Education of Tribal Chidren: A Psychological Approach

Teachers, parents, administrators, district resource and community people are coming together throughout hundreds of school communities to learn how to revitalize their schools with a process known as “Tribes. ”Evaluation of Tribes Learning Community Schools has examined the impact of the Tribes process on student behavior, academic performance, school culture, and teacher collegiality. Studies have shown that: Tribes TLC has a positive impact on classroom environment, teachers report spending less time managing student behavior, students are significantly less likely to be referred for disciplinary problems, the Tribes process helps teachers address performance and content standards, students in well-implemented classrooms score significantly higher on standardized tests than students from comparison groups, teachers report increased staff collegiality and planning. “Responsive Education” is an essential pedagogy for academic achievement and school reform. It is the synthesis of artful teaching practices. It is based on understanding the critical developmental needs of a student age and cultural group. The Mission of Tribes is to assure the healthy development of every child so that each has the knowledge, competency and resilience to be successful in today's rapidly changing world. The Goal is to engage all teachers, administrators, students and families in working together as a learning community that is dedicated to caring and support, active participation and positive expectations for all students.