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Description

For generations, formal schooling has been utilized as a tool for colonization and assimilation, resulting in lasting negative impacts on Native Americans. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2020), Oklahoma public schools serve the second largest proportion of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the United States, making this context critical for understanding how contemporary education practices are impacting Native students. Scholarly literature posits that culturally responsive schooling enhances academic outcomes and helps combat historical injustices in marginalized communities. In alignment, the Diné Institute for Navajo Nation Educators (DINÉ) created a tool for assessing cultural responsiveness in indigenous-serving schools. This study investigates: to what extent are culturally responsive principles present in Oklahoma State Department of Education’s High School United States History curriculum? A mixed-method design, consisting of content-analysis and quantitative scoring, was implemented using DINÉ’s Tool for Assessing Culturally Responsive Schooling in Indigenous-serving Schools. Of the 74 US History Content Standards analyzed, 5 of the (6.76%) referenced Native Americans. These were then evaluated using the aforementioned tool to reveal that 34.78% of the curriculum was High (3) in cultural responsiveness, 21.74% Medium (2), 30.43% Low (1), and 12.04% not present at all (0). These findings indicate inconsistent incorporation of cultural responsiveness in Oklahoma’s curriculum and urge for greater inclusion of indigenous perspectives. By improving this element within Oklahoma's State Department of Education, more effective learning and widespread equity for Native American communities may be achieved.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

Native American; Culturally Responsive Schooling; DINÉ; Oklahoma; American Indian

Disciplines

Education | Native American Studies | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies

File Format

PDF

File Size

2100 KB

Comments

Mentor: Rafael Oganesyan

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Culturally-Responsive Schooling of Native American Students: A Case-Study of Oklahoma’s U.S. History Curriculum


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