Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida was the site for this field research intended (1) to investigate the elements of present-day cultural practices which impede the educational development of the children and (2) to gauge the impact of the Federal day school in preparing Indian children for the transition to public schooling. The study was also directed at those areas in which special services were needed to improve the school program. Methodology employed in the study was that of the participant observer in the Indian community. The target area for this study was the Ahfachkee Elementary Day School, established in 1940 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a thatched roof hut and now replaced by a well-equipped, air-conditioned, 2-classroom structure with an enrollment of 40 (1968-69) and 2 teachers and a teacher aide. The study points out the personalized atmosphere the Federal day school provides for the children, which results in high attendance but is contrasted by the high dropout rate when they transfer to the public school in Clewiston as they enter the fifth grade. A typical day at Ahfachkee is described, and evaluative remarks are made of the academic program. The educational future of Seminoles on Big Cypress is also discussed. (EL)