A student at the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo from Facebook
Like their counterparts in the Lower 48, Native students in Alaska face disparities in the educational system. Only 57 percent of Native students graduated on time in 2013, compared to 57 percent of White students, The Washington Post reported. Their dropout rate is 6.4 percent, the highest in the state, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Test scores reveal more disparities. Only 7 percent of Native fourth-graders are proficient in reading, the Post reported, compared to 41 percent of Whites. Like those in the Lower 48, the vast majority of Native students attend public schools in Alaska. Alaska Native and American Indian students represent 23.6 percent of the entire student body, according to the Department of Education and Early Development. The Bureau of Indian Education does not oversee or operate any facilities in Alaska. Get the Story:
In Alaska, massive achievement gaps separate Native and white students (The Washington Post 9/1) Related Stories:
President Obama meets Native leaders after landing in Alaska (9/1)
Rhonda Pitka: Alaska Natives put priority on subsistence rights (9/1)
Transcript: Obama remarks following Native leaders roundtable (9/1)
94-year-old Alaska Native elder greets Obama with Denali song (9/1)
Politicians in Ohio oppose return of Alaska Native name for peak (9/1)
President Obama restores Alaska Native name of highest peak (8/31)
President Obama to visit Native villages on historic trip to Alaska (8/25)
Alaska governor pursues appeal in landmark land-into-trust case (8/25)
Alaska Natives to welcome President Obama at end of month (8/17)
Join the Conversation