Among the depressing statistics about such problems on Montana Indian Reservations as crime, alcoholism and poverty, there is a particularly unhappy harbinger for the future: school drop-out rates on reservations are three times higher than in the rest of the state. Only a little over half of reservation students complete high school, far below the 80 percent rate for all Montana students.

Reasons for this are complex, but necessary changes must include a sufficient number of quality teachers who motivate their students and stick around to keep them motivated.

Many teachers from outside reservations find themselves unhappy in such a rural, unfamiliar setting, leading to constant turnover. And many people who live there lack the education to be certified as teachers or don't have the money to pursue that education.

Now University of Montana professors Jan La Bonty and Marian McKenna have been awarded a three-year, $3 million federal grant to try to change that.

Most of the money will be used for a scholarship program aimed directly at people who want to teach in rural schools. The university is targeting people currently attending tribal colleges who are interested in getting a four-year education degree at UM and people who already are working on reservations as teacher aides or paraprofessionals but can't afford further education.

Hands have been wringing for a long time over reservation woes, but here is a program that could make a real difference. Good teachers who understand the territory and want to stay there for the long haul aren't going to magically revitalize reservation schools overnight. They should, however, improve their students' odds of avoiding the lifelong consequences of being a drop-out on the rez.