Implementing a Neighborhood Structure in an Existing High School: A Case Study in Cultural Change
Jeffery A. Lackney, Ph.D., A.I.A.
Presentation at CEFPI's 78th Annual International Conference: Creating High Performing Schools, Denver, CO., October 17-20, 2001.
View the PowerPoint Presentation
Project Description
James Madison Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin is restructuring their existing school building and school culture to reflect the findings from school size research and models of school restructuring. The project is partially funded by a three-year federal Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Grant, with the technical assistance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other community partners. Memorial High School has begun implementing a process of decentralizing their 2,000-student school into four physical and organizationally distinct 'Neighborhoods' of 500 students and 25 teachers each. Each Neighborhood has its own community center in a newly remodeled space within the school. Neighborhood groupings will be further decentralized into 5 Block Groups and 25 Backyard Groups. The goal of the project is to close the achievement gap, to create a collegial school culture, to build student leadership and ownership for the future direction of the school, and increase and diversity student participation in extracurricular activities. Students, teachers and parents were involved in the planning of the neighborhood centers located throughout the building. This presentation, part of a longitudinal ethnographic study will describe and analyze the story of the cultural change that is taking place at Memorial H.S. from inception to implementation.
For additional Information on Memorial's Neighborhoods:
Updates on the Neighborhoods can be seen at Memorial High School's website at http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/jmm/nbrhood/index.htm.
Also see Forming Small Learning Communities: Implementing Neighborhoods in and Exisitng High School.
