economy better than US national averages Drug Addiction Issues better than US national averages Spouse and Child Abuse Issues better than US national averages Sanitation Waste Management Infrastructure Issues resolved Public Transportation Issues resolved Grocery/Food Accessibility Issues resolved Individual and Tribal Poverty Issues resolved
Vision Fully Realized
Vision Partially Realized
17
Specific Proven Benefits of Total Immersion
Education Programs

• Students gain proficiency in two languages,
  resulting in increased analytical skills
• Scotland Students in Gaelic Indigenous
  Immersion Education Programs score at same levels
  as Scottish children in non-Immersion programs
• Ireland Students in Irish Indigenous Immersion
  Education Programs score at much higher level on
  Irish-written tests and same level at
  English-written standardized tests, when compared
  with group of English-only students in Ireland,
  matched on socioeconomic status and IQ.
• Welsh Immersion Education students scored higher
  in creative areas on standardized tests, than did
  their English-only counterparts (and scored same
  levels in other areas)
• Navajo bilingual students from grades 2nd 6th,
  did better on standardized tests in arithmetic
  and reading, than did Navajo students at
  comparable schools who received English-only
  education
• The model results in the Indigenous People of
  each country that have embraced it, taking
  responsibility for the consequences of their own
  decisions

18
Specific Proven Benefits of Total Immersion
Education Programs

• 31 Fewer childhood misbehavior/disciplinary
  issues in school
• Parent involvement was statistically high in the
  Immersion Education Programs
• Children in Total Immersion Education were
  reported to be reading two years above their
  chronological reading age, and well above their
  monolingual peers
• Absenteeism decreased significantly in Total
  Immersion Education programs compared to standard
  indigenous schools
• Teachers and students noted an increased rise in
  students self confidence
• Teachers and students noted an increased rise in
  support and partnership that students offered one
  another
• School counselors found a striking increase in
  the number of children in high school inquiring
  about and pursuing higher education
• The federal oversight committee for the Maori
  Total Immersion Education program reports
  positive rapport and good relationships between
  students and teachers, high student motivation to
  achieve, and good attendance patterns, and that
  students achieved English reading standards at
  least appropriate to their age

19
Maori Immersion Education Model Timeline
- Maori enrollment in University grew from 416 to
2634
- Maori university students majoring in Maori
Education grew from 87 to 572
1998 - First students graduated 12th grade that
started in 1985
1988 - Governmental Educational Review Office
Established, with first review occurring in 1990
1998
1994
Early 1980s
1985
1988
1993 - Immersion Education Program Strategic Plan
Developed
First Maori Immersion pre-schools were
established
1993 - Maori Community Immersion Education
Integration Model Implemented (providing positive
results for family members of students) Similar
to U.S. Parent Teacher Association but much
stronger/more tightly integrated
First Maori Total Immersion Grade School (1st
12th) established with students
1994 - New Zealand Government recognized 28 grade
schools (1st-12th) as Maori Total Immersion
Schools
1994 - Over 13,000 children enrolled in 819 Maori
Immersion pre-schools (13,000 of approximately
72,000 Maori preschool age children) 1995 Over
2,500 students enrolled in grade school (1st
12th) Maori Immersion Education Programs (2,500
of approximately 175,000 grade school age Maori
children)
20
Other Indigenous Immersion Education Programs
Timeline
1975
1976
1984
Recent Years
Spains Indigenous Peoples Immersion Education
Program in the Basque Region Receives Government
Funding
Hawaii began its first pre-school age indigenous
peoples immersion education program
Welsh Indigenous Peoples Immersion Education
Program Receives Government Funding
- Irelands Indigenous Peoples Immersion
Education Program continues to grow with over 185
students in their pre-school immersion program -
Though a sound vision and plan exists, the North
American Indigenous Total Immersion Education
Program remains in infancy due to funding issues
21
Applying Lessons Learned from Other Total
Immersion Education Models

• Significant increase in learning theory that
  involves hands on application
• Significant increase in curriculum that provides
  opportunity to exercise what if scenarios
• Learning in council circle-oriented facilities
  (large Tipis)
• Leveraging green energy (wind, biodiesel, solar,
  etc.)
• Development of a program strategic and business
  plan, much earlier in the program

22
Major Milestones for Implementation of the
Lakotah Total Immersion Education Model

• Finalization of strategic plan
• Finalization of operations model
• Securing start-up and long-term funding
• Securing services of start-up staff
• Completing build-out of facility
• Purchasing buses, snow plow, tractor
• Completing curriculum framework
• Communications Plan is initiated
• Securing services of operations staff
• Opening of School for 2010/2011 school year with
  first two waves of 20

23
10 Year Growth Model
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Teachers 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Students 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
Grades Added 34 Yrs old K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
24
TREATY TIES Start-up Activities Timeline

• Sample Start-up Activities
• - Facility Build-out complete
• Green energy build-out complete
• Initial staffing on-boarding for curriculum
  development
• Planning phase transitions to annual planning
  cycle
• Operational fund raising initiatives complete
• Local communications plan executed
• Etc.

6/30/10
8/15/09
12/30/09
3/30/09

• - Strategic Planning and Concept of Operations
  Completed
• Initial Start-up Funding Secured

• Remaining Start-up Funding Secured
• Some long-term operations funding secured
• Initial staff hired for curriculum development
• Momentum building communications are in the full
  phase of execution

• Final staff on-board to begin final stages of
  start-up and prepare for transition to steady
  operations
• Final phase of facilities build out starts

- Start-up activities complete - Operational
Funding Secured
25
Activities to be Managed for Start-up

• Development of Operations Model
• Curriculum Development
• Instructors and Administrations Education on
  Total Immersion Education
• Hiring of Staff
• Development and Execution of Communications Plan
• Purchasing of Busses, Tractor, Snow Plow
• School Build-out/Construction
• Green Energy Build-out/Construction (Wind, Solar,
  Well)
• Securing Long-term Operations Funding via Grant
  Writing
• Meetings with Representatives, Senators, and
  Grant Provider Foundations
• Budget Management
• Status Reporting to Stakeholders on Planned
  verses Actual Schedule and Budget

26
TREATY TIES 2 Year Timeline

• First Year of School
• Day to day operations Students Motivated about
  Learning
• 1st Standardized test administered
• Budgetary and progress reporting provided to
  DOED, state and congressional bodies
• Etc.

• Sample Start-up Activities
• - Facility Build-out complete
• Green energy build-out complete
• Initial staffing on-boarding for curriculum
  development
• Planning phase transitions to annual planning
  cycle
• Operational fund raising initiatives complete
• Local communications plan executed
• Etc.

6/30/10
8/1/10
8/15/09
8/20/10
8/20/11
Students promoted to next levels and Next wave of
20 begins
Faculty and Staff in place to support first three
waves of 20 students
School opens with first three waves of 20 (3, 4,
5 year olds)
- Start-up activities complete - Operational
Funding Secured
Start-up Funding Secured
27
Communications and Momentum Building Highlights

• Local One-on-Ones at Pine Ridge
• Local Tribal Open Meetings at Pine Ridge (formal
  and informal)
• One-on-Ones with Lakotah Leaders outside of Pine
  Ridge
• Meetings with multiple Lakotah Leaders, mixing in
  Pine Ridge Leadership
• One-on-Ones with other Indigenous Peoples
  Leadership within U.S.
• Meetings with multiple Indigenous Peoples Leaders
  within U.S.
• Meetings with international Leaders
• One-on-ones with local U.S. Representatives and
  Senators
• One-on-ones with governors office from SD and
  other states where large Reservations exist
• Meetings with Foundations to request funding

28
Communications Schedule (to be completed with
dates)

• Complete Vision
• Complete Plan
• Schedule Local Meetings by
• Conduct Local Meetings by
• Schedule Sioux Nation Meetings by
• Conduct Sioux Nation Meetings by
• Schedule U.S. Indigenous Peoples Meetings
• Conduct Indigenous Peoples Meetings by
• Schedule International Meetings by
• Conduct International Meetings by
• Schedule meetings with South Dakota
  Representatives/Senators/Governors Office by
• Conduct meetings with South Dakota
  Representatives/Senators/Governors Office by
• Schedule meetings with foundations by
• Conduct meetings with foundations by
• Add lines that account for writing individual
  members of local, state, and federal government
  to gain momentum

29
Primary Budgetary Considerations

• Start-up
• Long-term Operations
• Staff
• Curriculum Production
• School Facilities
• Utilities (green wind/well)
• Communications and Outreach
• Annual Growth
• Transportation (Bus)
• Snow Plow
• Official School Car
• Tractor
• Maintenance facilities (barn and shed)
• Number of children
• Travel expenses

30
High-level 10 Year Budget (7/1/09 6/30/10)
TREATY TIES 10 Year Budget TREATY TIES 10 Year Budget
Major Budget Items Costs
Salaries 10,220,247.00
Vehicles 829,000.00
Facilities 2,365,000.00
Communications and Marketing 2,725,000.00
Technical Infrastructure 411,500.00
Training and Travel Expenses 688,000.00
 10 Year Total 17,238,747.00
31
High-level Start-up Budget
Budget Area Year 2009
Salaries 591,615
Vehicles 488,000
Facilities 1,075,000
Communications and Marketing 292,000
Technical Infrastructure 86,700
Training and Travel Expenses 116,000
Start-up Total 2,649,315
32
Annual Totals
33
Budget Management Principals

• Voluntary Quarterly Financial Reporting to Grant
  Providers
• Voluntary Monthly Reporting to 3rd Party
  Financial Oversight Board
• Voluntary Weekly Status Reporting to Interested
  Stakeholders
• Major Accomplishments
• Actual Budget Expenditures compared to Planned
• Actual Achieved Objectives compared to Planned
• Risks and Issues
• Meet and exceed national standardized tests

34
Risks Associated with Delayed Funding

• Risk 1 Limited or partial funding may result in
  a false start meaning that we may get enough
  momentum to start some version of the program,
  however, we may not sustain that momentum which
  could have a negative impact on children's early
  childhood education years. Mitigation Develop
  budgets/plans for required funds and seek and
  gain funds that will support diligent start-up
  and long-term operations.
• Risk 2 If adequate funding is not secured in a
  timely manner, the momentum that has been built
  locally, and the interest that the parents have
  demonstrated, may begin to waiver. Mitigation
  Same as 1
• Risk 3 If adequate funding is not secured in a
  timely manner, vendors that have committed to
  assist with discounted facilities build out,
  curriculum creation, discounted green utilities,
  and other support functions may reassign
  resources, causing additional expenses for the
  program. Mitigation Same as 1

35
Risks Associated with Program Operations,
Post-funding

• Once funding is secured, the program will face
  other Operational Risks
• Risk 4 Total Immersion students may not
  initially score on par with or higher than other
  non-Immersion students on national standardized
  tests. Mitigation A.) Know the areas we are weak
  in, prior to the administration of the national
  standardized test and already have corrective
  action plans underway to correct the
  deficiencies. B.) Ensure the corrective action
  plans address minimizing the chance of
  reoccurrence of deficiency within specific areas.
  C.) Analyze the deficiencies and understand why
  they occurred, ensuring the corrective action
  plans address the root cause, not just the symptom

36
Risks Associated with Program Operations,
Post-funding

• Once funding is secured, the program will face
  other Operational Risks
• Risk 5 Initially, the Total Immersion Education
  Program may experience some of the same issues
  that the non-Immersion programs face with
  indigenous children (as outlined previously in
  this presentation), such as attendance issues, or
  family involvement issues. Mitigation Unlike
  other education programs, a key tenet of the
  Total Immersion Education Program, is that
  Program Leadership is personally involved, on a
  door to door basis with the community. The
  Program Leadership Team will have revised
  Communications Plans in place, to execute, should
  attendance initially waiver. Based on results of
  other Total Immersion Education models, we do not
  believe this will be an issue, once the concept
  is embraced by the community.

37
Risks Associated with Program Operations,
Post-funding

• Risk 6 Weather can be extreme on the
  reservation. In the winter, many roads on the
  Pine Ridge Reservation become impassable for days
  at a time, due to unpredictable snow removal (due
  to limited Reservation resources), which could
  impact individual students attendance, or
  overall school operations. Mitigation A.) The
  school will leverage its tractor/snow plow to
  ensure roads that lead directly to the school are
  passable, unless an unusually extreme situation
  presents itself. B.) To the extent possible, the
  school will leverage its tractor / snow plow to
  enable access to the individual teachers and
  students homes who may live off the primary
  maintained road. C.) Given that extreme weather
  is one thing we can count on, curriculum/homework
  will be sent home with students in advance of
  approaching weather systems. D.) As the school
  matures, based on other implementations of the
  model, the community will begin to assist with
  ensuring students have access to and from school
  E.) Back-up generators will provide School power,
  in the event of power failure due to damage
  related to weather

38
Next Steps (INTERNAL)

• Continue to iteratively revise strategic plan
• Continue to refine budget
• Design outline for Operations Concept and begin
  to populate
• Continue to expand network and build momentum
• Develop List of Potential Funding Resources and
  begin to develop grant applications/proposals
• Develop detailed implementation plan
• Complete detailed schedule items

39
References / Acknowledgements

• American Indian Movement
• Discovery.com
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• FEMA
• National Institutes of Health Publication
• Official documents from American Indian Relief
  Council
• Official U.S. Census Data
• Official Oglala Sioux Tribal Documents
• Rapid City Journal
• Reports from Habitat for Humanity
• Reports Issued from the Centers for Disease
  Control (CDC)
• South Dakota Department of Environment and
  Natural Resources
• United Nations Human Rights Commission
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
  Development
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental
  Management
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Women of All Red Nations (WARN)