Driving Change: A CAEL Module

Announcing CAEL for Graduate Credit

We are pleased to share that there will be an option to complete CAEL modules for HGSE graduate credit beginning the February 2021 Term. The tuition is $2,995 per person/module. Please submit an inquiry form to learn more and be notified when the application for this option is available. 

Please note that the application, as well as acceptance specifications, differ from the non-credit CAEL requirements. Should you not ultimately be admitted as a Graduate Credit Participant in CAEL, you can always re-enroll in CAEL as a Professional Education participant.

Overview

Learn how to manage the change process to drive better outcomes.

Change is a complex process, requiring leaders who understand its stages and ways to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities to achieve outcomes. In Driving Change, you will examine what is known about the change process in school organizations, understand how people experience disruption and change, and learn how to manage constraints and exploit opportunities in order to implement new practices with purpose and success.

Together with other participants, you will explore the principles of change development, beginning with an understanding of how you think about the problem you are trying to solve, followed by how you might approach working with others to develop a theory of action and finally, to develop a strategy. This program will teach you how to scan your educational setting, examining components such as culture, structure, systems, and stakeholders as you consider what you are trying to accomplish and what process might lead you there. You will learn how effective change management targets and develops the various constituencies affected by the proposed change, including leaders at all levels of the organization itself and those outside the organization. Additionally, you will use tools and practice concrete strategies to help you work with others to build awareness of the need for change, a shared mission, and a common agenda.

Program Details

Driving Change takes place over 12 weeks, moving through a cycle of learning, application, performance, and demonstration. Throughout, you will engage in a range of activities online, plus exercises carried out in your professional context. The experience is designed to be both rigorous and flexible. The activities are asynchronous, meaning you can choose when within a given week you do them. Each week will require five to seven hours of work, with more guided, paced work during the “learning” weeks (2, 3, 4, and 8) and more job-associated practice and application during the other weeks of the module (5-7 and 9-12).

Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Explore how leaders, authorizers, and constituents at all levels of an organization experience change
• Learn how to communicate effectively and build consensus for your organization’s change agenda
• Understand how enacted beliefs can diverge from espoused beliefs and how to create greater alignment between your organization’s mission and its daily actions
• Develop benchmarks leading toward excellence so you can continuously evaluate effectiveness

Who Should Participate

• Current and aspiring leaders in preK-12 school systems, including:
• School or district leadership teams seeking to address a problem of practice
• Teams of education leaders seeking to improve their skills, collaborative capabilities, and impact
• Superintendents and district-level administrators
• Directors of charter management organizations
• Administrators at state agencies
• Experienced principals and teachers who aspire to system-level roles

Taking Driving Change as a Team

If your school, district, or organization is seeking to move a change initiative forward, taking this course together as a team can be a powerful way to find traction and be more effective. Your team will work on a single, shared problem of practice across the 12 weeks, submitting a single midterm and final project that represents your collective effort. You will also have the chance to submit individual assignments where you engaged in personal learning. Engaging in this material as a team allows for even greater impact; because you have colleagues and collaborators working together, you can tackle a more substantial problem of practice. See how profoundly your work can impact your system by applying the tools of this course together.

Please note that even if you are applying as a team for a CAEL module, each person will need to submit his or her own application. The team coordinator’s application will contain a section to write in the names of the remaining team members, but a submitted application from a team coordinator is not an official application for multiple people.

About CAEL

Driving Change is one of the five online modules of the Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership (CAEL) program, which is based on the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and designed for current and aspiring school system leaders. Please visit the CAEL program page to learn more if you are interested in pursuing the full certificate.

The five modules in the CAEL portfolio are:

• Developing Myself
• Driving Change
• Leading for Excellence and Equity
• Leading Learning (required module for the certificate)
• Managing Evidence

English Language Proficiency Requirements

English language proficiency is a requirement for application to and successful participation in this online course. All participants are expected to have fluency in English, including a basic knowledge of education terminology, in order to effectively engage with the content, complete assignments, and interact with other members of the learning community.

Fees & Policies

Tuition includes all instructional materials. Participants receive a certificate of competency as well as a letter confirming the amount of clock hours awarded per module (60 hours). CAEL does not provide course hour equivalents.

Payment or a purchase order must be received within thirty days of program acceptance and prior to the program start. While a purchase order confirms enrollment, an outstanding balance is maintained until payment is rendered. Click here for more information on payment and financial aid.

Tuition assistance is available for this program on an as needed and availability basis. You may access the tuition assistance application after you have submitted your program application.

Please click here for more information on our on-campus and online refund and withdrawal policies.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to change faculty or cancel programs at its discretion. In the unlikely event of program changes, the school is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other planning expenses incurred.

Closed Captioning and Accessibility

This online course consists of a combination of both pre-recorded videos and live web conferences. The majority of our pre-recorded videos are closed-captioned and accompanied by PDF transcripts. For live events, we will arrange for captioning services upon your request. Please email us at ppe@gse.harvard.edu if you require these accommodations. If possible, requests should be made at least a week in advance. Please note: we will make every effort to secure services, but all are subject to availability.