Boosting Postsecondary Attainment for American Indian and Alaska Native Students - Research Brief

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Research brief by Civic with support from Lumina Foundation examining persistent inequities in high school graduation and postsecondary attainment for American Indian and Alaska Native students. It reviews historical and logistical barriers, including the legacy of forced assimilation, geographic isolation, limited broadband access, and insufficient access to rigorous courses. The brief proposes coordinated policy and practice options for policymakers and educators to strengthen postsecondary pathways, expand dual enrollment and credit, and improve culturally responsive support and campus culture.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Historical Context

The Educational Experiences of American Indians

Barriers to Education

Policy & Practice Options

Conclusion & Acknowledgements

References

RESEARCH BRIEF BY CIVIC with Generous Support from LUMINA FOUNDATION Boosting Postsecondary Attainment for American Indian and Alaska Native Students By Matthew N. Atwell, Eleanor Manspile,& John M. Bridgeland Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 The Historical Context 5 The Educational Experiences of American Indians 6 Barriers to Education 11 Policy & Practice Options 14 Conclusion & Acknowledgements 17 References 18 Executive Summary A merican Indian and Alaska Native (AI/ AN) students continue to have some of the lowest high school graduation and postsecondary attainment rates in the nation. There are a variety of factors that lead to inequitable outcomes for these students. They typically face significantly higher levels of student need, as they are more often low-income and are more likely to have multiple adverse childhood experiences. They also experience greater levels of geographic isolation and lack access to broadband as well as rigorous high school courses that are most predictive for postsecondary success. The education of American Indian and Alaska Native populations and Tribal Nations in the United States is unlike anyother. It is rife with logistical challengesand complicated by a painful legacy of forced assimilation at Indian boarding schools. Efforts to improve educational outcomes for AI/AN students must confront this history and be co-developed with Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations to ensure initiatives are centered on the needs of their communities. To improve postsecondary attainment for the Nation’s First Students, policymakers and institutions of higher education must work together to build stronger postsecondary pathways. Policymakers Can: 􀂄 Provide state grants to teacher prep programs to develop teacher residency and fellowship programs to diversify the teacher workforce . 􀂄 Explicitly authorize Bureau of Indian Education schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to participate in dual enrollment and dual credit programs and enact policies to ensure TCUs are eligible for reimbursement. 􀂄 Increase federal funding forTCUs and allocate state education funds toTCUs. Educators Can: 􀂄 Create partnerships between institutions of higher education and school districts and tribal communities to diversify the teacher workforce through Grow Your Own Educators programs. 􀂄 Embed culturally responsive education into classrooms. 􀂄 Create welcoming campus cultures with Native student support centers that maintain a dedicated space for AI/AN students and hire tribal liaisonsto uphold productive relationships with local tribal communities. A REPORT BY CIVIC 2021 3 Introduction T he past two decades have been marked by academic progress. The national high school graduation rate has increased from 71 percent in 2001 to an all-time high of 85.8 percent in 2019. In the last decade alone, the highschool graduation rate increased by 6.6 percentage points since 2011, while the postsecondary attainment rate has jumped 10 percentage points to a record high of 51.3 percent in 2018. This progress has been spurred in part by concerted efforts of the GradNation campaign at the high school level and Lumina Foundation’s goal of a 60 percent postsecondary attainment rate by 2025. Yet, more progress is needed as the nation remains off-track to meet its highschool and postsecondary attainment goals. Furthermore, these gains only matter if they include all students, which is why in recent years, both Lumina’s Stronger Nation and the GradNation Campaign, convened by America’s Promise Alliance’s, the Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic, and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, have redoubled efforts to ensure educational equity. Here, too, the news is encouraging. From 2000 to 2014, Hispanic student postsecondary enrollment more than doubled while postsecondary enrollment for Black students nearly doubled over th

FAQs

Why do American Indian and Alaska Native students have lower postsecondary attainment rates?

The brief attributes inequitable outcomes to higher levels of student need, geographic isolation, limited broadband access, and reduced access to rigorous high school courses that predict postsecondary success.

How does forced assimilation history affect education outcomes?

It notes a painful legacy of forced assimilation at Indian boarding schools, emphasizing that efforts must confront this history and be co-developed with Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations.

What policy actions does the brief recommend for improving postsecondary pathways?

It calls for state grants to teacher prep programs for residency and fellowship models, authorization for Bureau of Indian Education schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities to participate in dual enrollment and credit, and increased federal and state funding for TCUs.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia