Thomas W. Fredericks, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Department for Indian Affairs, today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Indian Education Programs has signed an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of the agreement is
1) to increase communications between the Bureau's Education Office and the Education Department, and
2) to procure specific Education Department services for education and vocational programs serving Indians, funded through the Bureau of Indian Affairs
"This is one of the first joint agreements between the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Education Office and the Office of Indian Education", Fredericks said. I am happy to see this interagency expression of intent to involve Indians specifically where Indians have not been involved before."
To date, education programs that serve Indians have not taken advantage of Education Department services, delivered by the National Diffusion. Network (NDN), that reward exemplary education programs across the country.
The interagency memorandum of agreement establishes goals tha.t will encourage schools serving Indians to apply for NDN services. The agencies have agreed to identify Indian education programs with potential for receiving NDN services, and then to assist them in making a strong application for assistance.
The agreement also proposes to establish a formal relationship between agencies, and outlines the objectives for that relationship.
The Education Department officials signing the agreement along with Fredericks, were Dr. Gerald Gipp, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Education; Dr. Percy Bates, Director, Office of Special Education; Dr. Howard F. Hjelm, " Director, Division of Research and Demonstration for Vocational and Dr. Lee Wickline, Director, of Educational Replication for the National Diffusion Network. For further information contact Lavonna Weller, Education Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 18th and E Streets N.W Washington, D. c. 20240 (202/343-7387).
