Date of Submission

9-8-2022

Document Type

OIP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

First Nation Literacy, Numeracy, FN Governance

Abstract

Organizational change within an educational system is a multi-faceted endeavor that requires commitment and perseverance with a driven passion. The focus of the problem of practice (PoP) for this OIP is to examine underlying issues and contributing factors for the low literacy and numeracy rates for First Nation students through the lenses of collaborative leadership and intergenerational historical trauma. The achievement gaps in First Nation literacy and numeracy have been consistently widening these past five years according to data collection; however, for the purpose of this OIP, I will examine one school’s levels. The assessment tools utilized to compile data are from the Fountas and Pinnell (F & P) benchmark system and Basic Concepts of Math (BCM) which were developed by a school division in a prairie province. According to some of the data, the gap began widening seven years ago and continue to the present day. A noticeable trend within this data illustrates that the levels begin to drop at grade 3 upward and continue to widen as students enter the high school grades. Numerous encumbrances such as dipropionate federal funding, intergenerational historical trauma, lack of commitment to long-term strategic planning, teacher isolation with lack of appropriate professional devolvement and support, absence of knowledgeable leadership regarding front line educational pedagogy and methodology, student mental health issues, and the impact of socioeconomic realities are among the challenges First Nation reserves encounter daily. I endeavor to integrate my main change approach through varied lenses, frames, and models which will compliment and provide structure within the varied stages of this improvement plan.

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