Native peoples of the Americas have rich histories and cultural heritages, which include valuing education. School district leaders and policymakers across the country are working to increase graduation rates and reduce dropout rates (Anderson & Nieves, 2020; Rumberger et al., 2017). Approximately one third of all American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the Western United States do not graduate from high school. In this brief, authors Sharon Nelson-Barber and Jon Boxerman consider recent graduation rates, dropout statistics, and recommendations that respond to school completion rates among AI/AN students.
