Scottsdale Unified presents Native American education update showing higher graduation rate, persistent absenteeism
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Summary
District staff reported improvements — including a 97.22% graduation rate for Native American students and a rise in AP test participation from 7 to 31 — alongside ongoing challenges: a 36% chronic absenteeism rate for the subgroup and limited Title VI funding.
District staff provided a spring update on programs and outcomes for Native American students, reporting a mixed picture of academic progress, expanding opportunities and continuing attendance challenges.
Sheila Cypress, Native American education coordinator, and Dr. David Furnisky gave the presentation. They said 849 students in the district identify as Native American in whole or in combination with another ethnicity (about 450 if counting only those who identify solely as Native American). Average daily attendance for the subgroup was about 91%; chronic absenteeism for the group was reported at 36%, which staff said is below a cited statewide subgroup rate of roughly 50%.
Cypress highlighted several measures of academic progress: pass rates on state assessments showed small gains (ELA passing rose from 36% to 37%; math rose from 31% to 34%), and AP exam participation jumped from 7 students in 2024 to 31 in the most recent year, with a 58% pass rate across 22 exams administered. Cypress said the district covers AP exam costs using Title VI grant funding and emphasized the importance of college‑access events for families.
She also cited the subgroup’s graduation rate: "As Native American population students in SUSD, as of last year, we broke the barrier of always being below 90%. We broke at 97.22%," Cypress said, noting 61 graduates last year and an expected 67 this year.
Program resources remain limited: Cypress reported about $106,000 in Title VI funds for programming, supplemented by Johnson O’Malley funds (roughly $15,000–$19,000) that help pay activity fees and trips. Cypress said the team operates with a small staff (three to four people in the district office) and leverages partners like Native health and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community.
Board members asked for follow‑up data by school to see where best practices are working; staff committed to follow‑up. Cypress also described a range of program activity — cultural events, college presentations and competitive recognitions — that staff say support engagement and graduation outcomes.
Next steps: District staff said they will return with more granular school‑level analysis and continue partnerships and outreach to improve attendance and course performance.
