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This study examines the history of Navajo literacy and its meaning in the lives and teaching practices of three Native American Indian bilingual teachers. The autobiographies of the teachers were recorded in the form of life history interviews and analyzed in relation to an historical account of Navajo education which integrates public documents, archival materials, research in literacy in multi-ethnic communities, and Navajo children's literature. This study includes a bibliography of Navajo language literature from 1940-1990 which has been categorized by title, date, publisher, and curriculum topic.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree and type of participation of selected Navajo educators. A questionnaire was developed for this study to allow categorization of the participant's responses of frequencies of participation at specific administrative levels and institutional functions. Selected elementary and secondary schools were visited by appointment and thirty-two participants volunteered for this study. A diversity of Navajo educators was represented, according to background information obtained. Participants included both males and females, ages twenty-one to sixty, one to sixteen years of teaching experience, on-campus and on-site degree program graduates, public and B.I.A. school systems, six individual schools, and administrators and teachers. Overall, the greatest frequency of participation was as follows: For the Policy and Planning and Coordinating and Developing levels, student services (assessment and counselling) and curricular activities were highest, respectively. Daily teaching and administering duties were highest, as would be expected, at the Supervising and Implementing level with curriculum development and student counselling and assessment next highest, respectively. Considering background characteristics, a public school district, an individual public school, males, the thirty to thirty-nine age group, on-campus program graduates, those with six years of teaching experience total or within a school district each reported the highest frequency of participation when compared within categories, respectively. Based on the overall mean of frequencies reported, high or low values were assigned. When the chi square statistic was employed, three significant relationships were found within background groups: those with Master's degrees; those with six to sixteen years of teaching; those with five to twelve years in a school; and those from one university had significantly higher frequencies. This study was exploratory in nature; and it is not known to what degree the conclusions could be extended to the general population of Navajo educators. The Navajo educators studied did participate to some degree at all levels in all school functions. Certain groups reported more participation, and those with Bachelor's degrees, fewer than six years of teaching experience, and fewer than five years in a school reported significantly lower frequencies of participation.

This retrospective ethnographic study, conducted in a small community on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona, investigates the sociocultural environments of fifth grade Navajo children who have become successful readers. The purpose of this research study is to begin the process of identifying and describing in detail the characteristics of the home environments leading to this success. The study also investigates social and cultural factors beyond the homes and families, and includes a brief look at the role of the schools and the community in reading development for these identified students. Successful readers were identified by classroom teachers and each was given an individual reading evaluation based upon miscue analysis, to verify their reading proficiency. Data on the sociocultural environment was gathered through open-ended interviews with fifteen selected students, their parents, their teachers, and the school principal, as well as through searches of the students' school records. Data from this study suggests a much higher success rate for Navajo children than is commonly reported with standardized achievement tests. This study exposes some of the myths of Navajo and other minority failure by identifying instances of Navajo success. Social conditions, such as single parent families, low income, alcoholism, and unemployment did not prevent the development of literacy for these children nor did linguistic differences and limited amounts of written material in the homes. Teachers, parents, the principal, and the students themselves identified the home, rather than the school, as the most important factor in these children becoming successful readers. Within the home, the development of literacy was assisted through child initiated activities and questioning, and supportive adults' responses, rather than through direct instruction. Literacy, for each child in the study, was achieved in different ways. In addition to general findings, four case studies are presented, providing a detailed view of some of the multiple ways of becoming literate in this Navajo community.

The purpose of this study was to compare employment rates of vocational agriculture program completers from Chinle High School in Arizona with employment rates of non-Hispanic Native Americans residing in the same area and of comparable age. In addition, program completers' perceptions of the competencies taught and the value of the vocational agriculture program at Chinle High School were ascertained. Results indicated vocational agriculture program completers from Chinle High School had higher employment rates than the comparison group. Program completers were employed in a variety of occupations, the highest frequency working in production agriculture enterprises. Program completers were using many Core Curriculum Competencies taught in the vocational agriculture program. The competencies were used in primary vocations, avocations, or both. Program completers placed a high value on their experiences while enrolled in the vocational agriculture program at Chinle High School. The program was given high ratings by participants.