Public schools across the nation are withholding the test scores of American Indian and Alaska Native students under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The law doesn't require schools to issue reports for any group of fewer than 10 students. According to the Associated Press, the scores of nearly half of the nation's 500,000 Indian students at public schools aren't being counted.

In South Dakota, for example, 7.4 percent of Indian student test scores aren't reported separately, the AP said.

State Education Secretary Rick Melmer said Indian student test scores, however, are counted at the state level to determine the adequate yearly progress standard.

Get the Story:
Official: Loophole Doesn't Ignore Indian Students (AP 4/18)
pwlat

Related Stories:
Herseth, Miller visit South Dakota reservations (03/24)
Dorgan holds listening session on Indian education (03/24)
Herseth focuses on education during reservation tour (3/22)
District adopts plan to improve Indian education (03/13)
Tribes oppose education reorganization at BIA (02/17)
Indian student test scores lagging in Michigan (01/19)
Native students show mixed progress on report card (10/20)
BIA to hold consultation sessions on education (08/26)
Bush administration blasted on Indian education (06/17)
Senate oversight hearing on Indian education (6/17)
Senate bill restores funding for Indian programs (06/09)
Tribes struggle to find funds to fix crumbling schools (06/09)
Bill calls for tribal consultation on BIA budget (05/31)
Indian educator: More classwork, less culture (05/27)
BIA publishes final No Child Left Behind regulations (04/28)
School construction fared poorly on White House test (02/14)
Indian education funds reduced by Bush budget (2/10)
New Bush administration budget slashes programs (2/7)
Complaints prompt probe into BIA education (06/17)
Report finds BIA misused school emergency funds (05/12)
Tribes tackle budget woes under Bush administration (4/14)
Audit finds school construction problems at BIA (04/12)
Report finds lax safety measures at BIA schools (04/08)
Budget resolution barely clears House vote (03/26)
Tribal leaders denounce BIA budget plans as reckless (03/24)
BIA education programs taking $79 million hit (3/23)
Indian educators meet for legislative summit (3/22)
Cuts run deep for tribal programs at BIA (03/09)
Navajo leader gives BIA a 'D' for school funding (03/04)
BIA to publish replacement school construction list (2/26)
Comments sought on No Child Left Behind Act rules (02/26)
Tom Daschle: Leave no Indian child behind (2/25)
Senate panel shares criticism of Bush budget (02/12)
Tribal leaders pressing Congress on funding (02/11)
BIA programs barely survive White House test (02/10)
BIA budget staying the same under Bush request (2/3)
BIA Schools: Are Indian students being left behind? (01/26)
NCAI president uses speech to lobby for funding (01/22)
Bush education official pays visit to N.M. school (01/09)
Report card shows Native students falling behind (06/23)
Paige advancing Indian issues at Ed. Dept. (6/16)
Tribal-federal effort targets Indian education (11/15)
Controversial BIA school proposal dropped (05/16)
Leave no Indian child behind (5/15)
Court to decide limits of trust duty (4/23)
Bush school proposal faces tribal debate (3/19)
McCaleb: Bush helping education (3/7)
Bush proposal strips BIA of education (2/5)
Bush school proposal criticized (2/5)
GAO report finds failing BIA schools (10/29)
Final BIA school goes online (8/24)
Norton, McCaleb to address Indian educators (7/23)
Norton pushes Indian school construction, reform (7/17)
Norton to visit Indian school (7/16)
Norton to visit Indian Country (4/25)
Tribal Schools on Priority List (2/16)