Abstract
Purpose. The old one-room schoolhouse is the model for a modern public school reform called the "neighborhood schoolhouse." The neighborhood schoolhouse is within walking distance of its twenty K--8 students, facilitated by one teacher and of modern design and technology. This public school alternative is the house next door. The purpose of the study was to identify, via a group of expert panelists, the viability and importance of a future implementation of the neighborhood schoolhouse. In addition, the study sought expert panelists' perceptions of the neighborhood schoolhouse's most important and likely to occur advantages and constraints. Methodology. The Delphi technique was used to identify the future neighborhood schoolhouse concept's most important and likely to occur advantages and constraints. Experts represented in the study included teachers, parents, administrators, policymakers, technology experts, one-room schoolhouse experts and non-public school advocates. Round One of the survey asked these experts to read a future scenario regarding the neighborhood schoolhouse design and implementation by a suburban public school district between the years 2005 and 2010. Experts rated the viability of the schoolhouse and provided three advantages and three constraints to the schoolhouse scenario implementation. The Round Two survey compiled the list of expert's perceived advantages and constraints for experts to rate for importance and likelihood of occurrence. In Round Three, experts reviewed their peers' Round Two responses and were given the opportunity to change their Round Two responses. Findings. The study found advantages and constraint statements that received either substantial or full consensus classified under the following categories: learning environment, parental control, parent involvement, neighborhood inequity, multi-grade configuration, teacher quality, teacher autonomy, student segregation, cost prohibitive, civic involvement, individualized instruction, technology access, and post-schoolhouse adjustment. Conclusions. It was determined that a neighborhood schoolhouse concept provides a host of pros and cons that a school district must be aware in contemplating this alternative education. The experts felt the unique qualities of the neighborhood schoolhouse were important to education.