Bureau of Indian Education Graduation Rates Increase as Agency Reforms Fold into Interior and Labor Departments

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By Shaun Griswold

January 15, 2026

More students graduated in 2025 from schools in tribal communities that are operated under the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education, according to new federal data released Thursday. 

The announcement from the Department of the Interior that 79% of students in BIE schools graduated, a 4 percent increase from 2024, comes as administrative reform begins to roll out this year for the agency responsible for educating more than 40,000 students in Native American students across Indian Country.

“This historic achievement reflects disciplined execution, strong instructional leadership and an unwavering focus on student outcomes,” said Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony L. Dearman. “We established clear expectations, strengthened accountability and equipped schools with the tools they need to support every student through graduation and into college or the workforce.”

While BIE graduation rates remain below the national average of 87%, they have increased significantly over a 10-year period. In 2015, just 51 percent of students at BIE schools graduated. The number dipped in 2021 due to the pandemic, but has increased each year since. Students who attend BIE schools represent a small portion of the overall Native American student population, roughly 440,000 nationwide. More than 90% of those students attend traditional K-12 public schools, according to the National Indian Education Association.

Investments into tribal-led solutions, such as curriculum focused on cohesive language programs, have helped boost graduation rates. According to a 2024 report from WestEd, that focus on allowing tribes to adjust programs to their specific community need,s has led to some BIE schools graduating more than 95 percent of their students consistently year-over-year.

For example, the Santa Fe Indian School is an education model that is reformed out of the federal boarding school termination policies. It operates under BIE while operating its own leadership and curriculum through self-governance of the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. It consistently graduates more than 95% of its students, well above the state and national average.

“The promise of these bright spot schools is that they implement high-impact practices that may also help other BIE schools,” according to the WestEd report. “By closely looking at these bright spots — schools that elevate standards and reinforce supports without lowering expectations and where Native students attain favorable graduation results — and by disseminating the insights gleaned from these schools, new learning opportunities abound for educators who are committed to boosting graduation rates.”

The report identified several recommended practices BIE schools could use to retain more students. This includes: centering and celebrating Indigenous identities, histories and cultures, cultivating a qualified and supported workforce, providing multiple kinds of academic supports, and building partnerships with families and tribal members.

Reforms like this have helped lead to measurable improvements for students in BIE schools. According to the Interior, “Bureau of Indian Education students have recorded a 9% increase in math proficiency and a 10% increase in English language arts proficiency since 2016.” 

The federal government said this is a result of system-wide reforms, such as modernized “data systems, using technology to provide schools with pacing guides, instructional resources, real-time dashboards, and reporting tools that enable consistent instruction and early identification of student needs.”

As this progress continues, federal agencies such as the Interior and the Department of Labor are ordered this year to take on tasks to keep BIE programs funded and operational.

An interagency agreement between the federal departments of Education, Interior and Labor went into effect on Jan. 9, 2026. These agreements are part of federal cuts and reorganization under President Donald Trump. They authorize Interior and Labor to conduct administrative services for BIE schools. These are to be conducted in coordination with federal education officials and local tribal education departments. 

Under the agreement, Interior officials are now authorized to carry out provision of services for things like: the Indian Education Professional Development Grant, Alaska Native Education program, Native American and Alaska Native Language Program and  Native American Language Resource Center programs and American Rescue Plan - American Indian Resilience in Education. In total, the Interior is authorised now to carry out 33 specific provisions for BIE. 

Labor Department officials are authorized to carry out 42 provisions, such as: Improving Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged formula grant program, Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program components,  21st Century Community Learning Centers,  Small, and components for the Rural School Achievement program.

On February 10, 2026 ,this interagency group will host a tribal consultation session to listen to tribal communities.

“There are currently 575 federally recognized Indian Tribes, approximately 370 of which have treaties with the Federal government that remain good law,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote in a letter last week. “Indian Tribes do not engage in treaty-making at the Department-level; they engage in treaty-making from one Nation to another to ensure the prosperity of their descendants.”

McMahon wrote that the interagency agreements are designed to uphold treaty rights for Native families by reducing reporting requirements and enabling the administrative reform to improve the grants process to assist Native students in receiving “high-quality education, pursue high wages, meet job demands, and build skills.”

McMahon asked tribal education leaders to consider six questions to be discussed at the consultation in February that can address potential impacts and concerns to this adjustment of how federal education funds get to BIE schools. 

People can participate during the consultation in February or submit comments in writing through March 12. 

To participate in-person (highly recommended) or virtually, please see the following venue information below: 

Venue: National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560 

Date: February 10, 2026 Time: 1:30-5:30 p.m. Eastern Time 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Click on the above copy of the URL into your browser and press enter: Please follow the registration link immediately above to participate at the consultation. To maintain physical security, attendees must register individually, and registration cannot be transferred to or used by others. Once you have completed registration, individualized confirmations for the session will be sent to you with additional information.

WRITTEN COMMENT PERIOD Written public comments for a topic will only be collected through the [email protected] email address. The comment period is now open and will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 12, 2026

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