American Indian Education: A Rite that Fails¹

Abstract

Comprehensive analysis of attitudes toward formal education among teachers, American Indian parents and students in six High Plains communities reveals eight household types and associated attitude sets. Schooling, considered as a rite of passage, provides differential reinforcement to these attitude sets resulting in attitude erosion and high dropout rates among students and high teacher attrition. System models are used to identify optimum intervention points and strategies. AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION, NATIONAL STUDY OF(NSAIE) 1968‐69; BLACKFEET; NAVAJO; SIOUX; HOUSEHOLD TYPES AND ATTITUDES