Indian boarding schools and the therapeutic residential model project.

The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) has historically been charged with the responsibility of providing educational opportunities to American Indian children. Bureau boarding schools are often the last resort for American Indian children who have experienced psychological trauma, grief, abuse, neglect, or school failure. This need was addressed by Public Law 103-382 which authorized the creation of the Therapeutic Residential Model (TRM) program. The OIEP (Office of Indian Education Programs) was charged with implementing this legislation. The legislation mandated evaluation. An independent external evaluator was contracted to conduct a cross-site evaluation. Methodology used in the evaluation was patterned after a multifaceted approach used in assessments of prevention demonstration projects. The cross-site evaluation included gathering of quantitative data using spring and fall collection of paper-and-pencil student surveys providing yearly baseline and outcome data; analysis of information contained in school and academy records such as academic performance measures, retention-related information, and student conduct violations; staff questionnaires collected at the beginning and end of each school year; and records of services received by students. The collected data indicate the majority of students coming into these TRM programs have had experiences which place them at risk and are in need of therapeutic services to address academic and mental health needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)