SILS and AIITEC

Bio: Ilana Umansky is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. Her work explores how education policy impacts the educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes of multilingual and English learner-classified students. She holds a PhD from Stanford University in Sociology of Education and is particularly interested in topics such as language policy, labeling, and tracking as she focuses on partnership-centered research to support equitable and excellent school systems for multilingual students. Her work appears in journals including the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and the Bilingual Research Journal, Educational Policy, and Exceptional Children and has received funding and awards from institutions including the Institute of Education Sciences, AERA’s Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group, and the National Academy of Education. Her work centers critical problems of practice in educational equity and she has worked in partnership with state education agencies, the National Indian Education Association, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Federal law defines Title III (English learner) eligibility differently for Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, students, allowing for broader entry into the Title III category, along with its accompanying resources and services. This presentation presents findings from interviews with Title III leaders in 25 state departments of education about their level of understanding of the differentiated definition and their work to interpret and implement it. Many leaders had little understanding of the federal law and weak engagement with Tribes and communities, both of which limited their work. In states where leaders had deeper knowledge and engagement, they were more actively interpreting and implementing federal law, particularly with the aim of increasing Indigenous students’ access to heritage language and culturally-sustaining programs.

My name is Carlos Begay and I’m of the Reed People Clan

born for Deities Dressed In Regalia People Clan.  My maternal

grandparents are of the Reed People Clan and my paternal

grandparents are of the Yucca Plant People Clan.  I am originally

from Black Mesa Peabody Coal Mine Arizona but I’ve resided in

Flagstaff Arizona for 30 years.

As a student, I’ve studied in the areas of Navajo Language, Fine

Arts, Post Secondary Education, Army ROTC Military

Leadership Science, Multicultural Education, and Educational

Leadership.  I’ve taught Navajo Language, Culture, History,

Government, Philosophy, and served in Administration for a total

of 18 years.  While working with schools, I’ve sponsored student

clubs, title holders, and had the privilege of coaching sports.  I

have also provided consultation work (cultural and professional)

for many schools, organizations, and businesses across the Nation

for the past 30 years.  I have continued being a traditional

practitioner (Blessing Way and Native American Church) for

over 30 years now in which there is no retirement from.

Language and Culture embodies harmony, a way of life, values, and respect in every learner’s mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.  My ultimate goal through my years of teaching is to prepare language and cultural learners how to properly communicate, to comprehend, to understand the dynamics, and to articulate language and culture through basic fundamental academic structure, social expectations, content based instruction, and problem based learning.  The transition and progress better prepare students for higher expectations, required standards, academic focus, building self-awareness and self-confidence, cross-cultural communication, and reinforcing our Elders perceptions on life, values, practices, principles, and language.