Leading Learning: A CSML Course

Offered as a course within the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML), an innovative collaboration between the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Business School (HBS), Leading Learning is organized into four modules focused on developing the school structures, systems, supports, and culture that lead to excellent teaching and learning in every classroom, for every student.

Course Objectives

Leading Learning participants will: 

• Develop whole-school systems that align with your instructional vision to support all students
• Create strong data- and action-driven systems and structures focused on students’ academic and character development 
• Design professional learning and leadership opportunities to develop teachers and improve teaching and learning
• Navigate change in and around your school and empower your teams to meet students’ evolving needs

Participant Experience

Hosted on the innovative HBS Online platform, Leading Learning is an entirely virtual, highly interactive, and case-based course. Leading Learning participants will:

• Engage in case-based learning with HGSE and HBS faculty on topics that include education, business, and policy
• Watch virtual case studies featuring leaders from a representative cross-section of U.S. schools and businesses, and analyze the leaders’ experiences, insights, and best practices
• Engage in interactive activities to learn and network with a diverse group of participants who hold school leadership positions worldwide
• Reflect on their practice, knowledge, skills, and understandings—and identify opportunities to apply course learnings to their unique context
• Gain first-hand experience with the case-based and inductive learning model

For a look at the participant experience, view the demo video below.

The course also features engaging case studies of the following practitioners:

• Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder and former CEO and Chairwoman, Care.com
• Gina Hubbard, Principal, Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA
• Jody-Anne Jones, Principal, North Star Academy Clinton Hill Middle School, Newark, NJ
• Stephanie Porta, Principal, Centennial High School, Columbus, OH
• Michele Trawicki, Principal, Marcy Elementary School, Menomonee Falls, WI
• Bernie Noe, Head of School, Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

Who Should Participate

CSML is designed for school leaders who are looking to deepen their knowledge of educational leadership and management in schools. Specifically:

• Early-career and experienced school leaders, including teacher-leaders responsible for supporting and managing teams of teachers or other school staff
• District, charter, faith-based, and independent school leaders
• School, district, or educational management leadership teams 

Course Details

Leading Learning takes place over four weeks and will require approximately three to four hours of work each week. Course activities are both rigorous and flexible. The course learning format allows participants to choose when within a given week they complete an assignment while engaging with specific content and projects during designated time periods. This approach enables cohort members to work through the course elements together and fosters peer-to-peer learning, a vital component of the CSML experience. Participants will be able to download course materials including key takeaways at the end of each week.

Upon successful completion of Leading Learning, participants will receive a certificate of course completion issued jointly by HGSE and HBS.

To see modules and deadlines for upcoming editions of Leading Learning, view and download the course syllabus and course calendars:

• Leading Learning Course Syllabus
• February 2023