Engaging Native Language and Culture in Early Childhood Education through Culturally Responsive Evaluation

Educare Winnebago is an early childhood education center on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Northeastern Nebraska. As part of the national network of early childhood centers, they provide high-quality education, honor local cultural traditions, and offer language instruction in English and Ho-Chunk. Our evaluation team conducts observations of native culture and language, administers a yearly cultural survey, and creates interactive data walks that review these findings and other educational evaluations. Limitations can occur when evaluators are not well-versed in the language or culture they are observing. Our team collaborated with the center's leadership and classroom staff to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural context surrounding specific events, items, and language use, respecting the staff’s expertise within our evaluation practices. This paper focuses on culturally responsive practices within observations, the sharing of cultural survey data, and the development of staff-informed considerations for cultural and language observations each year.