Brian Sodoma

Arizona Lottery

National high school graduation rates are a sore subject to some, but they are a tough pill to swallow for the Native American population. Only 67 percent of the country’s American Indian high schoolers actually reach commencement, far below the 80 percent national average, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Fixing the problem requires cooperation from a variety of public agencies, but in the meantime, one Arizona program aims to make an impact by getting college on the mind of Native American high schoolers before graduation.

Last year, the Arizona Lottery contributed $160,000 to the state’s Tribal College Dual Enrollment Program, an effort passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2014. Overseen by the Arizona Department of Education, the program gives thousands of Arizona’s Native American high school students the opportunity to take a college course for both high school and college credit.

“This is really something that is going to benefit a lot of students in Arizona,” said Elmer Guy, president of the Navajo Technical University, based in New Mexico but with campuses in Chinle and Teec Nos Pos, Ariz.

How it works

With the help of lottery funds, tribal colleges can be reimbursed for credit hours taken by high school students. For Guy, dual credit enrollment helps Navajo Technical sharpen student skills in high school before taking them on as college students.

“For us, high school graduates come here and a high percentage need remedial education. … So we thought ‘we should try to get to them earlier,’” Guy said.

Arlena Benallie is the director for Navajo Technical’s Chinle campus. In the spring 2016 semester, 28 high school students took dual credit classes like algebra, chemistry, and trade-related courses like electrical, carpentry and automotive.

That number will only climb, Benallie added, as she and her team have been in discussion with eight high schools, and more slated, to inform them about dual credit opportunities. Some of the schools she has reached out to include: Window Rock, Greyhills, Valley Sanders, Monument Valley, among others.

“It’s a new program and I think it will become really successful. The harder we work, the more students we could reach,” she said.

College bound, and not

Daniel Sestiaga, pre-college outreach coordinator with Tohono O’Odham Community College, said dual enrollment can also benefit those students who may not be considering college yet. At his institution, dual credit algebra and writing courses have been offered, along with a Tohono O’Odham history course and an Art 100 class. His team is driven to diversify course offerings so that some students can dabble in more elective college classes.

“Those students that are kind of on the cusp, who are not really sure about college, it’s about trying out different electives to see what they might be interested in. … It’s about that door opening to what can be achieved with college,” he added.

Benallie said her team does target students with a GPA of at least 2.5, but is open to all who are interested. In dual enrollment situations, she is proud to say there is nearly 100 percent success with students achieving at least a C; most are actually A-students, she added.

“For us, we find Navajo students are very hands on. They like that kind of learning and they can be very artistic,” she added.

Standards, STEM

In order for the tribal college or university to receive reimbursement from lottery dollars, students must earn a C or better, explained Nadine Groenig, Director of Indian Education for the Arizona Department of Education. Groenig emphasized that the low academic levels among Native Americans are not a reflection of student ability.

“In Arizona we wanted to set the bar at at least a C or better, if for no other reason than to send the message that we believe they can reach that bar,” she said. “It’s been set way too low for way too long.”

At this time, accredited tribal colleges in the state eligible for dual enrollment funds include Diné College, in Tsaile; Tohono O’Odham Community College, in Sells, and Navajo Technical University’s two satellite campuses. San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation’s recently established community college is currently seeking accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. It could be eligible once accreditation is earned.

Sen. Carlyle Begay, a Navajo himself and vocal supporter of the 2014 legislation, says with tribal colleges looking to expand dual credit course offerings, more Native American high schoolers could potentially be exposed to STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) career opportunities.

He points to the successes seen with programs like Code Writers which seeks to enhance science curricula at reservation high schools through the help of corporate sponsors.

“This will help break down classroom walls and bring these corporations to rural parts of the state,” Begay added.

Regardless of whether a student chooses a STEM career, Sestiaga says motivated Native American high school students could still get a valuable leg up on their college peers.

“For us, we want to ultimately get to the point where we have high schoolers who graduate and already have an associate’s degree completed,” Sestiaga added. “We have a great opportunity to do it.”

To learn more about how the Arizona Lottery supports and contributes to the Arizona economy and various public and private community programs, visit the Arizona Lottery’swebsite.

Story from: Arizona Lottery