Office of Indian Education

Identification matters for our communities

Now more than ever, as we strive to strengthen tribal sovereignty and have accurate representation in the U.S. Census, we must ensure Native American students have greater visibility in schools, treaty obligations are fulfilled, and programs designed to meet the needs of Native students are appropriately funded and directed.

The Arizona Department of Education helps administer both state and federal dollars to public district and charter schools that service Indigenous students. Click below to find out more about available funding.

American Indian Student Needs (AISN)

A competitive grant for public school districts used for school supplies for federally recognized American Indian students

The Office of Indian Education hosts a monthly virtual convening entitled, Policy & Program Updates for Indigenous Stakeholders. The goals of this convening is to:  

On April 9, 2025, the Office of Indian Education released the AZ Tribal Regalia Graduation Toolkit for Students and Families, designed to provide valuable resources and guidance to help families and students navigate the wearing of tribal regalia in graduation ceremonies.

The Office of Indian Education (OIE) conducted our strategic planning process between June 2020 and February 2021. The process incorporated Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and communication patterns to facilitate a collective effort to reignite how OIE supports the needs of internal Arizona Department of Education (ADE) divisions, tribal education departments, local education agencies, caregivers, students, and elected tribal leadership.

Impact Aid is Federal funding provided directly to school districts to make up for lost tax revenues from federally owned property within their boundaries (i.e., military bases and Indian Reservations). These Title VII funds are managed through the US Department of Education.  Impact Aid should not be considered extra funding, but funding that is provided  to equalize districts who do not receive tax realated revenues like other districts receive.

Questions & Answers

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