This master's research project investigated teaching practices in a Native community school in Manitoba in relation to the school's high dropout rate. The school was located on an isolated Native reserve in northern Manitoba, providing education through grades 9-10. In contrast to successful Native education programs elsewhere that are based in Native language and culture, the school delivered the standard Manitoba provincial education program. In the higher grades, student attendance was very sporadic, and almost all students failed to graduate. Student behavior problems were widespread, and teacher turnover was high. Surveys were constructed with teacher and student input and completed by most teachers and by all students in grades 5 and higher. Several factors emerged as contributing to teenagers' decision to abandon school. Teachers were fully qualified to teach in urban mainstream schools but were poorly prepared for rural northern Native schools. No teacher had taken a university course in actually teaching Native children, and only Native teachers and local aides could speak Cree or relate to community cultural norms. Most staff were new teachers and had little knowledge of alternatives to teacher-directed lectures. As students grew into teenagers, their dissatisfaction with school developed into overt rejection, characterized by nonparticipation and misbehavior. Teachers' disciplinary efforts were unsuccessful. (Contains 58 references. Appendices include teacher and student survey questionnaires, survey results, a map of Manitoba reserves, a community description, and Native cultural materials.) (SV)