Abstract

Ninety percent of American Indian students attend non-Indian, mainstream schools where they are underrepresented in the curriculum, among teachers, and in the student body. High K-12 dropout rates create a smaller pipeline of American Indian students who are eligible to attend college. Only 17 percent of American Indians begin college, compared to a national average of 62 percent. Of this 17 percent, only 4 percent survive the first academic year. Retention rates in college are lower for American Indian students than for any other racial group. We must work to change the culture of schools in order to enhance the academic opportunities available to our young people.