The Story of Madison Consolidated Schools

Location: Madison, Indiana | Grades: 5-12 | School Size - Junior High: 755| District Size: 2500 | Type: Public School District 

Madison Consolidated Schools is a forward thinking district committed to academic excellence and future-ready learning located in Indiana, Madison. They implemented Gameplan’s curriculum to their junior high and high school programs as part of their ongoing work to revamp instructional strategies and student engagement.

“We’re extending the program from grades 5–8 into high school, which lets us deliver key components needed for graduation. While esports is often seen as an extracurricular activity, it supports academics in powerful ways—reinforcing code of conduct, academic eligibility, engagement, attendance, and GPA. With Gameplan, we’re also able to expand into computer science, graphic design, multimedia, marketing, and business. And when it comes to employability skills, this is where esports really shines.” - Janet Mcreary - Educational Administration Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

Today, the program includes rotating in-class esports courses for 5th and 6th grades, enrolled electives for 7th-8th graders, and a growing competitive after-school team. Due to the program’s success, it is also expanding now into the high school and opening new pathways for graduation and career pathways.

From the Principal’s Office to the Classroom: Who’s Behind the Change

• Janet Mcreary - Educational Administration Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. She’s helping shape esports into a recognized path for employability and graduation.

• Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal. He has championed esports as a culture-changing program at MJHS.

• Floyd Davis - 8th-grade student. He went from being the “class clown” to a classroom role model.

Impact Spotlight

The Challenge: Attendance, Engagement and Behavior

Madison faced a familiar issue to most schools: student disengagement. Teachers were seeing behavioral problems, less classroom buy-in, and increased apathy towards traditional instruction methods, especially among students not on an immediate college track.

“At first, we got a lot of questions from traditional perspectives - ‘Is this just a game class?’ But once they saw the curriculum, they realized it’s so much more than just game time. We’ve been excited to see the shift in how both staff and families view the program.”- Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

For students like Floyd Davis, school felt more like a chore than a place to grow:

“This program really changed things for me. I used to be the class clown, always getting in trouble and sent to the principal’s office almost every day. Since starting esports, I’ve been able to bring up my grades and stay out of trouble.” Floyd Davis - 8th-grade student.

The Solution: Gameplan as a Bridge Between Interest and Instruction

Madison integrated Gameplan not only as a curriculum, but as a strategic tool for behavior, engagement, and graduation success with its interest-aligned, CTE curriculum. Gameplan supported Madison’s mission to create “unique, challenging and engaging learning experiences” for their students.

Through in-class programs and after-school competitive esports, students now have both purpose and opportunity.

“When you watch a basketball game, you see the players and the action on the court—but behind the scenes there’s a whole production team making it happen. That’s exactly what we want our esports program to be. Yes, there are students playing, but there’s also so much happening behind the scenes with students producing it.”- Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

“You don’t need to have experience in esports or gaming. You learn everything in class. I actually want to come to school every single day because I know I’ll get to learn and try something new.”  - Floyd Davis - 8th-grade student

How Madison Used Gameplan

Phase 1 - Junior High Pilot

Madison piloted the program in junior high first. Gameplan served as the curriculum for rotating electives in grades 5–8. Students explored media production, game design and career opportunities in esports. Contracts and expectations were implemented to keep students accountable. This meant that students participating in the program had to care for the space and equipment, maintain a certain GPA and keep attending their classes.

“I had a friend who wasn’t doing so well in his other classes, but once he started the esports program he actually wanted to come to school and learn more. Now he’s doing better in his classes.” - Floyd Davis - 8th-grade student.

“For grades 5–8, we focus on computer science content and use Gameplan to navigate that day to day. After school, we run our esports competition team. We started at the club level, but this year we’re competing with other schools. Each week, we host after-school programs with a variety of games like Rocket League, Minecraft, and more, which brings in students who might not otherwise participate in extracurriculars.” - Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

Phase 2 - Growing Pathways and Expansion

After a successful pilot, Madison expanded the use of Gameplan to more classrooms. The curriculum team aligned units with Indiana’s state standards, while teachers added custom content to address specific student needs and local career pathway goals.

• Expansion to high school level, building graduation pathways

• Linking esports with computer science, business, graphic design, and media production

• Family engagement during competitions

“It’s important for students entering high school to have an idea of what they want to do, since there are now more pathways and tracks than ever before. This program is no different than a traditional sports business management program, it’s just focused on esports.” - Janet Mcreary - Educational Administration Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

“We’re also developing next-level classes and courses, especially tying computer science into esports. The standards for both go hand in hand. As students move into high school and even college, there are opportunities to pursue esports as a minor, and we want our students to have the option to explore that passion.” -Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

The Results: Outcomes Meet Opportunity

Students now see esports not only as gameplay, but as a getaway to their career pathways, employability skills and a sense of belonging. This helped with keeping students more engaged and performing better academically and socially. 

New friend groups and community connections were formed, employability skills developed, and pathways to graduation and even college scholarships were opened.

“Our esports classes encourage students to pursue advanced coursework in areas like computer science, media production, and business. Our goal is to create a locally developed pathway to graduation that also opens doors to college opportunities. This year alone, there are 150 scholarship opportunities available for students involved in esports.” Janet Mcreary - Educational Administration Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. 

“Students have to meet expectations in their other classes to remain part of the program. It gives them an incentive to stay on top of their work across all subjects. This creates an environment unlike anything else we’re able to offer.”  - Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

Key Insights for District Leaders

• Engagement Boost: Esports improved attendance and classroom behavior

• Career Pathways: Students gain exposure to computer science, media, and business

• Community Impact: Families and students show strong enthusiasm

• Equity & Belonging: Students not traditionally involved in extracurriculars found their niche

“Esports shines when it comes to employability skills.” - Janet Mcreary - Educational Administration Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

“When we give school tours, we always leave esports for last. The moment families and students see it, their eyes light up. The positivity in the room is incredible. They get so excited for us” - Jordan Warner - Junior High Principal 

Every School Has a Success Story Waiting to be Written

Every school has a success story waiting to be written. Let’s build yours together. 

What started as an elective at Madison has grown into a pathway that connects middle school students to high school, college, and even scholarships. Families are excited, teachers are seeing improvement across subjects, and students are finding belonging and purpose.

Your district can achieve the same. Gameplan provides the tools, curriculum, and support to help you create a program that:

• Engages students who may not connect with traditional activities

• Builds employability skills like leadership, communication, and teamwork

• Ties into CTE pathways, computer science, and media production

• Improves attendance, discipline, and academic outcomes

• Opens real opportunities for scholarships and careers

Let’s build your story together. Book a 15 minute call to get started.