New Mexico State University,
Department of Educational Management and Development
and
PROJECT MAISA: Model of American Indian School
Administration
A Preparation Program for American Indian School Administrators
Project MAISA is a federal grant that provides funding for American Indian school
personnel to attain their Master’s degrees, so that they can serve as administrators in
schools with significant percentages of American Indian students. The project represents
a new model for preparing educational leaders to address the needs of American Indian
students by focusing on issues of culture, linguistic diversity, and leadership
development. The goal of the project is to provide a collaborative, comprehensive
Master’s degree in Educational Administration leading to licensure for aspiring American
Indian administrators serving schools with American Indian populations.
The MAISA model is a graphic representation of the key elements that guide a school in
meeting the needs of American Indian students. The role of the principal in this model is
to understand, implement, and sustain these key elements into the general program of
instruction for all students. The model consists of three concentric circles centering on
the priority of the school, the student. The model’s center, the student, is surrounded by
spheres of influence, or domains, that must be considered by the principal. These
domains have been identified as essential in providing the type of instruction that will
result in high student achievement for American Indian students and ELL (Charleston,
1994; Cleary & Peacock, 1998; Cummins, 1996; Gonzalez, 1992; Miramontes, et al.,
1997).
Faculty for the project include Dr. Dana Christman, Assistant Professor, Oklahoma
Cherokee; Dr. Raphael Guillory, Visiting Professor, Nez Perce; Dr. Donald Pepion,
American Indian Program Director, Blackfeet. Other faculty may also teach in the
program.
