The Bureau of Indian Education, which oversees 183 primary and secondary schools serving over 40,000 Native American students, reported record high graduation rates in 2025. The four-year graduation rate at BIE schools reached 79%, up from just over half in 2015 — a gain that officials attribute to improved data collection methods and innovative local programs tailored to student needs.
The gains come as the federal government pursues significant changes to education oversight, including plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Tribal leaders say they are concerned these shifts could undermine recent progress at schools that have historically struggled with chronic underfunding and staffing shortages.
What the Left Is Saying
Tribal leaders and education advocates say the graduation rate improvements are real but remain fragile. They argue that years of neglect created the conditions for low graduation rates in the first place, and that new federal priorities risk reversing gains.
Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, said his community's BIE-operated high school is chronically understaffed and crumbling. The gymnasium has sinking walls and a rodent infestation, he said, and fewer than 60% of students have graduated on time in recent years.
"If we were able to, we would step in and try to remedy a lot of these things," Lengkeek said at a tribal consultation session in Washington. "We have to rely on the government to fulfill its treaty promise."
Jason Dropik, executive director of the National Indian Education Association, said turmoil at BIE's Washington office affects schools on the ground. He pointed to an administration executive order that aimed to turn the BIE into a school choice system but was scaled back after tribal outcry.
"When drastic changes go into motion without tribal consultation, there can be unintended consequences for our students," Dropik said. "That caused some delays and disruptions to services."
Herschel Gorham, lieutenant governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, accused federal officials of moving forward with program transfers without proper tribal input.
"The ink was dry on the agreements before the tribes were ever notified," Gorham said at the February consultation. "That should never, ever happen." Tribal leaders worry that handing oversight of dozens of programs from the Department of Education to BIE could overwhelm an already stretched agency.
What the Right Is Saying
Administration officials credit recent policy changes with creating conditions for improvement. Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland said graduation gains reflect the Trump administration's commitment to Native American students, including efforts to strengthen teacher training and school accountability.
BIE Chief Academic Officer Carmelia Becenti said the agency standardized data collection methods beginning in 2018, addressing years of flawed reporting that had artificially suppressed graduation figures. Previously, administrators often counted students who transferred between schools as dropouts.
"We had to come to a consensus and set an accountability framework for our schools," Becenti said. She emphasized that improved reporting standards, not sudden academic gains, account for much of the statistical jump.
At Chief Leschi Schools in Washington, Superintendent Don Brummett said his staff shifted focus from college preparation alone to career and technical training after recognizing a disconnect with student goals. The school launched its curriculum in 2020 with funding from the Puyallup Tribal Council.
"We devalued the trades. That was a mistake," Brummett said. Since then, he has seen students enter health sciences, education and fisheries management programs who might otherwise have dropped out.
What the Numbers Show
BIE graduation rate data shows clear improvement over the past decade: 50% in 2015 to 79% by 2025 — a 29 percentage point increase. An AP analysis of BIE data found graduation rates are up 55% since new reporting standards began rolling out, with nine secondary schools reporting 100% growth or higher.
Chief Leschi Schools' four-year graduation rate rose from 53% in 2019 to 87% in 2025 — a 34 percentage point jump. Choctaw Central High School in Mississippi reported its graduation rate climbed from roughly 70% to 93%, with administrators crediting a COVID-era virtual learning experiment that gave students flexible schedules.
The BIE system serves over 40,000 students across 183 schools. Less than one-third are operated directly by the agency; the rest are run by tribes under federal funding agreements. Schools serving smaller and more remote tribal communities continue to lag behind their counterparts.
The Bottom Line
The graduation rate gains at BIE schools represent genuine progress for Native American students, though analysts caution that data collection improvements — not sudden academic transformation — likely account for much of the statistical jump. The experience of schools like Chief Leschi demonstrates that career-focused curricula can re-engage students who were on track to drop out.
What remains unclear is whether recent federal changes will support or destabilize these trends. The planned dismantling of the Department of Education, DOGE staffing reductions, and the ongoing transfer of programs to BIE have tribal leaders worried about administrative capacity. Schools in underserved communities like Crow Creek face infrastructure backlogs that innovation alone cannot address.
Administrators and tribal leaders agree on one point: sustained investment matters. "This system holds the future of our nations in its hands," said Lengkeek. "We need stability. We need increased funding. We need infrastructure." Watch for upcoming congressional hearings on BIE funding levels and reports from the Government Accountability Office on school facility conditions.