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Indian Policies and Procedures

It is the intent of the Maricopa Unified School District that all Indian children of school age have equal access to all programs, services and activities offered within the school district. To this end, the Maricopa Unified School District will consult with local tribal officials and parents of Indian children in the planning and development of Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs), general education programs, and activities. These policies and procedures will be reviewed annually and revisions will be made within 90 days of the determination that requirements are not being adequately met.

Attestations

The Maricopa Unified School District attests that it has established Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) as required in section 7003 of the Impact Aid law for any children claimed who reside on eligible Indian lands. The IPPs have been adequately disseminated to the tribes and parents of children residing on eligible Indian lands. A copy of the current policies and procedures is attached to the FY 19 Impact Aid application. The Maricopa Unified School District attests that it has provided a copy of written responses to comments, concerns and recommendations received from tribal leaders and parents of Indian children through the Indian policies and procedures consultation process and disseminated these responses to tribal leaders and parents of Indian children prior to the submission of their FY 2020 Impact Aid application.

Indian Policies and Procedures

The following Indian policies and procedures become effective upon school board approval.

Policy 1:

The Maricopa Unified School District will disseminate relevant applications, evaluations, program plans and information related to the LEA's education program and activities with sufficient advance notice to allow tribes and parents of Indian children the opportunity to review and make recommendations.

Procedure 1:

The Maricopa Unified School District’s Administrator/designee will, as soon as reasonably possible after such information becomes available, but not later than one week in advance of any meeting, distribute to Indian parents and Tribal officials via email and mail, a copy of the following documents:

  • Impact Aid FY 2020 application;
  • Evaluation of all educational programs; and
  • Plans for education programs the Maricopa Unified School District intends to initiate
    or eliminate.

In addition, information regarding these materials will be included in the District's monthly newsletter, if appropriate. Parents of Indian children, tribal officials and the public will be given notice of any and all meetings related to equal participation or the content of the educational program by including information about meeting times and locations in the questionnaire to be disseminated in the fall. The location, date and time of any meeting described above shall be posted in the same manner as a legally posted Board meeting.

The Maricopa Unified School District will disseminate information and seek timely input regarding the following programs on its educational program (including, but not limited to): Title I, Part A, Title I, Part C, Title I, Part D, Title II, Part A, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Part A, Title IV, Part B, Title V, Part B subpart 2, Title VI, Part A, subpart 1,Title VII-Impact Aid programs. The completed applications, evaluations, and program planning will be made available to parents of Indian children, Tribal officials, and the Indian Education Committee and a summary will be prepared and disseminated 3 weeks in advance of the public hearing held in April to afford all interested parties the opportunity to review the documents with sufficient time to provide thoughtful input at the public meetings. These hearings will be publicly advertised by email, phone calls, NAEP webpage, social media, and flyers to allow all interested parties to attend. In addition, representatives from the District and Indian Education Committee will schedule meetings with the local Indian communities to seek input. Parents of Indian children, tribal officials, the Indian Education Committee and any other interested persons can review assessment data to help develop or modify educational programs and services allowing for the participation of Indian students on an equal basis in the district. Minutes from the Indian Education meetings will be posted on the District's website for all patrons and Tribal officials to review. This will allow for ongoing dissemination of information.

Policy 2:

The Maricopa Unified School District will provide an opportunity for the Tribe and parents of Indian children to offer their views on the District's educational program and activities, including recommendations on the needs of their children and on how the District may help those children realize the benefits of the educational programs and activities. (i) Notify tribes and the parents of Indian children of the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations, considering the tribe's preference for method of communication, and (ii) Modify the method of and time for soliciting Indian views, if necessary, to ensure the maximum participation of tribes and parents of Indian children.

Procedure 2:

In order to allow Indian parents and tribal officials to make commentary concerning (1)the needs of their children and the ways in which they can assist them in realizing the benefits of the education programs; (2)the overall operation of the District's education program; and (3)the degree of parental participation allowed in the same, the Maricopa Unified School District’s Administrator/designee will contact parents of Indian children and Tribal officials via survey requesting their input, preferred method of communication and recommendations in the fall and spring, and will thereafter hold an annual Public Hearing where such commentary may be reviewed by Indian parents, Tribal officials,
and the Indian Education Committee. Indian parents and Tribal officials will be given notice of any and all meetings as to the location of legally posted Public Hearing notices. The location, date and time of any meeting described above shall be posted in the same manner as a legally posted Board meeting. If participation in the survey results in a low return rate or the established meeting yields low participation by the parents of Indian children and tribal officials, the Maricopa Unified School District will re-evaluate its plan and consult with parents of Indian children and tribal officials on ways to improve and enhance participation in the consultation process. The Maricopa Unified School District may re-locate meetings or times to encourage participation. The Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee) of the Maricopa Unified School District will meet monthly for the purpose of addressing comments and concerns of parents of Indian children regarding the District's educational programs and activities. The meeting agendas are posted and all meetings are open to the public, allowing tribal officials as well as parents of Indian children the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations for consideration. The District and Indian Education Committee representatives will schedule consultation meetings with the Ak-Chin Indian Tribal representatives to discuss ongoing programing goals.

Policy 3:

The Maricopa Unified School District will annually assess the extent to which Indian children participate on an equal basis with non-Indian children in the District's education program and activities. (i) Share relevant information related to Indian children's participation in the LEA's educational program and activities with tribes and parents of Indian children; and (ii) Allow tribes and parents of Indian children the opportunity and time to review and comment on whether Indian children participate on an equal basis with non-Indian children.

Procedure 3:

The Maricopa Unified School District will take the following measures to annually assess the extent to which Indian children participate on an equal basis with non-Indian children in the District's education program and activities.

  1. The Maricopa Unified School District will monitor Indian student participation in all academic and co-curricular activities.
  2. School district officials will review school data to assess the extent of Indian children’s participation in the District’s educational programs on an equal basis.
  3. The Maricopa Unified School District will share its assessment of district funding, Indian student participation, related academic achievements and other related data will be shared with the parents of Indian children and tribal officials by (mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc.).
  4. Parents of Indian children, tribal officials and other interested parties may express their views on participation through direct communication with the school district, at any school board meeting or to the Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee)
  5. Copies of annual reports will be provided to tribal officials. The Maricopa Unified School District shall annually calculate from its records the ratio of Indian children compared to other children participating academic and co-curricular programs (''school data"). Annually, the District Administrator (or a designee), administrators, staff members, the Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee), Indian parents, and Tribal officials will hold a meeting to assess the extent of Indian children 's participation in the educational program. At such meeting, attendees will analyze the school data and Tribal/parental commentary to determine the extent of equality of Indian children's participation with other children. The Maricopa Unified School District will disseminate the results of the assessment of Indian participation to parents of Indian children and tribal officials within 2 weeks of publication by mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc. Parents of Indian children or tribal officials may comment on the results at regularly scheduled school board meetings, Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee) meetings, directly to the school district by (phone, email, writing, etc.). In addition, parents of Indian children and tribal officials may comment in the fall and spring semester through a SURVEY requesting information concerning their views as to the extent of Indian children's participation in educational programs on an equal basis with other children. The Maricopa Unified School District shall annually analyze participation rates of Indian children compared to other children in all aspects of the educational program and school sponsored activities. During the public hearing in April, the Maricopa Unified School District will gather information relating to Indian children's participation in the LEA's education programs and activities. This information will also be made available to the parents of Indian children, tribal officials and the Indian Education Committee (Parental Advisory Committee) via mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc. If it is determined that there are gaps in Indian participation in the educational program or activities, the Maricopa Unified School District in consultation with the Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee) and tribal officials, will modify its education program in such a way as to improve Indian participation.

Policy 4:

The Maricopa Unified School District will modify the IPPs if necessary, based upon the results of any assessment or input described in this document.

Procedure 4:

During the organization meeting of the Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee) in the fall, the Indian Policies and Procedures will be reviewed and revised if necessary. Once this has happened, the document will be forwarded to the Maricopa Unified School District’s Governing Board as well as the tribal officials and parents of Indian children for review and consideration. If necessary, the Indian Education Committee may suggest revisions at other times of the year as appropriate. Any updates will be sent to parents of Indian children and tribal officials within 3 weeks) of adoption by the Maricopa Unified School District Board.

The Indian/Parent Committee shall serve as a task force to review the meaningfulness of Indian input, to review the extent of opportunity for Indian input and to review the District's response to Indian commentary. The Committee will review the effectiveness of the District's methods of gathering the input of Indian parents and Tribal members; calculate the number of Indian suggestions which were actually implemented; permit Indian parents and Tribal officials to  suggest more effective ways of communicating their views. If necessary, the Indian/Parent Committee shall make recommendations to the Governing Board to modify its policies and procedures.

The Maricopa Unified School District will hold a Governing Board meeting in December to modify policies and procedures if the Indian/Parent committee indicates such modification is necessary.

The Maricopa Unified School District will notify parents of Indian children, tribal officials and the general public of any changes to the Indian Policies and Procedures by mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc.).

Policy 5:

The Maricopa Unified School District will respond at least annually in writing to comments and recommendations made by tribes or parents of Indian children, and disseminate the responses to the tribe and parents of Indian children prior to the submission of the IPPs by the District.

Procedure 5:

The Maricopa Unified School District will at least annually respond in writing to comments and recommendations made by the Indian Education Committee (Parent Advisory Committee), tribal officials, or parents of Indian children, and disseminate the responses (individually) to all parties by mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc. prior to the submission of the IPPs by the District in December.

Policy 6:

The Maricopa Unified School District will provide a copy of the IPPs annually to the affected tribe or tribes.

Procedure 6:

The Maricopa Unified School District will annually provide a copy of the current Indian Policies and Procedures to the Ak-Chin Indian Community by mail, email, posting at tribal offices, etc.