In order to design programs that will work well with Indian students, the Indian Education Section of the urban Minneapolis Public Schools is seeking accurate data about its 1,800 American Indian students through a conceptual research model that focuses on demographics, background and socialization variables, and school performance. Among the district's five on-going long-range research projects are the Successful Child project and the Indian Drop-Out project. A study of 72 successful urban Indian students, the Successful Child project is attempting to determine patterns of internal and external support structures, world view, and success strategies, in order to determine how, when, and for whom the district should provide support structures. The Indian Drop-Out project is studying 124 Indian students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 to determine whether excessive absenteeism can be understood in the context of youthful problem-behavior. The following service programs are provided for Indian students: math and reading tutors, home visits from social worker aides, a chemical dependency specialist, a reading improvement pilot program, a gifted and talented program, and a 6-week summer school. The research projects face the same barriers that impede service delivery in the schools: funding, staffing, and a mobile population. (SB)