An elementary school located in a predominantly black neighborhood on the south side of Chicago decided it was time to restructure the curriculum (scores lagged behind the national average and interest in reading and writing had waned). The principal, parents, and teachers were given extra encouragement to use the process of team building, shared decision making, and positive climate development as a participant in Project CANAL (Creating a New Approach to Learning). A total of 47 staff members participated in a 3-day summer seminar with the intention of becoming knowledgeable about whole language practices and the role individual staff members might assume. Responses to surveys given to participants were tallied. Replies were scattered across the range of possibilities. Two days of the seminar were devoted to a "whole language sampler," highlighting the theory and techniques of whole language. The culminating activity was a self-directed dramatization. Surveys were grouped by grade level, job titles, classroom teachers, support service teachers, support staff, and administrators. Few whole language practices were being used by the groups who were not classroom teachers, but all groups indicated a desire for some or lots of training in some component of the practices. Primary teachers indicated they were using a large number of the practices, but the intermediate teachers were using only a sprinkling of the practices. The staff commented they were particularly delighted to share their mixed feelings of challenge mixed with anxiety as they ventured away from tried and true methods. (RS)