Nixyaawii pushes for active classrooms

Published 10:55 am Thursday, December 5, 2013

Nixyaawii Community School is following in the footsteps of the transformed Madras High School and hoping for similarly dramatic results.

Once failing the majority of its students in statewide tests, Madras reading scores have jumped 50 percent since 2009. Math scores have increased 30 percent.

The recent student achievement in Madras, where one-third of students are Native American, correlates with when education consultant Kevin Feldman came to the high school. Feldman spent three years at MHS infusing his strategies for engaging students in the classroom.

The teaching techniques oppose traditional lecture-style classrooms in secondary school. In Feldmans classrooms, students are increasingly active and challenged. For example, a teacher shows how to write a thesis statement, crafts a thesis with the class, pairs the students off to write in small groups, then has the students practice individually.

No student should have the opportunity to zone out, Nixyaawiis new principal Ryan Heinrich said about the methods.

Nixyaawii, where just 14 percent of students meet math and writing standards and 63 percent meet reading standards, was recently given a three-year State Tribal Education Partnership grant totalling more than $1 million to help student engagement. It was awarded to just four tribal schools in the United States.

According to STEP project manager Lindsey Watchman, the funds are targeted at professional development for both teachers and administrators.

With the grant, the entire Nixyaawii faculty trained with Feldman and took a trip to Madras to see its model school, where Native American students have seen the most drastic testing gains.

If we can just get kids to buy into whats being taught, were hoping we can get similar benefits, Heinrich said.

The grant also paid for instructional coach Ray Davis, who is charged with helping teachers keep their students engaged.

Its a trend throughout the Pendleton School District. Earlier this year, education consultant Anita Archer spoke to Pendleton elementary teachers about active classrooms for younger students.

Contact Natalie Wheeler at nwheeler@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.