Office of American Indian Education Bi-Weekly Newsletter

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Office of American Indian Education (OAIE) produces a bi-weekly newsletter that includes updates and information regarding American Indian Education in Minnesota. 

Upcoming Deadlines

June 1: American Indian Education Aid plans are due for SY2025-26.

June 1: American Indian Student Count Appeals for FY2025 are due.

Additional details can be found on the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee and District Annual Timeline.

Feedback on Federal Education Changes

MDE is engaging in conversations with students, families and education partners to gauge the impact of federal actions on Minnesota school communities. Please complete our survey and share your story about the impacts you are seeing and experiencing.

Open Office Hours in May 2025

Open office hours are available May 1-30 for districts who are applying for American Indian Education Aid (AIEA) for school year 2025-26. Open office hours will not take place on Monday, May 26 because MDE will be closed for Memorial Day. Attend to have your questions answered in preparation for the June 1 deadline for AIEA applications. 

• Mondays 2:30-3:30 p.m.
• Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 p.m. [Corrected Day]
• Fridays 7-8:30 a.m.

Questions? Contact mde.aiea@state.mn.us

American Indian Student Count Appeals

FY 2025 Fall Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) submission is now closed. As a reminder, there are no appeals for Fall enrollment data with the exception of North American Indian (NAI) student counts. This information is used for American Indian Education Aid under Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.81. MDE will accept appeals for FY 2025 NAI student counts until June 1st, 2025. This date had previously been June 30th. No appeals for FY 2025 will be accepted after June 1st, 2025.

If a district or charter wishes to file an appeal for October 1 North American Indian student counts based on reporting for Fall FY 2025, please email marss@state.mn.us with your appeal request. MDE will follow-up with the next steps.

MDE School Finance has several resources and reports available to assist districts and charters in reviewing their reporting of NAI students. Please review and use these resources to ensure accurate information has been reported to MDE.
Local Secure MARSS WES Reports

• MARSS 08 Error Report: This report lists all errors, warnings, fatal errors and cross district errors. It gives a warning error #436 that displays a year-to-year comparison of the cumulative unique student counts for North American Indian.
• MARSS 66 North American Indian Roster: This report lists students that have been flagged as North American Indian that are active on October 1 for Indian Education aid. The total number of students on this report will be the number used for the American Indian Aid calculation.
• MARSS 24 List of all Student Records: This report provides a list of all students included, even records with errors, in the most recently edited MARSS file. It includes several columns of data for each enrollment record including “Ethnic Code” where students identified as North American Indian are indicated with a “1.

Additional Resources

• The American Indian Education Aid (mn.gov) provides information and resources to those districts eligible to receive AIEA including an American Indian Aid Budget Worksheet.
• MARSS Procedure 30 provides guidance on the reporting of North American Indian students.

For questions regarding American Indian Student Count Appeals, please contact Tara Chapa (Tara.Chapa@state.mn.us).

Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship

The Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship is an annual award administered by MDE. This scholarship is meant to aid American Indian students in their pursuit of higher education opportunities. Awards generally range from $1000-$5000 per academic year, but may vary. This scholarship is considered gap-funded as it can cover remaining costs after all other financial aid has been applied. The scholarship is open from March 1 to May 31 annually.

Recipients of the 2024-25 Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship are studying:

• Bachelor's: American Indian Studies, Business Administration, Dakota Language, Data Science, Early Childhood Studies, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Exercise Science Athletic Training, Exercise Sport Science, History, Journalism, Justice Administration, Marketing, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Political Science, Spanish, Sport Management
• Masters: Business Administration, Computer Science, Family Nurse Practitioner, Mechanical Engineering
• Doctorate: Nursing - Health Innovation and Leadership, Physical Therapy

Office of American Indian Education Job Opening

American Indian Education Aid Specialist - State Prog Admin Intermediate

Job ID: 85457
Closing Date: 5/2/25
Travel Required: Yes, Meetings take place across the State of Minnesota
Salary: $25.29 - $36.71, $52,805-$76,650

Job Description
As the American Indian Education Aid Specialist, you will have a key role in managing application and review processes for a variety of programs that enable American Indian students to receive the support they need to thrive in K-12 and postsecondary environments. In this role, you will focus on providing outreach to school districts, assisting with questions, and verifying that programming follows regulations. Duties include:

• Managing and reviewing American Indian Education Program Plans;
• Managing applications for the Title VI programming;
• Managing applications for the Impact Aid program;
• Managing the Ethel Curry Scholarship application and awards.
• This position has a focus on outreach to school districts, assisting with questions, and verifying that programming is in compliance with regulations.
• Provide support to the Program and Compliance Monitor in analyzing data, and providing recommendations on additional programming needs that should be addressed.

Minimum Qualifications
2 years of professional experience managing grant processes, American Indian Education programming/instruction, or general education programming.

OR

A bachelor's or master's degree and 1 year of professional experience managing grants processes, American Indian Education programming/instruction, or general education programming.

Full details and the application can be found on the State of Minnesota careers webpage.

Community Learning Opportunities

Learning for Sovereign Futures

This free, five-day workshop is designed for educators, leaders, and advocates dedicated to supporting the implementation of Native Education for All (NEFA) mandates. The National Indian Education Association's (NIEA) inaugural institute will be held in the Twin Cities metro region from August 4-8, 2025, in partnership with local and state Indigenous education organizations.

During this inaugural institute, participants from across Minnesota will gain valuable knowledge and tools for implementing IEFA legislation in K-12 classrooms, with a focus on place-based and community-centered learning. Join us to engage in culturally responsive professional learning with local, state, and national experts, and build partnerships to create professional development opportunities in your schools and districts that reflect the strengths and priorities of local tribal communities across Minnesota.

Applications close on April 28, and selected participants will be notified by Friday, May 9.

Learning from Place: Bdote

May 17, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Learning from Place: Bdote is an immersive experience that brings participants to sites of great significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities region. Participants will learn from Dakota community members through stories and histories that have often been left out of our state’s history. This experience is open to the public and is particularly beneficial for educators who want to include new perspectives in their history curriculum.

Learning from Place: Bdote will begin at Fort Snelling State Park (parking permit is required). After a break for “lunch on your own,” we will meet at Indian Mounds Regional Park, followed by a visit to the Pilot Knob Preservation Site. We will be outside the entire time. Participants need to provide their own transportation, lunch, snacks, and beverages.

Registration is available on the Minnesota Humanities Center website.

Share Your Updates

Does your American Indian education program have a highlight or event that educators should know about? Does your school district have an American Indian education related job opening? Contact the Office of American Indian Education (mde.indian-education@state.mn.us) to have your information considered for a future OAIE newsletter.