DOCUMENT RESUME ED 047 647 RC 005 061 AUTHOR Erickson, Donald A.; Schwartz, Henrietta TITLE Community School at Rough Rock. SPONS AGENCY Office of Economic Opportunity, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Apr 69 NOTE 333p. EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF-$0.65 HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Achievement, *American Indians, Bilingual Education, Boarding Schools, Community Role, *Community Schools, Community Surveys, Curriculum, *Education, *Evaluation, InterviewS, School Administration, Teacher Characteristics IDENTITIERS *Rough Rock Demonstration School ABSTRACT The objective of the evaluation of Rough Rock Demonstration School (REDS) on the Navajo Reservation was to examine, in terms of its own stated objectives, the school's organizational and social system as a whole. Chapters in the 1969 evaluation report are "What We Did and Why," "The Schools That Were Compared," "Community Relationships," "The Dormitories," "Programs of Instruction," "Teacher Characteristics and Concerns," "Pupil Attitude and Achievement," "Harbingers of Change," and "General Conclusions." Schools included in the comparative study with RRDS are Rock Point Boarding School, Chinle Boarding School, and Chinle Public Elementary School. As stated, the main comparisons relate to a carefully selected sample of pupils in each school (pupil criteria are given for all 4 schools). The report provides results of interviews held with teachers, parents, school staff, and other community members in the target areas. Among the findings, it is pointed out that RRDS was believed to be a successful experiment in introducing the new concept of involving Indian adults to exercise authority in controlling their own school. However, it is noted "that the primary focus of administrators (at RRDS) seemed to be on public relations,...that the secondary emphasis was on an employment program for local people, and that other affairs of the school were neglected" (see RC 005 062). [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of original document.] (EL) COMMUNITY SCHOOL AT ROUGH ROCK A report submitted to the Office of Economic Opportunity by Donald A. Erickson, Project Director U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION t. WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEENREPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSONOR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING It POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED 00 NOT NECES- SARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OFEDU- CATION POSITION OR POLICY. written by Donald A. Erickson, Associate Professor of Education University of Chicago Henrietta Schwartz, Research Assistant Department of Education, University of Chicago with a special report by Oswald Werner, Assistant Professor of Anthropology April, 1969 Contract N . B89,4534 CONSULTANTS Anonymous Professor of Anthropology, The University of Chicago. Robert L. Bergman, M.D. Psychiatrist, Division of Indian Health, U.S. Public Health Service, Window Ronk, Arizona. Edwin M. Bridges, Associate Professor, Department of Education, The University of Chicago. Fred Eggan, Harold H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Anthropology, The University of Chicago. Virginia Ford, School of Nursing, De Paul University, Chicago, Illinois. Orpha McPherson, Former Principal and Supervisor of Bureau of Indian Affairs schools (retired), Phoenix, Arizona. Philleo Nash, Former Commissioner of Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. Oswald Werner, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University. The conclusions and recommendationsin this report are those of the Contractorand do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe Office of Economic Opportunity or anyother agency of the United States Government. TABLE OFCONTENTS/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER PAGE I. What We Did and Why 1 1 2. The Schools That WereCompared 2.1 3. Community Relationships 3.1 4. The Dormitories 4.1 5. Programs of Instruction 5.1 6. Teacher Characteristics and Concerns . 6.1 7. Pupil Attitude and Achievement 7 1 8. Harbingers of Change 8 1 9. General Conclusions 9 1 APPENDIX A. Navahos and Other AmericanIndians Can- vassed for Questions to Explorein the Study A 1 D. Items on School Health ProgramIncluded in Teacher Questionnaire B 1 C. Interview Notes: Professor Oswald Werner (From Chapter 5 Report) C 1 D. Least. Square Estimates of Effectsand Standard Errors from Analysesof Variance, Chapter 7 . D.1 . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We were considerably assisted in the research leading to this report by many people, especially by administrators in the four schools we studied. We are thankful to them all No doubt Rough Rock personnel were inconvenienced more than anyone else by our presence for lengthy periods of time and by our many requests for information. They treated us gra- ciously. We acknowledge particularly the assistance provided by the consultants listed earlier, though they should be held responsible in no way for our conclusions. The computer analyses reported in chapter 7 were planned and executed by Greg Hancock, a graduate fellow in the Depart- ment of Education, University of Chicago. Elsie Manley-Casimir helped considerably in the difficult task of coding. At our first research conference, held in October, 1968, Dillon Platero, the new director of the Rough Rock Demonstra- tion School, and William T. Benham, Jr., Navaho Area Director of Schools for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, journeyed to Chicago to help plan the study. Juanita Begay, Lorene Bennett, Wallace Burbank, and Eddie Thompson, our Navaho field workers, were immensely valuable in our endeavors, and we esteem each of them personally.Juanita Begay came to Chicago at the end of our field work, lived in the home of the director of the study and contributed immeas- urably to the analysis and interpretation of data. It was a pleasure indeed to work with such personnel in the Office of Economic Opportunity as Donna Bean, Rudy Frank, and Michael McMahon. Finally, we are grateful to our families, who supported us unrelentingly and often pitched in to help over a difficult deadline. 4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 2.1 Map of Navaho Reservation 2 3 2.2 Map of Chinle............ 0 2.P 2.3 Map of Rock Point 2 7 2.4Map of Rough Rock 2 8 2.5 Organizational Chart, Chinle Agency Office, BIA . 2.23 2.6Organizational Chart, Chinle Agency Schools, BIA . 2.26 2.7Organizational Chart, Rough Rock Demonstration School 2.27 5.1 Time Distribution for Bilingual Education, Coral Way Elementary School 5 30 5.2 Proposed Time Distribution. for Bilingual Education Rough Rock Demonstration School 5 31 7.1 Bersman Acculturation Pictures, ranging from 1, "most acculturated," to 8, "least acculturated.". 7.11 7.2 Originally Reported Mean Grade-Equivalent Scores on May, 1068, Achievement Tests, Rough Rock and Three BIA Schools, by Reported Grade . 7.24 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Language Spoken at Home, as Reported by Pupils . 2.13 2.2 Extent of Education of Parents and Guardians Interviewed (Self-reported) 2.14 2.3 Residential Mobility of Parents and Guardians Interviewed 2.15 3.1 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Does the Board (or Educational Committee) Have the Final Say-So on What is Done at the School?" . 3.25 3.2 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Do You Think Members of the School Board (or School Committee) are Interested in Your Ideas and Opinions?" 3.25 3.3 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: Have You Ever Talked With a School Board (or School Committee) Member About Education?" 3.25 -3:4 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Does the School Your Child Attends Have a School Board (or Educational Committee)?" 3.31 3.5Responses of Parents .and Guardians to Item: "Please Name as Many School Board (or School Committee) Members as You Can Think of." 3.31 3.6 Answers of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Do You Know Your Child's Teacher?" 3.32 3.7 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Have You Ever Visited Your Child's Classroom?" . 3.33 3.8 Responses of Parents and Guardians to question: "Has Your Child's Teacher Visited You at Home?" . 3.33 3.9 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Rave You Taken Part in Thy Educational Programs for Adults?" 3.33 3.10Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Is the School Following What Most Local Navahos Want For Their Children?" 3.34 3.11 Responses of Parents and Guardians to Question: "Can You Think of One or Two People at the School That Many Local Navahos Like7" 3.34 11' LIST OF TABLES(ontiaue/P Page Table Responses of Parentsar.d Guardians toQuestion: 3.12 People at the School "Can You Think ofOne Gr Two 3.34 ?''' . ..... that Many LocalNavahos Dislike Responses of Parentsand Guardians toQuestion: 3.13 School Your Child "What Don't YouLike About the 3.35 Attends?" of Parents andGuardians to Question: 3.14 Responses Anything at. School That "Has Your ChildEver Learned or Mean toHis Parents--or Made Him Disrespectful 3.36 Made You FeelSad?" Responses of Parentsand Guardians toQuestion: 3.15 Child Should EeTaught at School "Do You Think Your 3.36 About the NavahoWay of Lite?" Question: Responses of Parentsand Guardians to 3.16 Way of Life/ BeingTaught in "Is it /the Navaho 3.36 Your School?" Responses of Parentsand Guardians toQuestion: 3,17 Child Learn in Schoolthat He is "What Should Your 3.37 Not Now Learn.ng?" Question: Responses of Parentsand Guardians to 3.18 Your Child "What Do You LikeAbout the School Attends?" Responses of Parentsand Guardians toQuestion: 3.19 Children to Stay ina Dormitory "Is it Better for or Go on the onto Live at Homeand Walk