Title VI Information

What is the Title VI program?

This is a K-12 federal educational program for schools across the nation which exists not because of race or ethnicity. It is based on the trust relationship of tribal nations with the U.S. federal government. Many of the parents and grandparents may have been involved in some way or another when they went to school. Title VI is not special education. Its purpose is to help students meet the state standards, successfully complete high school, and pursue higher education.

Who can be in the Title VI program?

The student qualifies if he/she is enrolled in a federal tribe or if the biology parent or grandparent is eligible to be enrolled or is currently enrolled in a federal tribe.

If I indicate on the Detroit Lakes Schools Registration Form that my child is Native American, is my child automatically in the Title VI program?

No, but it certainly helps out with our ability to track down potential students.

How do I get my child to qualify?

Obtain a Title VI 506 form from your child's school office or contact the Native American Education Coalition. Fill out the one time form (which is kept confidential according to regulations.)

If I fill out a Title VI form, does my child have to receive academic services?

Absolutely not, it is up to the parent/guardian to make that decision. By filing out the form the student simply meets the qualification to receive and/or participate in their desired program. We encourage parents to fill out the form so that we can communicate with parents through our newsletter and website, monitor students, and continue to receive funding for our programs.

Important Ethnic/Racial Form Information

Tribal Nations Education Committee (TNEC) finds it critically important to educate parents about American Indian student count and "consequences" of how they complete (check boxes) when identifying their child/children's "ethnicity/race." TNEC recommends the following information be shared/disseminated to all stakeholders and to also have it included on the data collection form:   When filling out the Ethnic and Racial Demographic Designation Form  

  1. If you mark/check the box with anything other than "American Indian" your child will not be counted as American Indian.  
  2. If you check more than one category including "American Indian" your child will be considered "multi-racial" and will not be counted as American Indian.
  3. If you leave the "ethnicity/race" box blank, your child will automatically be counted as "White."

To not offer the above information to the parents and other stakeholders is a disservice and would be detrimental in achieving an accurate American Indian student count.