NCTCA 2021

This session will share information from research completed to unravel barriers to attendance experienced by First Nations students living on reserve and attending an off-reserve school. Measures put in place to support students and families by the Attendance Innovation Campaign at Rocky View Schools were not meeting the needs of this specific community. Research conducted by the University of Calgary examined these barriers faced by families and what was revealed was a sense of anxiety experienced by both families and school staff. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the new TQS/LQS, have offered direction for schools to be more inclusive to First Nations students, however, there remains a divide that is built on historical distrust as well as misrecognition of the barriers students face. In this session, we will share data from the study as well as offer participants tools to engage in professional development that participants can take with them to their schools to address cultural anxiety.