New Educational Initiative for Native American Students
Tempe Union High School District is preparing to introduce a specialized pathway program designed for Native American students. This initiative will feature a curriculum tailored to reflect their cultural heritage while assisting them in planning for life after high school.
The Circle of Nations Pathway Program is scheduled to begin at Mountain Pointe High School during the 2025-26 academic year. It will then extend to Marcos de Niza High School the following year.
Valerie Molina, who manages Native American education at Tempe Union, explained that the program addresses the academic and cultural support gaps many Native American students encounter in high school.
Molina noted that numerous students are first-generation graduates and often lack guidance for their future. She has observed instances where students declined full scholarships due to insufficient planning.
As a Native American herself, Molina shared a personal experience: “I almost didn’t graduate high school because I didn’t have that support, and I didn’t know that I had a scholarship waiting for me at ASU because there wasn’t anybody around to tell me.”
When she began her role at Tempe Union, there were 300 Native American students in the district. Today, that number has grown to approximately a thousand.
She emphasized that post-secondary education can be daunting for these students, and the pathway program aims to help them prepare for college, technical careers, military service, or direct entry into the workforce.
Addressing Graduation and Attendance Challenges
Native American students often face lower graduation rates compared to their peers. State data shows that for the 2025 graduating class, about 71% of Native American students graduated within four years, below the state average of 80%.
Additionally, they have the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the state at 53%, as reported by the Helios Education Foundation.
The pathway program will help students complete or recover credits to graduate on time. It will also integrate Native American perspectives into standard subjects like English and history, according to Charlotte Winsor, director of federal programs at Tempe Union.
The district will offer unique courses such as Diné and Yaqui language classes, along with a freshman history course on Indigenous Cultures of the Southwest, focusing on Arizona’s 22 recognized tribes.
Winsor mentioned that these courses are intended to attract students who feel underserved elsewhere, though developing them presented challenges.
Development of Culturally Specific Courses
Molina revealed that efforts to introduce Native language courses at Tempe Union have been ongoing since 2009.
Initially, tribal elders were hesitant to allow language instruction outside reservations. However, the urgency to preserve languages grew as elder generations age.
To teach these languages, the district required tribal approval for both the course and instructor. This approval enables students to qualify for scholarships like the prestigious Chief Manuelito Scholarship from the Navajo Nation.
The Indigenous Cultures in the Southwest history course, previously offered online, will now be taught in person as part of the pathway program.
Molina stated the goal is to educate students on topics often omitted from American history books without assigning blame. “We don't want to go against any type of state laws in terms of what we're teaching. It's just giving our students an opportunity to see through the lens of the Native American,” she said.
She expects these adapted courses to foster pride among Native American students.
In their senior year, students will undertake a government or economics course, creating an action research project that applies their learning to benefit their Native American community.
The Circle of Nations Pathway Program is fully self-sustained and funded through grants, including federal, state, and community partner support, according to Molina.
The program will launch in the fall semester of the 2026-27 school year with an initial group of around two dozen students.
