This case study focuses on an African American High school in Alabama, the Treholm High School tracing its history for its 90 years until it was closed by court order in 1969, and emphasizing what it was about the school that made it effective in the teaching of African American students. In order to present a perspective on which educational policymakers can build as they construct learning environments, the educational experiences teachers and principals thought essential, the school's interaction with parents and the community, and the educational environment under desegregation are described. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction: The Way It Was"; (2) "George Washington Trenholm: The Role of the Principal in the African American Community"; (3) "It All Began with Miss Doss"; (4) "Remembering the Teachers: The Heart of the Matter"; (5) "The Segregated African American School: A Center for Culture, Recreation, Leadership, and Education"; (6) "The Village as Educator: Learning, Nurturing, and Supporting African American Children beyond the School Building"; (7) "Alabama Politics and School Desegregation: The Punting Syndrome"; (8) "From Segregation Forever to Black Is Beautiful: Access to Higher Education in Alabama Next Door"; (9) "The Destruction of a School Community: Can It Be Rebuilt?"; and (10) "Where Do We Go from Here?" Appendixes discuss significant events related to African American education in Tuscumbia, Alabama and the study's methodology. (SLD)