What does the Data Say?
What does the data say?
As we continue to share and promote the Leadership Framework for the non-Native School Leader Serving in Predominately Native Schools and its five pillars of Educational Sovereignty, Decolonizing Leadership Practices, Prioritization of Indigenous Knowledge, Culturally Affirming Leadership Practices, and Collaboration, the following data highlights the importance on ensuring that school leaders serving in predominately Native spaces understand the context and purpose of their leadership roles. Here is what the data says:
• Nationally, there are approximately 644,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
• Approximately 92% or 592,480 of Native students attend regular public schools.
• Approximately 8% or 51,520 attend schools operated or funded by the federal Bureau of Indian
• American Indians and Alaska Natives (46%) are more likely to attend rural schools.
• Approximately one-third, or approximately 214,666, attend schools in which 50% or more of the student population is American Indian/Alaska Native (Churchill, 2008).
• Native Americans are clustered geographically more than other racial/ethnic groups.
• According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2019 ), the average rural school size is about 365 students. (However, some rural communities have multiple schools. Some villages are combined under one district. For example, the Bering Strait School District in Alaska is comprised of 15 separate villages.)
• If you divide 644,000 students into a school size of 365, you would have roughly 1,764 schools.
• Using Bering Strait School District as an example, and we divide the 1,764 schools by 15, we would be looking at about 118 districts
• The total number of administrators would be 1,775 (118+1764= one superintendent and one principal per school and district)
• Education data reports that AI/AN administrators make up 0.7% of administrators in public schools.
Data Synthesis
Let's break down the data into crucial components for clarity.
Average Rural School Size
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average rural school size is approximately 365 students.
Total Students and Schools
With 644,000 students in rural education:
The number of schools can be calculated as:
644,000 students ÷ 365 students/school ≈ 1,764 schools
School Districts
Rural communities typically have one or two schools per school district, though some may have multiple schools.
An example is Alaska's Bering Strait School District, which includes 15 separate villages.
If we use Bering Strait's model, the number of districts can be estimated:
1,764 schools ÷ 15 schools/district ≈ 118 districts
Administrative Structure
This leads to approximately 118 superintendents and 1,764 principals.
Assuming an average class size of 30 students, the total number of classrooms would be:
644,000 students ÷ 30 students/classroom ≈ 21,467 classrooms
AI/AN Representation
According to 2021 employment data, the percentage of AI/AN (American Indian/Alaska Native) administrators is 0.7%.
For the estimated 1,775 administrators (118 superintendents + 1,764 principals):
The number of AI/AN administrators would be:
1,775 administrators × 0.7 ≈ 12 AI/AN administrators
Schools with High AI/AN Enrollment
For the 214,666 students attending schools with 50% or higher AI/AN enrollment:
The estimated number of schools would be:
214,666 students ÷ 365 students/school ≈ 588 schools
Assuming a similar district size of 15 schools:
588 schools ÷ 15 schools/district ≈ 39 districts
Administrative Estimation for High AI/AN Enrollment
This results in roughly 629 administrators (39 superintendents + 588 principals).
Applying the same 0.7% AI/AN administrator representation:
629 administrators × 0.007 ≈ 4 AI/AN administrators
Summary
Total Schools (Rural): ~1,764
Total Districts: ~118
Total Administrators: ~1,775 (with ~12 AI/AN)
Total Schools (High AI/AN Enrollment): ~588
Total Districts (High AI/AN Enrollment): ~39
Total Administrators (High AI/AN Enrollment): ~629 (with ~4 AI/AN)
These are, of course, not exact numbers on the distribution. Still, this synthesis provides a clearer perspective on the structure and representation within rural education systems, particularly concerning AI/AN administration. It highlights the high volume of non-Native school leaders working in Native communities. This highlights the need to ensure that non-Native school leaders understand their nuanced roles and the importance of understanding the purpose and context for their leadership, namely ensuring that Native students who enter our schools leave with their language, culture, and cultural identities intact.
