At just over 13%, American Indian students have the lowest college graduation rate in the United States. In a new publication from the American Indian College Fund, several tribal colleges and universities share how to create systems and structures to promote Native student success.

The publication, titled, Achieving the Dream: Improving Student Success at Tribal Colleges and Universities, is the culmination of the College Fund’s efforts over three years in the Achieving the Dream initiative, a national reform network devoted to community college student success and completion. Two tribal colleges, Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, and Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana, participated in the initiative. The colleges’ participation in the Achieving the Dream program was supported by the Kresge Foundation, which provided tools, resources, and coaching to help the colleges engage in strategies based on data-driven decisions to address and close achievement gaps.

The publication will be shared with the tribal college community to provide instruction in best practices in teaching Native students to promote success. It will also be published on the College Fund’s website. “Native students are often overlooked in the national conversation on student success in higher education, and we hope this publication brings needed attention to the issue. Ideally it will also serve as a useful source of knowledge about what works for the dedicated practitioners who serve these students,” says Caroline Altman Smith, Kresge’s deputy director for the education program. “We’re proud to be a partner with the American Indian College Fund as it strives to support tribal colleges’ efforts to improve student outcomes for Native students.”