In this blog, KA intern, Lucy Colangelo, Dr. Dorothy Aguilera-Black Bear, South Dakota Project Lead, and Susan Shebby from McREL discuss how the Region 11 Comprehensive Center (R11CC) and the South Dakota Department of Education (SD DOE) supported teacher implementation of the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards in classrooms across the state.

Colangelo: The Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards (OSEUS) were formally introduced into legislation in 2007. More than a decade later, the South Dakota Department of Education turned to the Regional 11 Comprehensive Center (R11CC) operated by McREL to support implementation of these standards. Why?

Shebby: While the OSEUS were introduced in 2007, teachers were left on their own to figure out how to incorporate these lessons across their social studies curriculums. It was challenging for teachers to figure out how to apply the standards across different grade levels and content areas. Asking teachers to use the OSEUS without sufficient resources and integration supports was not leading to widespread implementation. So, the SD DOE turned to the R11CC, a federally funded program that provides capacity building services to the State, to help teachers use the standards in their classrooms.

The CC programs provide capacity-building services to State educational agencies (SEAs), regional educational agencies (REAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools that improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction. Oceti Sakowin students, most of whom attend district schools, are likely to view schools that teach the OSEUS as welcoming. Research shows that when students feel a sense of belongingness, school engagement improves, leading to positive outcomes for students, including academic outcomes.[1] The work of the R11CC program is doing in SD is emblematic of the type of technical assistance CCs provide.

Colangelo: Could you delve into the partnership aspect of this work and why it is important?

Shebby: The collaboration was truly a collaboration and partnership between McREL, the SD DOE, the Office of Indian Education under the Department of Tribal Relations, and teachers. Collaborations and partnerships are an important part of successful implementation. Research[2] has shown that long-term engagement with a broad range of stakeholders is essential to sustained and systemic change.

Aguilera-Black Bear: Our first major undertaking was to engage with the Region 11 CC’s work group, comprising teachers from diverse schools, including public, private, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. In collaboration with them, we developed an initial draft of an innovation configuration (IC) map[3] for the OSEUS. This was achieved through two interactive sessions with the work group. Subsequently, a smaller group of teachers delved deeper into defining common terms and language for the IC map. This collaborative approach enriched the project and resulted in an evolving draft.

Colangelo: Can you elaborate on the role teachers played in this collaboration?

Shebby: We embraced the direction provided by teachers, and both the SD DOE and the Office of Indian Education endorsed this approach. Our initial focus was on understanding teacher perspectives and the way the R11CC could aid teacher implementation. One example of the role teachers played in the project is how the collaboration named resources. While innovation configuration maps served as a foundation for the work, the term “integration guide” resonated more with SD educators and their needs, so the work was re-titled. Having teachers collaborate with researchers helps support implementation.

Aguilera-Black Bear: Early discussions with educators highlighted their need for accessible, high-quality resources and better collaboration avenues. A SharePoint knowledge site was conceived as a pilot to gauge which features would best cater to teachers’ needs. Teachers have actively participated, contributing almost 50 lesson plans. The site enables teachers to filter resources by standards, topics, and grade levels. Structured support ensures that teachers can understand, access, and effectively utilize the integration guide. Lesson plan development was strategically structured to include vital elements such as cultural understanding, pedagogies, student accommodations, and assessment strategies. The site also fosters inclusivity by accommodating diverse learning styles. This “for teachers by teachers” philosophy ensures practicality, alignment with classroom needs, and collaboration among educators.

Colangelo: Although the integration guide is tailored specifically to South Dakota’s context, do you believe this project framework is scalable or transferrable to other states or content areas?

Aguilera-Black Bear: This approach can certainly be tailored to different content areas and states with the right supports. The process enabled educators to focus on crucial elements, pedagogies, and cultural concepts. Structured support for utilizing the guide effectively was identified as a key requirement, particularly for educators outside the development process. A comprehensive understanding of the guide’s components and pedagogies is essential for optimal utilization. The integration guide empowers educators to incorporate history, culture, and language effectively, enhancing both curriculum and pedagogy. The framework indeed has potential for broader applications.

Shebby: The “integration guide” concept, rooted in communication, collaboration, and shared vision, aligns with broader contexts. McREL’s focus on teacher-driven development and teacher-led initiatives lays the foundation for sustainability and scalability. Lessons learned from this project, including structured supports and resources, have immense value for other States and content areas. The approach’s success in South Dakota demonstrates its potential for wider adoption in diverse contexts, fostering positive change and alignment with educational objectives.

 

About McREL

McREL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education research, development, and service organization that helps schools, districts, and education agencies improve outcomes for all students. McREL helps school and system clients in all kinds of communities analyze their performance, identify the root causes of challenges, build their staff capacities, and find the under-used bright spots they can scale up to make an even bigger difference for every student.

 

About Dr. Dorothy Aguilera-Black Bear: Dr. Dorothy Aguilera-Black Bear (Choctaw heritage) resides in the Oceti Sakowin Oyate lands in South Dakota. She is the lead on the Bright Spots project which identifies opportunities that show promise for improving academic outcomes with Native American students. Dorothy has collaborated with preK-12 schools serving tribal nation communities, Indigenous-led nonprofits, Indigenous educators, and knowledge keepers developing and evaluating culture-based education for the past two and a half decades. She is married and has four children and eleven grandchildren.

About Susan Shebby: Susan Shebby is the co-director of the Region 11 Comprehensive Center, which serves Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. She has 30 years of experience as a bilingual educator and an evaluator.

About Lucy Colangelo: Lucy Colangelo is a Junior at Duke University studying Public Policy, Spanish and History. At Duke, she is a member of an education research team and President of her all-female a Cappella group. Over the summers, she has completed internships in Austin, Texas and Washington, DC in the discipline of education policy.

 

[1] Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & de Boer, H. (2020). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: A meta-analytic review. Research papers in education, 35(6), 641-680.

[2] Doucet, F. (2019). Centering the margins: (Re)defining useful research evidence through critical perspectives. William T. Grant Foundation.

Kirkland, D. (2019). No small matters: Reimagining the use of research evidence from a racial justice perspective. William T. Grant Foundation.

[3] Kistler, H., & Wilkerson, S. B. (2018, August 10). Innovation configuration maps: A valuable journey and destination. Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/appalachia/blogs/blog8_innovation-configuration-maps.asp