In an interview, Huntsman said he would direct some effort toward students in early education — prekindergarten to third or fourth grades —among this struggling population. "Early education is the great leavening event," he said. "The playing field is still even."

The Navajo Utah Commission asked state lawmakers for what it called an "Indian education statute" to show official state recognition of the problem, to encourage a comprehensive Indian education policy, to cultivate a statewide strategy to better this population and a plan for more funding and administrative attention.

"The success rates of Utah's American Indian students continue to lag far behind acceptable standards," the commission wrote in a proposal. "There are discrepancies in efforts to overcome these challenges; there's wide variance in interest and dedication regarding Indian education issues at any given time among educators, administrators and legislators."

"I'm not saying they can't achieve, but as a group they are consistently low," said Clarence Rockwell, commission executive director.

Turning it around

It's necessary to point out that American Indians are "right-brain dominant," Cuch explains, so "whole brain" learning programs with a focus on the arts, small student-to teacher-ratios, group learning, games and phonetic reading programs work best. Self-advocacy, American Indian curriculum and parental involvement through high school are also key elements.

"My hope is if we can learn how to do this, we'll save lives," Cuch said.

Monument Valley High School principal Pat Seltzer doesn't disagree that Indian students learn differently than white students. "A holistic approach works better than a linear approach."

But she gets defensive when she hears criticism of public schools.

"I think the measuring stick we're using is wrong," she said.

"I think our kids don't test well. I do think expectations aren't as high as they could be, but I think teachers are working hard. I think teachers do want kids to do well. Kids want to do well. Their parents want them to do well."

And tribal leaders are certainly turning attention toward education.

Bruce Parry, executive director of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation in Brigham City, called it the top priority for all tribes in the state. For many students, the bottom drops out as early as elementary school.

"They seem to be doing OK until about fourth grade. Then they start going downhill," Parry said. "A lot of them don't make it to high school."