Indian high school students in Arizona are staying in school, graduating and getting ready to go to college at record rates.

From 2000 to 2004, the Indian graduation rate grew 13 percentage points to 63 percent. While still below the statewide average of 77 percent, it marks a big improvement from below 50 percent levels some schools saw.

At Marcos de Niza High School, where most of the Indian students are from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the graduation rate is 80 percent, up from 39 percent for boys and 82 percent for girls a few years ago.

Members of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation saw their graduation rates rise to nearly 80 percent, up from around 40 percent before 2003. The improvement came after the tribe instituted a policy to fine parents for students who skip school or turn up late.

Get the Story:
Indian graduation rates better (The Arizona Republic 7/9)

Related Stories:
BIA agrees to delay education reorganization (06/27)
Bush administration's education plans questioned (05/30)
Witness List: Oversight hearing on Indian education (5/25)
Great Plains tribes, schools sue BIA over reorganization (5/25)
Native student test scores lag rest of nation (5/24)
Tribes oppose education reorganization at BIA (02/17)
Bush budget comes under fire at hearing (2/15)
Bush budget details Indian program cuts (2/10)
BIA budget suffers cut for yet another year (2/7)
BIA, state agree on No Child Left Behind standards (10/5)
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)