Pueblo of Santa Ana credits after‑school program with reading, math gains and 100% graduation among participants

Eddie Guarola, director of education for the Pueblo of Santa Ana, described a community‑driven after‑school and internship program that relies on liaisons, certified tutors from nearby schools, a special education specialist and culturally responsive activities.

"This last year, I was looking at the data and 100 percent of our students that are involved in our after school... see improvement in reading, and or mathematics," Guarola said, adding that his program supports roughly 70–85 students and that participating seniors posted GPAs about 0.5 points higher than nonparticipants.

Guarola said the program emphasizes relationships and hands‑on learning rather than more testing: liaisons track student needs, tutors work with small groups and the Pueblo uses internships and community capstone projects to connect students with vocational and higher‑education pathways. He described specific supports for special education and family outreach to reduce stigma and improve IEP participation.

Committee members asked how the program's internal gains translate to state assessments and proficiency rankings. Representative Sarangana and others said a 100% graduation rate among participants is encouraging but does not automatically prove proficiency in math and reading; Guarola said liaisons gather school data and quarterly charts and that those micro‑level improvements are the program's immediate focus.

Guarola said the Pueblo supplements state funding with grant applications when needed and that the new IEF awarding approach provides three years of stability to plan multi‑year internships and capacity building.

The committee requested follow‑up on the program's baseline measures, the specific instruments used to measure reading and math gains, and the plan for tracking longer‑term outcomes for graduates.