Graduation rates among students at schools overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) have risen significantly in recent years, driven by a combination of improved data reporting and innovative educational approaches. The agency, which manages 183 schools serving over 40,000 Native American students, saw its four-year high school graduation rate increase from just over 50 percent in 2015 to a record 79 percent in 2025.

Officials attribute much of this improvement to changes implemented since 2018 to standardize and improve the accuracy of graduation rate data. Historically, inconsistent tracking methods had led some schools to count students who transferred out as dropouts, artificially deflating graduation figures. “We had to come to a consensus and set an accountability framework for our schools,” said Carmelia Becenti, BIE’s chief academic officer. After data collection reforms were introduced, more schools reported graduating rates exceeding 100 percent growth, reflecting more precise accountability alongside genuine progress.

Beyond reporting, some tribal-run BIE schools credit new educational strategies focused on career and technical education for helping boost student engagement and retention. Chief Leschi Schools on Washington’s Puyallup Reservation launched a career training program in 2020 funded by the Puyallup Tribal Council. The initiative aimed to better align schooling with students’ goals, many of whom preferred to enter the workforce after graduation rather than pursue a traditional college path.

Gerald Dillon, a recent graduate of Chief Leschi Schools, said hands-on job training rekindled his interest in school at a time when he found academic classes uninspiring. Serving as a teaching assistant in a second-grade classroom gave him motivation and practical skills, leading to improved grades and his eventual graduation. Between 2019 and 2025, the school’s four-year graduation rate rose from 53 percent to 87 percent.

Other tribal-operated schools have also adopted innovative approaches. Choctaw Central High School in Mississippi credited its move to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic with helping students who juggle home responsibilities or jobs earn diplomas on a more flexible schedule. The school’s graduation rate increased from about 70 percent to 93 percent and continues to offer virtual learning options.

Despite these successes, challenges endure for many BIE-operated schools, especially those lacking tribal resources to implement new programs or take control of management. For example, the high school serving the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota faces chronic staffing shortages and deteriorating facilities, including structural issues and pest infestations. The school’s graduation rate has remained below 60 percent. Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, emphasized the need for federal support and funding to fulfill treaty obligations.

Tribal leaders have also voiced concern over policy shifts under the Trump administration, including plans to dismantle the Department of Education and transfer additional programs to the BIE without sufficient tribal consultation. Since November 2025, the Education Department has begun handing over oversight of several Native student programs to the BIE, prompting criticism from tribal representatives who worry about the BIE’s capacity to manage an expanded role amid staffing and funding constraints.

At a consultation session in February 2026, dozens of tribal leaders expressed frustration with the lack of prior notification and consultation on these changes. Herschel Gorham, lieutenant governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, said, “The ink was dry on the agreements before the tribes were ever notified. That should never, ever happen.”

Education advocates point to ongoing agency instability and policy disruptions as risks to sustaining graduation gains. Jason Dropik, executive director of the National Indian Education Association, noted that efforts to convert the BIE into a school choice system faced backlash and setbacks after tribal opposition. “When drastic changes go into motion without tribal consultation, there can be unintended consequences for our students,” Dropik said.

Lengkeek warned that political turmoil could distract from urgent needs in underperforming schools, emphasizing the importance of stability, increased funding, and infrastructure investment. “This system holds the future of our nations in its hands,” he said. “We need stability. We need increased funding. We need infrastructure.”