A Formula for Success - A Formula for Success - Teaching Native American Community College Students Math—and to Believe in Themselves

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper

A strategy for improving developmental and credit-bearing mathematics outcomes at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute centers on culturally responsive teaching and affirmation of Native American histories, values, identities, and cultures. The author describes building lessons on students’ cultural knowledge, addressing barriers and bias, and fostering strong relationships in small classes where many students also work or care for families. The text links math success to belief, support networks, and tailored education aligned with community needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Teaching math and cultural connections

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)

Confronting Bias

Representation, encouragement, and success

A Formula for Success Teaching Native American Community College Students Math—and to Believe in Themselves I L LUSTRAT IONS BY TOMMY GREYEYES, PHOTOS OF STUDENTS COURTESY OF SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE By Eva L. Rivera Lebrón C ommunity colleges have long provided students a gateway to greater economic opportunities, primarily through two pathways: completing two years of college courses while preparing to transfer to earn a four-year degree or career training that can lead to stable, well-paying positions. The community college where I teach offers something more: a muchneeded affirmation of Native American students’ histories, values, identities, and cultures. I teach math to students at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When it comes to issues of culture, math as a discipline mostly goes unnoticed. Given that subjects in the humanities and social sciences more easily lend themselves to students’ lived experiences, classes about equations and functions hardly seem to connect to values and identities. But at SIPI, we show students that these connections do in fact exist, and we ensure that they play a central role in Native students’ education. In EvaL. Rivera Lebrón is a professor of mathematics at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has given several presentations on supporting community college students’ transition into and success in developmental and credit-bearing mathematics courses at conferences held by the National Indian Education Association. teaching math and other subject matter content, we intentionally build on our students’ cultural knowledge because research shows that doing so is invaluable to their academic, social, and emotional development.* By incorporating students’ backgrounds into the classroom, we as educators help them learn more effectively. One of 37 tribal colleges and universities in the United States, SIPIis a community college funded through the Bureau of Indian Education. All of the approximately 460 students enrolled† in the college are Native American. They come from 18 states and represent 71 different tribes. SIPInot only respects Native students’ cultural backgroundsand traditions but also intentionally supports tribal nation-building through its array of two-year degree and certificate programs. SIPI collaborates with tribes to understand their education and workforce needs—which in recent years have centered on healthy food, clean and sufficient water, sustainable energy, and accessible and equitable healthcare—and then responds with tailor-made degrees and certificates in fields such as culinary arts, environmental science, natural resources management, and vision care. Atthe same *For more on why it’s important to build on students’ cultures, see How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures: [nap.edu/catalog/24783/how-people-learn-ii-learners](nap.edu/catalog/24783/how-people-learn-ii-learners)contexts-and-cultures. †I am offering an approximation because enrollment fluctuates each trimester. 22 AMERICAN EDUCATOR | SPRING 2021 time, SIPI provides degrees and certificates in fields that meet universal needs and offer broad opportunities, such as accounting, early childhood education, and computer-aided drafting and design, to name just a few. Because mathematics is a required course for every program, I have students from a range of disciplines, and I teach the full gamut of math courses—from pre-algebra to calculus. Classes are typically small, with only 10 to 15 students, so I get to know my students quite well. Many work full-or part-time jobs, and some are raising children or caring for family members while they attend school. Nearly 70 percent of students at SIPItestinto developmental math courses, which consist of pre-algebra and algebra.‡ These courses, for which students don’t receive college credit, are ones they must take in orderto enro

FAQs

How does the author connect mathematics learning with Native students’ identities and cultures?

The author intentionally builds math instruction on students’ cultural knowledge, using students’ backgrounds in the classroom so cultural connections become central rather than invisible.

What role do the developmental math courses play at SIPI?

Developmental math courses (pre-algebra and algebra) are required steps before students can enroll in credit-bearing math classes, and they are described as particularly rewarding because the author builds relationships through them.

Why does the author emphasize “belief” and sharing her story?

The author links success to having someone who believes in students and shares her experiences with bias to show students they can succeed even when others doubt their abilities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper