Conclusion

One might be tempted to dismiss Southridge's accomplishments because the school serves a highly-educated community, was designed "from the ground up" with strong community and district support, and staff members were hired based on their common vision of schooling. True, these conditions greatly facilitated success at Southridge, but they are not sufficient. Most important is a leadership approach that empowers others to share in decisionmaking. This is no easy task, of course, but Southridge's path to success can be instructive to other schools seeking to implement smaller learning communities for students and staff members.

Students consistently report in focus groups that Southridge is a positive environment where, according to one pupil, "The power to impact school action, thus the community, has allowed me to express my interests and make a difference." This sentiment is shared by staff and community members, and it was earned through hard work and an abiding vision and expectation about what people can accomplish when they are empowered to make decisions.