American Indian Dropout Crisis

8/3/2019 American Indian Dropout Crisis

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/american-indian-dropout-crisis 1/14

Graduation Rates and American Indian Culture 1

Running Head: Graduation Rates and American Indian Culture

Dropout Nation: A Product of Poverty or Choice?

Russell York

Patrick Henry College




High School Attrition Rates and Native American Culture

When men and women of the United States military went to war in Europe and

Japan during the Second World War, between three and four out of every ten left home

for the last time. Fierce combat in France and the Pacific islands left hundreds of

thousands of soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen in foreign graves. The casualty rate of

US forces during the war was staggering with most estimates being over thirty percent.

Today, despite being deployed in multiple countries, America’s armed forces have vastly

lowered mortality rates. But pause for a moment and consider that despite technological,

cultural, and economic advances, America still struggles with a serious form of attrition.

Sixty years later, America still has outdated systems that are stranding Americans at rates

higher than ever before. Did you know that thirty percent of America’s high school

students never graduate? Despite investing billions of dollars annually and maintaining a

vast infrastructure across the nation, public education is leaving hundreds of thousands of

young Americans behind. Droves of dropout students enter public welfare systems and

populate ghettos every year.

While the dropout epidemic is neither new nor particular to one single ethnicity,

Native Americans have topped dropout charts for decades, even at percentages higher

than African Americans and Hispanics. The following research considers the underlying

causation for this high attrition rate. The hypothesis is that Native American culture

engenders an anti establishment mentality that results in higher dropout rates. Further,

this hypothesis is that socioeconomic status is merely a lesser contributing factor. By

analyzing dropout rates, the dependent variable, and contrasting Native American

socioeconomics with that of other minorities, the independent variable, the data should




either demonstrate a disparity or a commonality. If a disparity is shown, qualitative data

will be considered to further test the hypothesis.

Prevailing Theories and Analysis

The phrase “Dropout Nation” is meant to refer to America’s high school dropout

problem, but is casually and quietly used as a reference to the Native American dropout

pandemic. This subtle play on words, that the “Indian Nation” is now the “Dropout

Nation”, is statistically appropriate. Native Americans dropout of high schools nearly

twice as much as middle class white students. (Reyhner, 2006)

The inability of public education systems to retain students through senior year

has largely been the cause of minority groups. But while their attrition is the highest,

Native Americans are rarely in the spotlight of the high school crisis. A report by the

Indian Nations at Risk Task Force (1991) commissioned by the United States Department

of Education “indicated that the academic success of Native American students when

compared to other minority groups and to the nation’s students as a whole fell alarmingly

below that of all other groups. Native American students had the highest dropout rate in

the nation” (Leveque, 1994, p. 2).

Why so much concern over high school attrition? In an economy that has

exported huge portions of its blue-collar labor overseas and saturated the rest with

immigrant workers, high school dropouts immediately enter a cycle of dependency and

destitution. A Times article in 2006 titled “ Dropout Nation” suggested that leaving high

school without a diploma is as disastrous to one’s societal health as smoking is to one’s

physical health. These premature departures often force students into a life of low wages,

crime, and public dependency (Thornburgh, 2006). While it is hard to place perspective




on a problem that is both devastating on a personal level and on a societal level, its scope

is somewhat simpler to calculate. If the number of dropouts nationwide were to be cut in

half, the United States would save forty-five billion dollars annually (Princiotta, 2009, p.

9).

Volumes of research have been compiled to determine the most prominent causes

for dropping out. Shockingly, under-achievement is not a primary factor. Nationally,

eighty-eight percent of dropouts have passing grades (Bridgeland, 2006, p. 3). This

dispels the myth that minorities have lesser learning potential. While Native Americans

may well have lower grades on the whole, this does not seem to be a motivating factor for

students that leave school prematurely. Factors more tangible than academic

underachievement are at fault. In fact, seventy-four percent of those surveyed regretted

that they had quit high school and would have stayed in school if they could do it over

again (Bridgeland, 2006, p. 3).

One prominent theory is the theory of low expectations. Research suggests that

many Native Americans are concerned that no one cares about their educational

achievements. The fact that they are not even listed as a people group and instead are

categorized as “Other” indicates to them that they are not a priority to educators. (White,

1993, p. 9). The concept that education is something for white, wealthy people arguably

affects Native American students’ decisions not to remain in school.

Native American apathy towards public education is described in a study

published in 2009, which found that eighty percent of American Indian and Alaskan

Native students were taught by teachers who identified themselves as White (Oakes,

2009, p. 2). The Bureau of Indian Education manages schools specifically for Native




Americans. These schools are typically on Indian land that is owned by various

sovereign tribes. The 2007 National Indian Education Study conducted by the U.S.

Department of Education found a significantly larger number of Native American

students in regular public high schools than those in BIE high schools responded that they

planned on graduating and attending college. This seems to indicate that Native

American culture, which is more prevalent on tribal lands, negatively influences

academic drive in students.

But others have presented research that discounts societal pressures and instead

finds socioeconomics to have the greatest influence on American Indian high school

attrition rates. In a study analyzing national dropout trends, twenty-six percent of

dropouts indicated that they left school because they became parents. Similarly, twenty-

two percent became primary providers for their families (Bridgeland, 2006, p. 6).

Substantial adjustments in socioeconomic status undoubtedly have a bearing on student’s

choice to leave school. The National Governors Association released a study in 2009

indicating that changing socioeconomic status is a primary cause behind high school

attrition (Princiotta, 2009, p. 12).

To gauge the socioeconomic status of a particular ethnicity at public high schools,

researchers can look at which minorities qualify for free lunches – a qualification given

only to students of struggling families. The National Indian Education Study of 2007

found that more than ninety percent of all students at Bureau of Indian Education run

schools qualified for free lunches. American Indian students from tribal lands are a

majority of the time coming from poor socioeconomic conditions (U.S. Dept of

Education, 2007, p. 8).




BIE high schools also struggle with language barriers. Forty-seven percent of

students at these schools indicated that they speak a language other than English more

than half the time when at home (U.S. Dept of Education, 2007, p. 12). In light of the

overwhelming presence of white teachers and the absence of nearly any American Indian

teachers, the socioeconomic barrier and the cultural barrier are often present together.

But language barriers and socioeconomic struggles are not unique to American

Indian students. Many other minorities in public schools – Hispanics in particular – can

be easily compared to American Indians. The question that research has not yet

statistically answered yet is whether the Dropout Nation is so maligned because of the

same problems facing other challenged students or because of unique cultural habits that

discourage education. What can be determined from the vast body of evidence on the

issue of dropout rates is that American Indian students around America are some of the

most challenged.

Research Design

Variables:

To assess whether Native American culture actually suppresses education, two

variables are necessary. Hispanic dropout rates will be the independent variable within

the hypothesis. Hispanic students are the closest possible comparison available and are

also dispersed across the states enough to make quantitative statistics possible. Large

populations of Mexican immigrants congregate in the same states where Native

American populations are highest and where the greatest amount of tribal land and

highest concentration of BIE schools are present.

The dependent variable will be American Indian dropout rates. Because statistics




are available on a state-by-state basis and in light of the fact that American Indians are

concentrated in just a few states, we will narrow the focus of our comparison to Arizona,

Montana, Washington and South Dakota. These states have the highest total amount of

tribal land and the populations of Hispanics and American Indians fall within similar

ratios making the comparison possible (Stillwell, 2009, p. 7).

Data Sources:

The data used in this research is taken entirely from secondary sources and is

primarily quantitative. Statistics are taken from the last decade only as the recent influx

of Hispanic immigrants would make data older than that irrelevant. The graduation rate

statistics that will be cited here come from the United States Department of Education

and it’s subsidiaries. To keep the data uniform, other agencies data will not be

incorporated. Qualitative notes made throughout to explain statistical findings come

from a broad base of reports, including those produced by non-governmental

organizations and state agencies.

Variable Operationalization and Data Analysis:

To test the hypothesis that Native American culture is uniquely suppressive of

formal education, graduation rates from the four selected states with the highest

concentration of American Indians were gathered. Microsoft Excel was then used to

chart the data. Based on the hypothesis, this research tracks the performance of

Hispanics and Native Americans together to identify a disparity not explained by

socioeconomic conditions. To provide a point of reference for both minorities being

analyzed, statewide statistics from Arizona, Montana, Washington and South Dakota will

be used. In the context of statewide performance, it will become clear whether Native




Americans perform disproportionately to a comparable minority group.

Findings

Numbers from the four selected states (see Figure 1) show several things. First, in

all states, Native Americans graduated in percentages well below Hispanic students.

Second, Hispanic students, with the exception of those in Montana, graduated ten

percentage points or worse below White students. Furthermore, in all four states,

Hispanic and American Indian dropout rates appear to increase or decrease in similar

ratios. In other words, states in which one ethnicity tests poorly, the other similarly

struggles.

Graduation Rates

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Arizona Montana South Dakota Washington

White

Hispanic

Native American

Figure 1: Graduation rates of high school students in the 2006 / 2007 school year

This correlation seems to support the assumption that Native Americans fail to

graduate at disproportionate rates, even when compared to like ethnicities. The next

logical question is whether Native Americans in these four states fall below national

graduation rate averages of Native Americans in other states. Data for this comparison

comes from forty-seven of the fifty states where statistics were recorded. Removing the

four states being used here, the national average is comprised of forty-three states. To get




the most accurate picture possible, the three highest and lowest states will be removed

from the average. Likewise, because our research has already shown Montana to have

irregular data, we will find the average of the other three target states and compare it with

the national average. For perspective, the national averages of Hispanics and Whites

with the same high and low states removed are recorded. The result is shown in Figure 2.

Average Graduation Rate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

National AI 3 State AI Nat's Hispanic Nat'l White

What we see here is a direct correlation between national American Indian and

National Hispanic graduation rates – both approximately fifteen percent behind White

students. The three target states, meanwhile, are lagging another twenty percent further

back. However, this information is not necessarily conclusive. The figures for the

national White, Hispanic and American Indian averages all excluded six states (three

high and three low) to improve accuracy. To compare three target states, then, does not

give us great confidence in the numbers as they lie well within the margin of error

themselves.

But the hypothesis queries whether the culture of Native Americans, and by

extension the culture found on tribal lands, actually depresses education. In light of the




fact that graduation rates are just one factor in exploring that question, the following data

(see Figure 3) considers achievement gaps.

Reading Achievement Gaps

-28.9

-33.2

-27.7

0

0

0

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20

Arizona

Montana

South Dakota

0 represents state average

Native Americans

Figure 3: Reading achievement gaps between Native Americans and overall state scores in 2003 / 2004. Data was not collected in Washington.

What is immediately apparent is that these students are vastly below the performance

level of the rest of their state. Prevailing theory on poor reading test scores is to attribute

it to any number of problems – most commonly of which is the language barrier. But

similar results were found in Math performance (see Figure 4).

Math Achievement Gaps

-18.2

-38.9

-40.3

0

0

0

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20

Arizona

Montana

South Dakota

0 represents state average

Native Americans

Performance gaps this wide, and not just in subjects like history or literature -




subjects that require a firm grasp of the English language, indicates low or suppressed

potential, not just low results.

Conclusion of the Analysis

Before delving into the validity of the numbers, one fact can be established.

American Indians nationally have graduation rates and test scores similar to that of other

socioeconomic groups. It appears reasonable from this research to conclude that there is

a correlation between the socioeconomic status of a minority group and a certain

percentage attrition rate. This analysis of the numbers confirms the research of others

discussed earlier in this paper regarding the causation for dropping out.

What is yet to be determined is whether these numbers verify the hypothesis –

that Native American culture actively represses education and is manifested in

inordinately low test scores and graduation rates. A brief overview of the facts shows

that in the states selected with the highest concentration of tribal lands, Native Americans

scored drastically lower than any other group tested in this study. Furthermore,

performance tests showed that in those states American Indians were far below the

average.

Figure 1 shows a consistent spike and drop between Native Americans and

Hispanics in the target states. It could be fair to conclude that this correlates to the shared

socioeconomic status of these ethnicities from state to state. Should that be found to be

the case, the door would be open to establishing what other intervening variable caused

the extra drop in performance.

But an accurate assessment of the numbers raises several serious doubts as to the

validity of these theories. Here are a few of the most significant challenges with the




numbers.

First, comparing Native Americans to Hispanic populations is a valid comparison

in most states. In the four targets states, overall population ratios of these two minorities

appeared valid. But actual ratios of minority students were lopsided. Figure 5 shows that

in Arizona and Washington, the ratio of students was on par with national levels. But

Montana and South Dakota both recorded inexplicably low numbers of Hispanic students

thus removing any confidence in the comparison between the minorities there.

Native American

Hispanic

White

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

Ethnic Population by State

Native American

Hispanic

White

Second, graduation rates vary all over the country and are subject to many

discrepancies. Individual states collect their own data and report it to the U.S.

Department of Education, meaning that reporting is not uniform. Students themselves are

usually responsible for declaring their ethnicity leaving the possibility for counting errors

and omissions. And while all graduation rate data came from the same source, what

qualifies as a dropout is a subject of controversy. All of these factors undermine any

certifiable confidence in the figures and patterns found between the numbers,




Lastly, the hypothesis itself is unverifiable because the role of socioeconomics on

dropouts is an intervening independent variable that is not possible to accurately account

for. Statistics on this variable are not available for many ethnicities and there is no

accurate way of calculating the data when it is gathered. While the goal of the research

was to rule out socioeconomics by drawing a correlation between American Indians and

Hispanics, this research exposed the incongruous nature of their settlement habits.

Because the highest concentration of American Indians did not correspond to average

Hispanic population rates, extrapolating similarities would be presumptuous.

The only data that is without justification is the excessively low dropout rate of

American Indians around the country and particularly in states with large amounts of

tribal land. Twenty-one of forty-seven states reported graduation rates of less than sixty

percent for Native Americans while only ten states reported similar levels for Hispanics.

While this could very well be the socioeconomic variable the severity of the dropout

levels begs the question – how much can socioeconomics account for?

While the research here does not conclusively verify the hypothesis, the presence

of some unknown intervening variable seems to be influencing dropout rates of American

Indian students.

References

The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. (2009). Engaging




Native American Learners With Rigor and Cultural Relevance. Abner Oakes.

Civic Enterprises. (2006). The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts.

Washington DC: John Bridgeland.

Leveque, D. (1991). Cultural and Parental Influences on Achievement. National

Meeting of the Comparative and International Educational Society. San Diego,

CA.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Public School Graduates and

Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2006-07. Robert

Stillwell.

The National Governor’s Association. (2009). Achieving Graduation For All.

Washington DC: Daniel Princiotta

Reyhner, J. (2006). Dropout Nation. Indian Education Today, June, 28-30.

Thornburgh, N. (2006). Dropout Nation. Time, accessed online.

United States Department of Education. (2007). National Indian Education Study.

Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

White, M. (1993). American Indian Education Research in New York State: A Team

Approach. Annual Meeting of the National Indian Education Assocation.

Mobile, AL.

American Indian Dropout Crisis

Documents

Transcript of American Indian Dropout Crisis