Leading School Strategy and Innovation: A CSML Course

Leading School Strategy and Innovation takes place online over four weeks and requires approximately three to four hours of work per 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. 

Upon successful completion of Leading School Strategy & Innovation, participants will receive a certificate of course completion issued jointly by HGSE and HBS.

Featured case studies highlight the following practitioners:

• Aisha Thomas, Principal, Zach Elementary School, Fort Collins, CO
• Brendan Kennealey, President, Salesianum High School, Wilmington, DE
• Melissa Pizano-Grunnet, Principal, Martin Van Buren Elementary School, Indio, CA
• Janet Moss, Principal, Coulwood Middle School, Charlotte, NC
• Tomer Zvulen, CEO, The Atlanta Opera, Atlanta, GA

Course Syllabus & Calendar

Leading School Strategy and Innovation Course Syllabus
Leading School Strategy and Innovation February 2026 Calendar

• Define school goals, identify gaps between current and desired performance, and diagnose root causes of those gaps.
• Refine the school vision to engage teachers and staff and guide the implementation of changes to improve performance.
• Understand schools as an interrelated system by exploring their organizational building blocks.
• Align the school’s strategy, organizational building blocks, and resources to drive improvement.
• Distinguish between continuous improvement and innovation, identify when innovation is needed, and how to create safe spaces for innovation.
• Develop, implement, and sustain a strategic school transformation process.

CSML is designed for PreK-12 school leaders seeking to deepen their knowledge of educational leadership and management in schools. This includes:

• 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 school management leadership teams 

CSML was founded in 2018 by Mary Grassa O'Neill and Allen S. Grossman.

Applications are processed through the HBS Online platform. 

Before You Apply

• Use a laptop or desktop computer (tablets and smartphones are not supported).
• Use Chrome or Firefox browsers (other browsers are not supported).
• For technical support, visit the HBS Online Support Portal.

New Applicants

1. Create an HBS Online account and verify it via the activation email within 24 hours.
2. Log in and navigate to Certificate in School Management and Leadership, then select Apply.
3. Complete the Personal, Employment, and Open Response sections.
4. Proceed to Review & Submit to submit your application, or leave and return to your application later. Before leaving the application, please ensure you complete all required fields on the section you are working on, and select Save and Continue before leaving the application. To return to your application later, log in to your HBS Online account and select Continue Application. Applications must be submitted before the application deadline.
5. Once you submit your application, you will be prompted to agree that all your information is accurate and click Proceed.
6. After submitting, you’ll receive a confirmation email and can expect an admissions decision within three weeks.

Enrollment

Once accepted to the certificate, you must enroll in the course of your choice. Please note: You will not need to repeat the application process; however, you will need to complete this enrollment process for each course.

1. Log in to your HBS Online account using the same email and password from your application.
2. On your dashboard, you’ll see a CSML tile with your Acceptance Letter. Available courses will display as tiles below.
3. Use the dropdown to select your preferred course dates, then click Go.
4. Review the Welcome page and click Continue.
5. Review the Policies, confirm your agreement, and click Save and Proceed to Payment.
6. On the Payment page, pay by credit card only (checks, purchase orders, or other forms of payment are not accepted). You may also forward a payment request to a recipient who will pay on your behalf. All payments must be received by the posted deadline. Enrollment deadlines are strictly enforced; early enrollment is strongly recommended.
7. If you exit before completing payment, log back in later and select Complete Payment to finalize.

Certificates

• Upon successful completion of a course, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion jointly issued by HGSE and HBS.
• Participants who complete all four CSML courses (in any order) and actively contribute to the online learning community will earn the comprehensive Certificate in School Management and Leadership.

CSML offers an enrollment option for school leaders, allowing 10 or more participants to engage in a course (or courses) together while learning alongside the global CSML cohort. Participating as a group gives teams the opportunity to reflect on their specific context using shared language, frameworks, and strategies, creating a deeper, more collaborative understanding of the course content.

Group enrollment bypasses the individual participant application and payment process. Below, we’ve outlined who benefits most from this option, why it works, and how to get started.

Why the group enrollment process?

Enrolling a group of school leaders in a CSML course allows organizations to leverage the learning experience to support their unique professional development goals. Participants have shared that learning through a common language alongside colleagues, and across key leadership cohorts, helps unite teams in addressing shared challenges and initiatives.

Group enrollment alumni also report that CSML’s learning objectives align seamlessly with existing leadership development strategies. Whatever your goals, our team is ready to help you integrate the Certificate in School Management and Leadership into your organization’s practice. Inquire about group discount details.

How do I register my team for the group enrollment process?

Whether this is your cohort’s first CSML course or you are returning, group enrollment requires two key elements:

1. Sponsorship: Full or partial support of the cohort by an organization, such as a district, local or regional non-profit, or another entity invested in professional learning for school leaders.
2. Guidance: A designated group leader from the sponsoring organization to support participants through registration and enrollment. Our team works closely with the group leader from onboarding to invoicing, ensuring a smooth group learning experience.

If group enrollment aligns with your team’s professional learning objectives, submit an Interest Form, and a member of our team will follow up. If you’re ready to begin registration, complete the Group Enrollment Form to kick off your cohort’s journey.

Payment

• If you are accepted into the program, you must enroll in and pay for the individual course (Leading Change, Leading School Strategy & Innovation, Leading People, or Leading Learning) you wish to take first.
• Courses are $499 each. You will only be charged once per course.
• We do not recommend taking more than one course at a time, but if you choose to do so, you must enroll and pay for each separately.
• Payments are only accepted by credit card or wire transfer within the HBS Online portal.
• Checks, purchase orders, or other forms of payment are not accepted.
• All payments must be received by the deadline posted on the Payment page to guarantee participation.
• Please visit the HBS Online Support Portal for payment inquiries and technical questions.
• This program is excluded from HGSE Professional Education alumni discounts and is subject to applicable international taxes.

Returning Participant Discount

Effective May 15, 2023, participants who have enrolled in at least one CSML course on their own and not through a group enrollment are eligible to receive a 10% discount on each subsequent CSML course. The discount is not valid for the first enrolled CSML course. Participants are only eligible to receive the discount after the withdrawal deadline (24 hours after the start of a program*) passes for their first individually purchased CSML course. This discount is only applied to future enrollments and cannot be retroactively applied to a previous enrollment.

Discounts:

• Apply only to future enrollments (not retroactively).
• Are automatically applied at checkout (cannot be added after payment).
• Cannot be combined with other scholarships, financial aid, or offers.
• Are limited to one per order, non-transferable, and void where prohibited by law.

Discounts are automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment. Discounts are not available after you've submitted payment, so if you think you are eligible for an enrollment discount, please review this discount policy in detail before submitting any payment.

This 10% discount is valid on CSML enrollments submitted on or after May 15, 2023, Eastern Standard Time on the HBS Online website. This discount may not be combined with other scholarships, financial aid, or other offers. Only one discount may be used per order. This discount cannot be redeemed for cash, transferred, or sold. It is void where prohibited by law. These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. *Please note, this is 24 hours after the program materials become available, not after you log in.

This program is excluded from the use of HGSE Professional Education discounts for HGSE alumni and is subject to applicable international taxes.