Our Vision is to be a professional learning community that focuses on students exceeding educational expectations.

Our Mission is to ensure all students a quality education and strengthen Dine’ cultural values for life long learning.

A Message from the Superintendent, August 2011

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2011-2012 school year. Ganado Unified School District is dedicated to preparing students for excellence and success throughout their journey in life. The district’s mission is to ensure all students a quality education and strengthen Dine Cultural Values for life long learning.

For the 2011-2012 school year, Ganado has made some changes that will help us accomplish our mission. The Ganado Governing Board adopted the Teacher and Student Advancement Program or TAP System. The TAP System contains rigorous goals and objectives for students and teachers, and emphasizes shared leadership and a collaborative spirit in the implementation of the School Improvement Process. The TAP system has been recognized by the President of the United Stated and the Arizona Department of Education as being one of the most successful School Improvement Program in the nation. It is the future of education and Ganado USD soon will be a model program for other schools to follow.

Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated Ganado Staff, the district experienced another successful school year in 2010-2011. Following are some of the highlights from the past year:

• GHS produced three Chief Manuelito and two Gates Millenium Scholarship winners. The scholarships paid $40,000 per year to the college of the student’s choice
• GHS students earned the highest AIMS Math and Reading scores of all schools on the Navajo Reservation
• GMS Students had a 65% passing rate on the AIMS Reading test. The highest percent in five years, and 28% of the students EXCEEDED the expectations on the Science test.
• GIS Students attended classes at Purdue University during the summer months, and the number of 6th grade students that Exceeded in math were the highest of any 6th grade class on the Navajo Nation. The 4th grade students also out performed all other Navajo Nation schools in the area of science.
• GPS met AYP for the sixth consecutive year and approximately 75% of students passed the AIMS test.

Although public education continues to face many challenges, I am confident that our district will remain strong and vibrant in preparing students for the future. During these times of financial uncertainty, we will continue to be fiscally responsible while advocating on behalf of our schools and students.

We are proud of the Ganado Community, and know of their commitment to our students, teachers, and schools. We are proud of our success, yet humbly serve.

Our journey remains aided by Six Guiding Principles, or goals, that we call our “Non-negotiables” and ultimately drive our District. They are:

• Quality and Effective Leadership
• A Safe and Positive Learning
• Quality Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Ensuring Quality Student Performance
• Professional Growth for Our School Community, and
• Quality School, Parent, and Community Partnership.

In addition, the Governing Board of Ganado Unified School District has embraced a systematic improvement model called the “Ganado Foundations of Learning” that combines the Dine’ philosophy of life-long learning with a framework that seeks to improve student learning and clear guidance for developing and sustaining improvement throughout our schools.

The Ganado Foundations of Learning are:

• Dine’ Cultural Values
• Thinking
• Career
• Self & Social Awareness
• Respect & Reverence, and
• Communication

Simply put, we are a learning institution that wholeheartedly believes in putting our students first. We encourage you to take a look around and become familiar with our website. Thank you for visiting.

Dr. Javier M. Abrego

Superintendent of Schools

Post Office Box 1757 - Ganado, Arizona 86505 - (928) 755-1000