It was suggested in Coladarci's piece that teachers try hard to "demonstrate more caring" and that more research needs to be done into whether the perceived lack of caring involves "insensitivity to Native American culture..." The second implication for practice also asks as to whether or not there are "adequate support systems" for students who are at risk, and who don't have an easy time with their homework.
The third implication for practice that the Coladarci article addresses is that "over a third of the dropouts" interviewed "reported that the desire to be with other dropouts was a salient factor in their decision to drop out." So, since that dynamic involves peer pressure, Coladarci reports that perhaps students who did indeed drop out could help those considering dropping out to stay in school. Some of the recommendations from the dropouts included the possibility that the school administration "arrange" discussion groups between dropouts (who presumably are not doing very well without their high school diploma) and current students who are thinking about dropping out.
The issue of drugs and alcohol entered into the study, according to Coladarci's article. Peer pressure from fellow drug users was a "salient factor" mentioned by "approximately a third of dropouts" in the survey. Another factor, the article mentions, is that students "had to attend school for the entire senior year, even though they merely needed one of two classes to graduate." That would seem to be a fairly simple problem to fix, for a school district; it would seem that there could be alternative classes...
And in fact, all students should be concerned by the "dependence of the Hopi and Navajo Nations on the strip mining of coal for a large portion of their budgets." As a nation, America took most of the Indian lands away from them, placed them on reservations, and now the U.S. allows giant corporations to profit by exploiting and polluting the land the Indians count on for their survival. That should be a topic in all high schools, especially Native American high schools. It's a tragedy and a rip-off of the land and the people.
Works Cited
Coladarci, Theodore. "High-School Dropout Among Native Americans." Journal of American
Indian Education 23.1 (1983): 1-5.
Reyhner, Jon. "Dropout Nation." Indian Education Today. June 2006,…
