A study investigated the effectiveness of an innovative approach to the case study in teaching educational administrators in master's and doctoral programs. Subjects were 80 students in three institutions. The method uses "case stories," which differ from conventional case studies in that they are highly personal written accounts of real events that include intriguing decision points and provocative undercurrents that encourage discussion. Data for the qualitative analysis were drawn from conversations about case stories, student-written case stories, a survey, and semi-structured interviews. Based on the results, a six-stage model for writing and discussing case stories was developed. Stages include: (1) freewriting; (2) writing the case story; (3) storytelling and listening; (4) small group reflection; (5) whole group reflection; and (6) a concluding discussion about the importance of understanding and improving professional practice. Participants felt the case story method has potential to enhance professional understanding and growth. It was also determined that learning occurs in different ways (intrapersonal and interpersonal) at different stages of case story development. Three themes emerged: stories help people understand what happens to them; meaning is found not only in the story, but also in the relationship of story to teller; and group meaning-making deepens understanding. (Contains 19 references.) (MSE)