A long-running gap has closed at Bureau of Indian Education schools.

High schools funded or managed by the Bureau of Indian Education posted the highest average graduation rates in the agency’s history, according to the Associated Press. Eight high schools saw every senior in the 2025/26 class graduate, and another 13 schools recorded graduation rates of 90 percent or higher.

The rise has brought the graduation rate for students at BIE-managed or funded schools to the national average of 87 to 88 percent, the AP reported.

BIE Director Tony Dearman said the results showed what can happen when school communities work together.

“These schools are a testament to what is possible when students, families, educators, and tribal communities work together,” he said. “Our students are showing the nation what Native excellence looks like. Their success reflects the unwavering dedication across our school communities to keep students at the center of everything we do, to ensure they graduate, and to thrive afterward.”

In a statement marking the milestone, the BIE said it had modernized its data systems and used technology to give schools pacing guides, instructional resources, real-time dashboards and reporting tools for consistent instruction and early identification of student needs.

The AP also reported that BIE officials changed how they counted some students. In the past, students who changed schools had been counted as having left school unfinished. After that was corrected, graduation figures rose.

Remote learning, kept in place after the pandemic years, also helped some students with responsibilities at home, including family caregiving or work, according to the AP. The report also said greater opportunities and exposure to the trades helped technically inclined students stay engaged.

Graduation rates for Native American students were 51 percent in 2015, a sign of how much they have risen in a relatively short time.

Read more from Good News Network.