What Are The Root Causes Of The High Dropout Rate Among Native American Students?

A graduated student is considered a student who has received a high school diploma. This does not include G.E.D. or other alternate programs (Bylsma, 2002, p.3). A dropout is defined as a student who leaves school without graduating. Graduation rates differ proportionally from dropout rates due to the variables used to calculate each. However, the incongruities exist in both applications.
Key Facts
J.P. Greene summarized graduation rates for Washington youth in a report funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and conducted by the Manhattan Institute. According to Greene (2002), Washington State statistics indicate that the average graduation rates for Native Americans and Latinos is 47% compared to the 53% for African-American, 70% for white students, and 77% for Asian-American youths. Pete Bylsma calculated dropout statistics for the Washington State Department of Public Instruction. Bylsma (2002) reported that during the 2000-2001 school year, American Indians...