20 U.S.C. § 7542: Findings

Summary

The law says the federal government must boost Alaska Native leadership and participation in planning and running Alaska Native education programs. It must also support efforts led by Alaska Native communities to improve education for all students. Many Alaska Native children face serious learning gaps. Distance, past unfair treatment, and other barriers make it hard to close those gaps. Alaska Native students often have lower graduation rates, higher dropout rates, and lower test scores. Protecting Alaska Native cultures and languages and using local, culture-based schooling are important for student success and long-term well‑being. Better education also helps with jobs. In 1983, under Public Law 98–63, Alaska stopped getting education funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau of Indian Education does not run or fund schools or Alaska Native programs in Alaska. This program supports the Federal trust responsibility to Alaska Natives.

Title 20, §7542

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Congress finds and declares the following:

(1)It is the policy of the Federal Government to maximize the leadership of and participation by Alaska Natives in the planning and the management of Alaska Native education programs and to support efforts developed by and undertaken within the Alaska Native community to improve educational opportunity for all students.

(2)Many Alaska Native children enter and exit school with serious educational disadvantages.

(3)Overcoming the magnitude of the geographic challenges, historical inequities, and other barriers to successfully improving educational outcomes for Alaska Native students in rural, village, and urban settings is challenging. Significant disparities between academic achievement of Alaska Native students and non-Native students continue, including lower graduation rates, increased school dropout rates, and lower achievement scores on standardized tests.

(4)The preservation of Alaska Native cultures and languages and the integration of Alaska Native cultures and languages into education, positive identity development for Alaska Native students, and local, place-based, and culture-based programming are critical to the attainment of educational success and the long-term well-being of Alaska Native students.

(5)Improving educational outcomes for Alaska Native students increases access to employment opportunities.

(6)The Federal Government should lend support to efforts developed by and undertaken within the Alaska Native community to improve educational opportunity for Alaska Native students. In 1983, pursuant to Public Law 98–63, Alaska ceased to receive educational funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau of Indian Education does not operate any schools in Alaska, nor operate or fund Alaska Native education programs. The program under this part supports the Federal trust responsibility of the United States to Alaska Natives.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Public Law 98–63, referred to in par. (6), is Pub. L. 98–63, July 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 301, known as the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1983. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. For provisions related to cessation of funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for schools in Alaska, see 97 Stat. 326.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7542, Pub. L. 89–10, title VII, § 7302, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3739, related to State administrative costs, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter VII of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110. A prior section 6302 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 7372 of this title prior to the general amendment of part C of subchapter V of this chapter by Pub. L. 114–95. Another prior section 6302 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 7352 of this title, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter VI of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95, § 6004(a), added pars. (1) to (6) and struck out former pars. (1) to (7) which related to findings concerning Alaska Native educational equity, support, and assistance.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

§7542 Findings