Historically, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students have experienced disproportionately low education achievement relative to their grade-level peers.

Further, AI/AN graduation rates continue to drop, and academic achievement lags behind other groups. Improving AI/AN student achievement at all levels continues to be a serious challenge.

This annotated bibliography identifies promising programs, policies, practices, and processes — and supporting research — that may benefit educators in their efforts to close the AI/AN achievement gap.

The 33 articles (e.g., studies, books, reports) in this bibliography inform or describe interventions for improving the achievement of AI/AN students, and are categorized as follows:

  • School improvement
  • Literacy, mathematics, and science
  • Language and culture
  • Behavior and social-emotional inventions
  • Parent, family, and community involvement

Collectively, the articles relate to a broad range of Indigenous peoples, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Studies touch on Indians living on reservations, students in Bureau of Indian Education schools, students in tribally controlled schools, and English language learners.