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KnowledgeBases > The American Indian Education KnowledgeBase > Element 3 > Activity 1 > Task 2: Examine Student Performance Data

Guideline: A number of studies show American Indian students with a dropout rate twice the national average, resulting in the highest dropout rate of any United States ethnic or racial group.  About three out of every ten native students drop out before graduating from high school.

Academically capable native students often drop out of school because their needs are not being met.  Some native students are pushed out because they protest how they are treated in school in a variety of ways.  As with non-native dropouts, the most frequent reason dropouts give for leaving school is that it is "boring."

The 2005 report Status and Tends of Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives by the National Center for Education Statistics reported an American Indian dropout rate of 15% (compared to a 6% rate for "white" students), and noted dropouts were more likely to be unemployed or to earn less than high school graduates.  The study noted American Indians had three times the rate of unemployment, the highest death rate for ages 15-19, the highest number of special education students, and the highest rate of absenteeism.  The study also found American Indian students are the most effected by school violence and are least likely to have access to core academic programs.

Therefore, it is essential educators with native students in their schools cafefully monitor their academic performance.
Tools Using Classroom Data to Monitor Individual Student Progress _EXTERNAL_LINK
This resource, from the Maryland Department of Education, offers an online workshop on how to use classroom data to monitor student progress. The workshp is aimed at helping principles support their teachers in effectively using classroom data. While oriented towards the Maryland state assessment system the content is useful for all schools.
References American Indian School Dropouts and Pushouts _EXTERNAL_LINK

This website provides the text of the 1992 dropout study done by Professor Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University, for the U.S. Secretary of Education's Indian Nations at Risk Task Force as well as links to journal articles focusing on American Indian dropouts

References Data Sources

This document contains links to national and state education data sources. The content may be useful to educators when developing a school profile.

References Dropout Nation _EXTERNAL_LINK
Authored by Professor Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University, this article explores the high school drop out problem as it relates to American Indian students.
References Improving American Indian Student Achievement _EXTERNAL_LINK
This resource provides a report on a May 2007 conference on improving American Indian student achievement sponsored by the North Central Comprehensive Center. A written and audio version of the report is provided by the Minnesota Public Radio network.
References National Indian Education Study _EXTERNAL_LINK

This link is to the National Center for Education Statistics' National Indian Education Study (NIES) two-part study describing the condition of education for American Indian and Alaska Native students in the United States.

References Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives _EXTERNAL_LINK

From the National Center for Education Statistics, "this report examines both the current conditions and recent trends in the education of American Indians and Alaska Natives using statistical measures. It presents a selection of indicators that illustrate the educational achievement and attainment of American Indians and Alaska Natives."

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Next: Task 3: Gather Information About the Local American Indian Tribes Previous: Task 1: Get Organized for Data Collection


The contents of this website were developed under a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education. The information presented on this website is intended for general reference purposes only, and information/linked content is not necessarily endorsed by the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center or the U.S. Department of Education.