Indian students in Michigan public schools are trailing their non-Indian counterparts, The Leelanau Enterprise reports.

Based on scores posted at SchoolMatters [Web Site], Indian students fell behind in a number of school districts.

At Suttons Bay School, where about 20 percent of students are Indian, only 34.9 percent demonstrated proficiency on standardized reading and math tests. In contrast, 81.6 percent of white students demonstrated proficiency.

At the Harbor Springs School District, where 6 percent of students are Indian, there was a 46.6 percent gap in scores between Indian and non-Indian students. At the Mount Pleasant Public Schools, where about 8.1 percent are Indian, the gap was 18.3 percent.

The gap wasn't as wide at the Sault Ste. Marie Area School, where 33 percent of students are Indian. Only 10 percentage points separated the Indian and non-Indian scores.

Get the Story:
Native students' test scores lag (The Leelanau Enterprise 1/19)

Relevant Links:
National Indian Education Association - http://www.niea.org
Office of Indian Education Programs, BIA - http://www.oiep.bia.edu

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