C. MARROQUÍN CONSULTING
THE NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT STUDY
The Native American College Student Study was a two-year instrument validation study which analyzed the psychometric properties of the North American Indigenous College Student Inventory (NAICSI). The NAICSI assesses the latent construct of cultural integrity (i.e., maintenance of cultural traditions and cultural identity) for American Indian and Alaska Native college students across the domains of faculty, staff, institution, social, tribal, and family support along with the outcome factors of cultural reciprocity and cultural resiliency through the lens of transculturation. The theory of transculturation (Huffman, 2011) postulates that Native Americans students who are more socially integrated at school have higher levels of cultural exchange, are more academically successful, and are less likely to assimilate. The NAICSI measures how support from a student's tribe, family, friends, faculty, staff, and the institution itself facilitates or impedes in the academic success, retention, and persistence for American Indian, Alaska Native, and First Nation college students and in turn how does this support affect academic and cultural outcomes.
THE NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT STUDY YEAR I
Year one of the study primarily focused on academic achievement, e.g. grade point average and two cultural outcomes, e.g. cultural resiliency and cultural reciprocity. The study concluded that the NAICSI exhibited strong reliability and validity properties. Furthermore, the NAICSI results yielded that faculty/staff, friends, and the institution itself were strong predictors of academic achievement, cultural reciprocity, and cultural resiliency. The NAISCI was validated on approximately 500 Native American college students attending over 40 universities and compromising over 80 federally recognized tribes.
Photo Credit: J. Nicole Hatfield (Comanche)
THE NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT STUDY YEAR II
Year two of the instrument validation study expanded its focus on academic outcomes and along with g.p.a. the study also captured data on persistence and retention. The study confirmed the strong reliability and validity properties from year one. Furthermore, the NAICSI results yielded that faculty, staff, friends, and the institution itself were strong predictors of academic achievement, persistence, retention, cultural reciprocity, and cultural resiliency. Additionally, students who attended Tribal Colleges/Universities had statistically significantly higher levels of perceived support from their friends, institution, university staff, and faculty. Over 1,000 American Indian, Alaska Native, and First Nations students participated in year two of the study.
Photo Credit: Israel Guajardo
http://www.israelgphotography.com/
