Community Mapping Template

This tool helps educational leaders systematically analyze district structures, demographics, relationships, and narratives to identify patterns and inform strategic decision-making. By mapping your community's unique context, you can develop more targeted approaches to addressing educational challenges and opportunities.

1.) Initial Focus

Question: In 1-2 sentences, what is the specific goal, question, challenge or opportunity that you are engaging in this community mapping for? Keep this focus (boundary) in mind for all subsequent questions.

Answer:

2.) Context

2.1 Structural Divides: District

Question: How is the district organized?

  • How many schools are there at each level, including number of alternative or charter schools?

  • How is school management structured? (By level, by region, etc.)

Answer:

2.2 Structural Divides: Geographic

Question: What are the geographic dividers in the district? Note: Dividers are descriptive and not necessarily divisive.

  • What are the major neighborhoods or regions?

  • How does enrollment policy or feeder patterns map onto the major neighborhoods or regions?

Answer:

2.3 People: Students and Families

Question: Who and where are our students and families?

  • What are the important demographics for the district?

  • Where do students go to school? How do these demographics map onto our school divides?

  • Where do students live? How do these demographics map onto our geographic divides?

Answer:

2.4 People: Staff

Question: Who and where are our staff?

  • What are the important staff demographics (experience, time in the district, race, etc.)?

  • How do these demographics map onto our school divides?

  • How do these demographics map onto our geographic divides?

Answer:

2.5 History

Question: What is the district/city history related to our context?

  • What historical events shaped our district and geographic structures?

  • Has it always been this way? What came before the current structures?

  • What is the district's (city's) history related to our initial focus?

Answer:

3.) Current State

3.1 Relationships

Question: For our initial focus, how would we describe our relationships?

  • What is the relationship between different parts (students, staff, communities, demographics, school level, etc.) of our district with our central leadership?

  • What is the relationship between different parts of our district with our initial focus?

Answer:

3.2 Experiences: Data and Listening

Question: What have we heard or observed about experiences related to our initial focus?

  • What have we heard or observed about student experiences related to our initial focus? What is different about student experiences based on any of the structural divides?

  • What have we heard or observed about staff experiences related to our initial focus? What is different about staff experiences based on the structural divides?

  • What do we need to learn more about student or staff experiences? What assumptions do we need to test? (See Measurement for tools like Catalyze and Elevate that measure student and staff experiences.)

Answer:

3.3 Narratives

Question: What are some of the major narratives in our district about our initial question?

  • Who is each narrative about?

  • Who spreads each narrative?

Answer:

4.) Next Steps

Question: Based on this mapping, what are the priority areas for action?

Answer:

Adapted from Credible Change, used with permission.