This document reviews the history of American Indian control of federally funded Indian schools and resulting improvements in American Indian education. The establishment of Rough Rock Demonstration School (Arizona) in 1966 marked the first time in 120 years that an Indian community was allowed to have control over its children's education. The first section includes a time line of the history of Indian controlled schooling, from 1568 when families and tribes were responsible for teaching their children, through the early 1900s when the government attempted assimilation by sending American Indian children to boarding schools, through 1995 when 100 of 188 Bureau of Indian Affairs schools were locally controlled. The second section describes the development of the Association of Community Tribal Schools and its efforts to assist tribal schools in preparing students for lifelong learning and for their role in strengthening and perpetuating traditional tribal societies. The third section describes the history, mission, purpose, and vision of eight tribally controlled schools: Rough Rock Community School (Arizona), Tolchii' Kooh Charter School (Arizona), Oneida Nation School (Wisconsin), Turtle School (Wisconsin), Laguna Middle School (New Mexico), Tiopsa Zina Tribal School (South Dakota), St. Francis Indian School (South Dakota), and Quileute Tribal School (Washington). Also included are interviews with Birgil Kills Straight, a founding member of the Coalition of Indian Controlled School Boards; Tom Miller, superintendent of Hannahville Indian School (Michigan) and board member of the Association of Community Tribal Schools; and Alison Sage, who helped establish Wyoming Indian High School and the Coalition of Indian Controlled Schools. Includes a list of tribal schools funded by the Office of Indian Education Programs. (LP)