Authentic Assessment For Yuuyaraq Middle School Students Based On The Yuuyaraq Curriculum

Rachel Cikigaq Nicholai
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:57:30 PDT

This study examines how the Yuuyaraq curriculum is being applied in the context of a middle school classroom in a small Yup'ik village in Alaska, specifically focusing on how to better assess the outcomes of the curriculum. In the early 1980s, the Yuuyaraq curriculum (YC) was revised to include the seasonal activities of the region, but lacked alignment with the assessments. By using the Participatory Action Research methodology, the researcher identified a problem, observed the situation, analyzed and interpreted the data, and developed an action plan. Data revealed that authentic assessments used in the Yuuyaraq curriculum can be assess Indigenous knowledge, how teachers' indigenous knowledge contributed to a classroom, and how rubrics are in need in a classroom to monitor student progress. The conclusions include various forms of authentic assessments used in the YC, how teacher's knowledge and practice contributed to a classroom that focused on her students' culture and identity and engaged them in a culturally relevant curriculum through the frameworks of sociocultural theory and Indigenous knowledge systems.