How Did You Do?

1. True or False?
About 14.5% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population earn a bachelor's degree.
Answer: True — Only 14.5% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population earned a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 31.3% of the overall population, according to the Census Bureau.
2. True or False?
Poverty is one of the biggest impediments for Native Americans earning a college degree.
Answer: True — When children are raised in poverty, early childhood development is often delayed because their parents are in survival mode, focused on the foundational needs of their family: food and shelter. Understandably, a family that is struggling to survive does not have the resources nor the ability to work on educational needs. That's why experts say poverty is one of the biggest impediments for Native Americans earning a college degree.
3. True or False?
Native students perform two to three grade levels below their non-native peers in mathematics and reading.
Answer: True — One contributing factor to this achievement gap is that most American Indian and Alaska Native Students are not prepared to learn when they walk through the doors of their school. Closing this achievement gap is crucial for future generations of Native Americans.
4. True or False?
Native American students are more than 200% more likely to drop out of school.
Answer: True — The Native American and Alaska Native dropout rate is the highest of any U.S. ethnic or racial group. About 3 out of every 10 Native students drop out of school before graduating from high school, both on reservations and in cities.
5. True or False?
Low-income homes, poor economic conditions, lack of adequate health care, and other factors create challenges for Native students that lead to the achievement gap.
Answer: True — At St. Labre, we know firsthand how important it is for young boys and girls to receive a quality education if they are to break the cycle of poverty. That's why we want to do everything we can to help turn these statistics around. But we need your help.

Your support of St. Labre Indian School can give Native American children the exceptional education and better, brighter futures they deserve. Learn more about how you can make a difference.