Volume 14 Number 1
October 1974

John J. Sullivan

The Career Opportunities Program of the Education Professions Development Act made possible the initiation and continuing support of this teacher preparation project for reservation communities. Begun in June, 1970, the project enrolled 60 participants drawn from the ranks of teacher aides working in schools in their communities. The participants, who ranged in age from 23 to 58, gathered at the campus of ASU for the 10-week summer session. During the fall semester, the students gathered at centrally located sites on the Fort Apache, Salt River, Gila River, and Papago reservations for their college course work taught during the released time day allotted to the participants by their agencies’ employers. In the spring semester the same pattern was followed.

Program participants were able to combine a work-study approach in their career preparation program because of this field-based method of teacher preparation. All course work, except for the summer session, was taught on the four reservations.

One of the ASU-COP participants received a fellowship which enabled him to work for his master’s degree at Rutgers University during the 1973-74 academic year in a Career Opportunities Program for selected COP participants drawn from projects around the country. He completed his program during the past summer, thus becoming the first American Indian student to graduate from the Career Opportunities Program with his Master’s degree.

Last month the graduates began their careers in education. There is no lack of variety in the settings in which they work. Some are teachers in self-contained classrooms, some are team teaching, two are visitor-teachers on mobile units which are used to bring to reservation communities information on the school’s program for the cbildren, one is a resource teacher-consultant who assists in the identification of pre-schoolers with special needs and the establishment of educational programs to meet their needs.

Almost all of the graduates have elected to begin their master’s degree program. Their undergraduate program was designed to earn certification in elementary education and special education. During the academic year they are earning graduate course credit through courses taught either in their communities or on the ASU campus. The graduate program will lead to a master’s degree in education in the area of learning disabilities. In the summer session, to be held on campus, the students will complete their internship in learning disabilities, in addition to other course work.

The Career Opportunities Program has demonstrated that it can provide a way to address the problem of providing post-secondary education opportunities for the adult American Indian who. is interested in a professional career in education in reservation communities. Programs exist for Adult Basic Education and for the General Educational Development Certificate, but there is minimal opportunity for education at a college level. Post-secondary education in the community is confined usually to short-term training (pre-service or in-service) and some college courses offered occasionally but not as part of a planned career development sequence. In short, there is a lack of professional growth opportunities leading to a four-year degree.

The experience gained through the operation of the Career Opportunities Program during the last four years indicates that community residents employed in various positions on the reservation desire a degree program which makes it possible for them to obtain professional training without the necessity of leaving employment and moving to a campus setting. The scope of the program could be broadened to include participants working in and interested in other areas of specialization.

If such a program were to be initiated, the effects would be felt in many ways and by many segments of the reservation community to be served: