National Indian Education Study

NIES is designed to describe the condition of education for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the United States. The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the request of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education (OIE).

The goal of the study is to describe the condition of education of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students by focusing on both their academic performance and educational experiences in grades 4 and 8. This activity is part of a collaborative effort among Indian tribes and organizations, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and state and local education agencies toward meeting the challenging academic standards set forth in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) with support from the Office of Indian Education (OIE), U.S. Department of Education. NCES designed the study in consultation with a Technical Review Panel (TRP) whose members include American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) educators and researchers from across the country.

A nationally representative sample of 4,100 AI/AN fourth-graders and 3,700 AI/AN eighth-graders participated in the 2019 NAEP reading assessment, and nationally representative samples of 4,000 AI/AN fourth-graders and 3,800 AI/AN eighth-graders participated in the 2019 NAEP mathematics assessment. About 7,000 AI/AN students from approximately 1,400 schools at grade 4 and about 6,300 AI/AN students from approximately 1,300 schools at grade 8 participated in the 2019 NIES survey. Also responding to the survey were about 2,200 teachers and 1,300 school administrators at grade 4 and about 2,700 teachers and 1,200 school administrators at grade 8.

See the Inclusion and Accommodation DataClick to open pdf. from the 2019 study.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students represent about 1 percent of the total student population in the United States. While sufficient for reliable reporting of national-level results, a typical NAEP AI/AN sample is often not large enough to provide reliable results by state. Therefore, the NAEP samples for this population of students were augmented to permit reporting of performance in 2019 for the 15 NIES states.

In addition to the questionnaires administered as part of the 2019 NAEP assessments, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students and their teachers and school administrators also completed questionnaires specifically for NIES. Most of the survey questions were multiple choice, but space at the end for additional comments was included. The questionnaires were developed with the guidance of a Technical Review Panel assembled to advise NIES.

Examples of the themes that were addressed by the student respondents include perceptions about school and learning, exposure to and knowledge of the AI/AN culture in school and at home, and the students' plans for the future. Teachers were asked questions about their general qualifications, experience with AI/AN culture, and preparation to teach AI/AN students. The demographic characteristics of students and staff, community involvement within the school, and the general emphasis on AI/AN culture and curriculum are some of the types of questions that were asked of school administrators.

NIES results are available for some states. In order to report state-level NIES results, sample sizes need to meet NCES standards to ensure reporting is accurate and statistically representative of AI/AN students. NCES standards are not met if the number of AI/AN students in the state’s sample of participating schools is too small to meet sample minimums. A state’s NAEP sample may be relatively small compared to its total number of students, and sampled schools may not have large enough AI/AN populations to collectively report state-level NIES results.

For more information on reporting subgroup results, visit Minimum School and Student Sample Sizes for Reporting Group Results.

The 2005 results of Part I of the NIES set a baseline for 21st century NAEP reading and mathematics performance of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in grades 4 and 8. The 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2015 reports build on this information to form a more complete picture of the status of education for AI/AN students in the United States.

The mission of the Office of Indian Education (OIE), within the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), is to support the efforts of local educational agencies, American Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students so that they can meet the standards set for all students.

NIES was first conducted in 2005 and reported in two parts, examining American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students' performance in NAEP mathematics and reading assessments, and their educational experiences. It was conducted again in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

Additional studies using NAEP data include Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008, and an earlier status and trends report.

Four studies from NCES that use 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data describe characteristics of elementary and secondary public, private, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, focusing on school characteristics, school library media centers, principals, and teachers.

Also see American Indian and Alaska Native Children: Findings From the Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) from NCES.

There are other recent reports using NAEP data from the Regional Educational Laboratories (REL) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). To find these reports, search the Education Resources Information Center known as ERIC.