Project MAISA: A 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 Masters 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 Masters degree in Educational Administration leading to licensure for aspiring American Indian administrators serving schools with American Indian populations.
• The uniqueness of the program is the emphasis on the cultural components of tribe and family that bridge the gap between mainstream pedagogy and curriculum and Native aspects.

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 models 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 as well as English Language Learners.