|
|
         
|
 |
|
|
Home Page > Academics > College Of Engineering > redirect > SDSU-Flandreau Indian School Success Academy
|
|
South Dakota State University-Flandreau Indian School
Success Academy:
"Where All Students Are Honored Students"
The South Dakota State University-Flandreau Indian School Success Academy is an early and intensive college preparatory program for Native American high school students. Success Academy began in the SDSU College of Engineering eight years ago, and since then has expanded to involve the entire university. Success Academy exposes students not only to college, but also to the careers open to college graduates. The program emphasizes career areas identified by tribal leaders as being of critical need in their communities, for example, engineering, agriculture, education, pharmacy, nursing, journalism and nutrition.
Success Academy has two goals. The first is to help more American Indian students prepare for and succeed in college. The second is to make South Dakota State University into the kind of place where that can happen.
|
|
|
|
|
 FIS request initiates program;
Respectful collaboration is hallmark of partnership
SDSU-FIS Success Academy began in September 2000 with a request from the FIS administration and faculty. Would SDSU be willing to create a college readiness program for FIS students, a program that would complement FIS’s newly undertaken school reform efforts? The answer from SDSU was an enthusiastic “yes.”
In December 2000, FIS Superintendent Betty Belkham and then SDSU President Peggy Gordon Miller signed a memorandum of understanding, committing their institutions to narrowing the educational achievement gap between Indian and non-Indian students Then a steering committee, composed of faculty, administrators and staff from both FIS and SDSU, was formed to launch and oversee all aspects of the new Success Academy partnership.
Since the beginning, respectful collaboration between educators at both FIS and SDSU has been the key to building a strong program. A network has developed between faculty and staff at the Flandreau Indian School and at South Dakota State University. Essential connections have been established, connections that are helping more Indian students finish high school and advance on to post-secondary education of all kinds–technical college, community college, tribal college, four-year college and university. FIS students daily see the connection between diligent study in high school and continuation on to post-secondary education.
The SDSU-FIS Success Academy program that began in Fall 2000 was intended to be a one-time, freshman-year-only experience. The school reform efforts, underway at FIS at that time, were guided by a Talent Development High School Model, developed at Johns Hopkins University. The freshman year activities in the TDHS model were called “Success Academy,” so the fledgling SDSU-FIS program took its name from that.
Plans changed at the end of year one, due to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the program from students and staff at both schools. During each subsequent academic year (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04), another cohort of students was added to the SDSU-FIS Success Academy program. SDSU-FIS Success Academy is now a comprehensive, four-year college preparatory program serving all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors attending FIS. Each individual student visits SDSU 15 times before he or she is a senior in high school. Each visit to the campus is an opportunity for FIS students to picture themselves successfully attending classes and events as college students. |
|
|
|
|
 Freshmen participate
in hands-on workshops
in all seven colleges
All 75 freshmen come to SDSU for seven full-day visits during their first year at the Flandreau Indian School. Students rotate through hands-on workshops in all seven of SDSU’s academic colleges (Engineering, Pharmacy, Nursing, Arts and Science, Education and Counseling, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Agriculture and Biological Sciences). Workshop topics have ranged from “Native Americans and Journalism—21st Century Storytellers” to “Wokunze—A Life Pathway in Nursing.”
After the workshops FIS students have dinner with SDSU presenters and SDSU Native American Club members. After the meal the entire group attends a campus event together (like a basketball game or a theater production).
|
|
|
|
|
 Sophomores attend
four focus days
All 100 FIS sophomores come to SDSU for four full-day visits during their second year in high school. These visits focus on four areas identified by FIS students as being of particular interest to them and not covered in the freshman year program. The sophomore visits include a Focus on the Arts Day, a Focus on the Military Day, a Focus on American Indian Studies Day and a Focus on Health, Physical Education and Recreation Day.
Following the hands-on workshops, sophomores stay for evening meals, hosted by the SDSU Native American Club. These SDSU students are strong positive role models for the Success Academy scholars. Sophomore dinners are also followed by campus events, which have included a performance by hoop dancer Jackie Bird and an exhibition by noted Indian painter Arthur Amiotte. |
|
|
|
|
 Juniors learn how to turn
college dreams into realities
The junior year program is designed for those students who consider themselves college-bound. About 25 juniors come to campus for four sessions in March and April. Topics are: Making the Decision to Attend College, Paying for a College Education, Choosing Your Path and So What’s Next. Staff from SDSU’s Student Affairs Division and College of General Studies are instrumental in planning and presenting the junior year program.
In addition, about 25 faculty, retired faculty and staff members from SDSU serve as “academic parents,” working one-on-one with juniors from FIS. The “academic parents” have lunch with the Success Academy scholars, discuss with them their plans for higher education and accompany them on visits to the academic departments in which the students intend to major. |
|
|
|
|
 Seniors earn college credits—and prepare for higher ed
Thanks to a generous grant from the Citgroup Foundation and additional support from the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, each fall 10 FIS seniors sign up for a special section of SDSU’s Basic Writing course. These seniors are enrolled as concurrent high school/SDSU students. The class meets twice a week, once at SDSU and once at FIS. The Success Academy scholars earn three college credits when they complete the course.
Another course, this one Basic Algebra, is offered to the same cohort of students during the spring semester. Thus the Success Academy seniors have six college credits completed before they finish high school.
On certain nights throughout the academic year, the FIS seniors stay at SDSU for dinner and hands-on work sessions. During the work sessions, students complete college applications, apply for financial aid, prepare for the ACT test and visit the academic departments in which they intend to major. The goal is for all 10 students to be admitted to college before they graduate from high school. |
|
|
|
|
 Commencement ceremony
ends school year
Each academic year ends with a commencement ceremony, recognizing all the Success Academy scholars who have participated in the program during the previous nine months. Success Academy ceremonies typically begin with an honor song, acknowledging the scholars’ commitment to furthering their education. The commencement speech is delivered by a prominent Native American leader, such as State Senator Ron Volesky in 2001 and Miss South Dakota Vanessa Shortbull in 2004. Scholars then walk across the stage and receive plaques, engraved with their names, from SDSU’s vice president and deans.
Class pictures are taken. These pictures are mailed to the students’ homes during the summer. Enclosed with the photograph is a letter from the Success Academy coordinator to the students’ families, describing the Success Academy program of the past year and thanking family members for all the ways they support their children’s education. |
|
|
|
|
 Smooth transition to college is Success Academy’s goal
Now in its eighth year, SDSU-FIS Success Academy has served well over 1,000 American Indian students. Fifty-eight Success Academy students have enrolled for classes at SDSU as concurrent high school students, and 19 of these students have enrolled at SDSU as true college freshmen. This is a 500 percent increase over the number of FIS students continuing on with their education at SDSU before the start of Success Academy. In addition, many Success Academy graduates have continued on with post-secondary education at other institutions throughout the state and nation.
While Success Academy is not, first and foremost, a recruitment tool for South Dakota State University, one aim of the program is to create a natural bridge between neighboring institutions, a bridge that will allow many more students than before to move easily from high school graduation at the Flandreau Indian School to college admission at SDSU. And, while Success Academy is still, first and foremost, a college preparatory program, a retention component has recently been added to work in conjunction with the university’s existing support services and to ensure that Success Academy scholars attending SDSU do complete their baccalaureate degrees.
To date, SDSU-FIS Success Academy has involved more than 250 faculty, retired faculty and staff members at South Dakota State University. Collaboration with the Flandreau Indian School has opened up new ways of seeing and knowing for SDSU administrators, faculty, staff and students. As a result, SDSU is building its capacity to help American Indian students prepare for and succeed in college. Each visit to the university campus by FIS students provides SDSU personnel with new opportunities for learning, growing and improving.
|
|
| Success Academy Calendar of Events
2007-2008
|
|
|
|
|
| For more information, contact:
|
 |
Dr. MaryJo Lee
Coordinator
SDSU Success Academy
and
Diversity Coordinator
College of Engineering
South Dakota State University
Harding Hall 223, Box 2220
Brookings, SD 57007
Phone: 605-688-5600
Fax: 605-688-5880
E-mail: maryjo.lee@sdstate.edu
|
|
 |
Mrs. Sandra Koester
Principal
FIS Success Academy
and
Assistant Principal
Flandreau Indian School
1000 N. Crescent St.
Flandreau, SD 57028
Phone: 605-997-3773
Fax: 605-997-5202
E-mail: skoester@fis.bia.edu |
|
|
|
|
 SDSU-FIS Success Academy thanks the following contributors
whose generous support sustains the program:
The Citigroup Foundation
The South Dakota Space Grant Consortium
The Flandreau Indian School
The following South Dakota State University units:
College of Engineering
College of Arts and Sciences
Office of Academic Affairs
College of Pharmacy
College of Nursing
College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
College of Education and Counseling
College of General Studies
Student Affairs Division
Office for Diversity Enhancement
|
|
|
|
|
|
