Walking on sacred ground a Navajo school-within-a-school model / by Sigmund A. Boloz and Christian Blessing. [electronic resource] :

Teachers at the Ganado Primary School in rural Arizona established an instructional team to form a "School-within-a-School" (SWAS). The school is located on the Navajo reservation and serves 450 K-2 students who are predominately "at risk" and limited-English-proficient. Over a period of 8 months, the faculty researched and discussed the concept. Eight teachers highly committed to the idea decided to launch a SWAS. There were three kindergarten, three first-grade, and two second-grade teachers. The philosophy of the SWAS was child-centered, process-oriented, and literacy-based. Teachers on the team visited each other's classrooms, met frequently to plan thematic structures, and engaged in collaborative activities. Camaraderie developed among teachers and students in the SWAS, and transitions to the next grade were easier for all involved. Higher student achievement within the SWAS was indicated by scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test, a district-wide writing assessment, and assessments of attitudes toward reading. The nonparticipating portion of the student body served as the control group. The school expanded the instructional team concept and is now divided into three smaller SWAS.