Public schools in Alaska where third-grade children are taught almost exclusively in Native languages may be forced to test students in English under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The law requires students to be tested annually from grades three to eight and again in high school. But students who are part of the Heritage Language program don't receive English instruction until the fourth grade.

State Education Commissioner Roger Sampson is seeking permission to delay testing until the sixth grade. State officials are considering asking the Department of Education for a waiver from the law.

Get the Story:
No Child Left Behind may imperil Yupik instruction (AP 1/26)

Relevant Links:
Office of Indian Education Programs, BIA - http://www.oiep.bia.edu
Indian School Report Cards, BIA - http://www.oiep.bia.edu/school_report_cards.htm
National Indian Education Association - http://www.niea.org

Related Stories:
Feature: Are Indian students being left behind? (1/26)
Bush education official pays visit to N.M. school (01/09)
Report card shows Native students falling behind (06/23)
Paige advancing Indian issues at Ed. Dept. (6/16)
Tribal-federal effort targets Indian education (11/15)
Controversial BIA school proposal dropped (05/16)
Leave no Indian child behind (5/15)
Court to decide limits of trust duty (4/23)
Bush school proposal faces tribal debate (3/19)
McCaleb: Bush helping education (3/7)
Bush proposal strips BIA of education (2/5)
Bush school proposal criticized (2/5)
GAO report finds failing BIA schools (10/29)
Final BIA school goes online (8/24)
Norton, McCaleb to address Indian educators (7/23)
Norton pushes Indian school construction, reform (7/17)
Norton to visit Indian school (7/16)
Norton to visit Indian Country (4/25)
Tribal Schools on Priority List (2/16)