The State of Native Education in Arizona

February 28th, 2019

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all levels (pre-kindergarten through college), and closes opportunity and achievement gaps that separate low-

income students and students of color from other youth.

Research and policy analysis on patterns and practices that both cause and eliminate inequities.

Advocacy to share that knowledge and push for policies and practices that help to close gaps.

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Native students make up about 5% of Arizona’s student population. The state serves approximately 50,000 Native students.

U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program, 2018U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), 2016-17 (2014-15 for school lunch and English Learner data).

Total Enrollment: 1,113,433

Source:

3% 5%

45%

5%3%

39%

Student Enrollment by Race/ Ethnicity

Asian/Pacific Islander Black Latino Native Two or More Races White

37

20

712

0102030405060708090

100

Percent of StudentsReceiving Free and

Reduced Price Lunch

Percent of 5-17 YearOlds in Poverty

Percent of EnglishLearners

Percent of studentswith disabilities

Percent of students by program group

Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties have the highest percentages of Native students in the state.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Apache Navajo Coconino Gila La Paz Graham Pinal Totals Pima Mohave Greenlee Yavapai Maricopa Yuma Cochise SantaCruz

Percent Native Students, Grades 3-12, by County

Source: Arizona 2017 Indian Education Annual Report

The 5 counties with the highest numbers of Native students are Maricopa, Navajo, Apache, Coconino and Pima. Together, they serve 84 percent of Native students statewide.

Source: Arizona 2017 Indian Education Annual Report

Maricopa31%

Navajo16%Apache

16%

Coconino13%

Pima9%

Other15%

Percent of all Native 3-12th graders attending AZ schools by County

So, how is Arizona doing?

Let’s start with some good news.

Since 2003, 4th grade math results for Native students have improved faster than the state’s overall results.

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

Aver

age

Scal

e Sc

ore

Students by Race/Ethnicity - NAEP Grade 4 Math

Students overall

Native

Source: NCES, NAEP Data Explorer, 2018

The same is true in 8th grade reading

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

Aver

age

Scal

e Sc

ore

Students by Race/Ethnicity - NAEP Grade 8 Reading

Students overall

Native

Source: NCES, NAEP Data Explorer, 2018

However, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

In 4th grade reading and 8th grade math, results for Native students improved slower than overall

averages

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

NAEP 8th Grade math results over time, by race/ethnicity

All Students Native

175

185

195

205

215

225

235

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

NAEP 4th Grade results over time, by race/ ethnicity

All Students Native

Source: NCES, NAEP Data Explorer, 2018

About 1 in 10 Native 4th graders score proficient in reading and less than 1 in 5 Native 8th graders score proficient in math.

4941 39

15

3439 40

36

17 20 21

48

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Native Latino African American White

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s

By Race/Ethnicity - NAEP Grade 8 Math (2017)

Percent Below Basic Percent at Basic Percent Proficient or Above

69

51 48

22

21

31 32

32

1018 20

46

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Native Latino African American White

By Race/Ethnicity - NAEP Grade 4 Reading (2017)

Percent Below Basic Percent at Basic Percent Proficient or Above

Source: NCES, NAEP Data Explorer, 2018

Arizona’s state assessment – AZMerit – shows similar results.

While the state gets about 40 percent of students to proficiency in English Language Arts, it does so for less than 20 percent of Native

students.

Source: AZMerit Assessment results, 2018; https://azreportcards.azed.gov/state-reports.

40

2830

19

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

All African American Hispanic Native American

AZMerit 2018 - English Language Arts

Math outcomes show similar patterns.

42

26

30

21

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

All African American Hispanic Native American

AZMerit 2018 - Math

Source: AZMerit Assessment results, 2018; https://azreportcards.azed.gov/state-reports.

Only 12% of Native graduating seniors met college-ready benchmarks in reading on the ACT. In math, only 16% of Native

students met the benchmark.

2017 ACT Profile Report for Arizona, available at: http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/cccr2017/P_03_039999_S_S_N00_ACT-GCPR_Arizona.pdf Source:

3438

1216

2125

1622

5358

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Math Reading

Percent of ACT-tested graduates meeting college readiness benchmarks, 2017

All students Native Latino Black White

Only 67 percent of Native students in Arizona graduation high school on time.

NCES, Table 1. Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by race/ethnicity and selected demographic characteristics for the United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia: School year 2016–17United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia: School year 2014–15

Source:

78

66.874.5 73.8

82.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

All students Native Latino Black White

4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate, 2017

Arizona demonstrates some of the lowest graduation rates for Native students nationwide

United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia: School year 2014–15Source:

NCES, Table 1. Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by race/ethnicity and selected demographic characteristics for the United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia: School year 2016–17

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

4-Year cohort graduation rates for Native students, by state

Arizona has one of the lowest higher education enrollment rates among all states.

National Center for Education Statistics, 2012. Source:

Disparities in achievement are a direct result of gaps in opportunity.

What do we know about opportunity to learn in Arizona?

Arizona’s highest poverty districts receive about the same amount in state and local funds as the state’s

lowest poverty districts.

$7,729 $7,853 $7,773 $7,577

$-

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$9,000

Highest Poverty Districts Quartile 2 Quartile 3 Lowest Poverty Districts

State and local revenue per student by district poverty level

Source: The Education Trust, Funding Gaps 2018.

Arizona spends less per student than most other states in the country.

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$15,000

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Per Pupil Expenditure by State, 2014-15.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Table 236.65. Current expenditure per pupil in fall enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2014-15

Arizona ranks second from the bottom in “fiscal effort” put into education.

Dollars spent on education per $1,000 of gross state product, by state

Source: Baker, Bruce D., Danielle Farrie, David Sciarra. Is School Funding Fair?: A National Report Card, Seventh Edition, 2018.

Schools with the most students of color in Arizona have more inexperienced teachers.

16%

28%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Schools with the lowest SOC enrollment Schools with the highest SOC enrollment

Percentage of teachers considered inexperienced

Source: Arizona Department of Education, “Ensuring Equitable Access to Excellent Educators in Arizona (Revised)”, 2015. Note: “Inexperienced” is defined as being in the first or second year of teaching.

Schools with the most students of color also have the most teachers rated “ineffective” – and the

fewest rated “highly effective.”

Source: Arizona Department of Education, “Ensuring Equitable Access to Excellent Educators in Arizona (Revised)”, 2015.

2%

21%

1%

37%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Ineffective Highly effective

Percent of ineffective and highly effective teachers in schools with the most and the fewest students of color

Schools with the most students of color Schools with the fewest students of color

Only 1% of teachers in Arizona are Native.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey, 2011-2012.

2.8

5.4

42.8

5.11.6

42.1

Student Demographics

Asian Black Latino Native Two or More Races White

1.7 2.8

13.11.3

0.9

80.1

Teacher Demographics

Asian Black Latino Native Two or More Races White

Native students in Arizona are more likely than their peers to be identified for special education services.

15.4%

11.7%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Native American Other Ethnicity/Race

Percent of students identified for special education, 2017

Source: Arizona 2017 Indian Education Annual Report

Native students in Arizona make up 5% of high school students and only 1% of AP test takers.

Source: NCES, Common Core of Data 2016-17; College Board AP State Reports 2018

3%10%6%3%

44% 38%

5%1%

2%4%

40% 44%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

High School Enrollment AP Exam Takers

High school demographics compared to AP Exam Taker Demographics

Asian/ Pacific Islander Black Latino Native Two or More Races White

Nearly 1 in 10 Native students has been suspended

5%

2%

11%

5%

9%

4%

8%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

All Students Asian/ Pacific Islander Black Latino Native White Students with disabilities

Percent of students suspended out of school one or more times

Source: Civil Rights Data Collection 2013-14

Chronic absenteeism rates for Native students are higher than for their peers

12.1

24.1

13.812

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

All students Native Latino Black White

Percent of students missing 10% or more school days, 2018

Source: AZ School Report Cards, State Report

Arizona has made progress, but there’s much further to go to ensure that all students get the

opportunities they need to leave high school prepared for success.

Desiree Fowler & Debbie Nez ManuelASBA HNAIC Caucus President &

Page USD Board MemberFounder Morning Star Leaders Inc.

Education, Student & Family Engagement Advocate

ADE- Office of Indian EducationNadine Groenig

Director of Indian Education

Arizona Department of Education

Nadine.Groenig@azed.gov

602-542-5235

Terri Beeler-Saucedo

Administrative Assistant III

Arizona Department of Education

Terri.beeler-saucedo@azed.gov

602-542-2345