The Effects of Training in Linguistics on Teaching: K-12 Teachers in White Mountain Apache Schools
THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE: SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
The White Mountain Apache Tribe, with over 12,000 members, is located in the east central region of Arizona on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Whiteriver, the capital, is the largest community with a little over 3,000 residents. It is a young community with approximately 2,739 K-12 students enrolled in the White River Unified School District No. 20 which is composed of three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Of the total number of certified K-12 teachers in Whiteriver Unified School District schools (N=194), only 29 are Native White Mountain Apache. More than half of the districts’ teachers have not been trained nor endorsed to teach using ESL and bilingual instructional approaches.
According to a school and community needs assessment done in the White River Unified School District (Title IX Needs Assessment, 1999-2000) there is a clear need for ESL and bilingual instructional approaches. The priority list of needs includes improving academic instruction, language and culture enrichment, cultural sensitivity, parent involvement, attendance improvement, drop-out prevention, counseling, social development, and self-esteem. Official ESL teaching endorsement in the State of Arizona requires 21 university/college credit hours of specialization in ESL and bilingual instruction. A specially designed course, Apache Language, Applied Linguistics and Apache Culture, taught by both authors at Alchesay High School in White River, was designed by Carrasco to include instruction in the Apache language, and in applied linguistic and cultural information immediately relevant to the linguistic reality of the school and surrounding community.
