CourseLeap Consult​

CLC facilitates schools in sharpening their vision and mission mapped to global expectations, by conducting thorough market research and building short-term and long-term intervention plans. This can include but is not limited to producing timelines and milestones for new schools, as well as supporting schools in expanding or diversifying to different curricula. Areas of expertise include how learning resources are to be used, what types of resources should be used in light of the school’s targets, what kind of content would positively impact students and how to meaningfully incorporate and align technology to curriculum aims.

1. Organisational Leadership: CLC supports and guides management and senior school leaders to create more efficient and effective policies and procedures. CLC has periodic meetings to share feedback, review strategic goals, and advise on policies for school and curricula development. CLC encourages schools to use surveys and other feedback channels with stakeholders, to ensure their satisfaction with curricular programmes. CLC involves all stakeholders to lead the school in developing policies that have a direct impact on student learning, for e.g. human resources practices, staff development, curriculum and assessment, special educational needs, academic honesty integrity etc.
2. Transition to IB Diploma Program :CLC guides schools in preparing for the transition to the IB Diploma Program to suit individual school contexts and student populations. CLC’s facilitation plans at schools include feasibility studies for transitioning from the existing set of curricula to the IB Programme.. The cornerstone of CLC’s design is to retain the best parts of school culture and implement a focused program for existing curricula such that it aligns with IB Standards and Practice.
3. School Set-up: CourseLeap Consult specialises in supporting both startup and existing schools through comprehensive market research studies. Our objective is to provide valuable insights and develop project plans for successful school implementation. We conduct in-depth research, analysing progressive schools and successful models across national and international curricula. Whether you are starting a new school or seeking to enhance an existing one, our expertise in the five key pillars of vision clarity, academics, student opportunity, infrastructure and learning spaces, and recruitment and professional development can guide you towards establishing a strong educational foundation. Let CourseLeap Consult help you create a thriving school that meets the needs of students and sets a path for academic excellence.

Through methods of self-evaluation via self-study committees, CLC guides schools towards effective decision-making for the purpose of meeting the benchmarks for external evaluation. Schools could be seeking accreditation with international bodies (e.g. CIS and NEASC) or international curriculum delivery and review (e.g. IB and IGCSE), or both.

1. Meeting the Standards for CIS (Council of International Schools) and NEASC (New England Association of Schools)

CLC leads schools towards and through the process of school evaluation and accreditation by CIS (Council of International Schools) and/or NEASC (New England Association of Schools), driving improvement through evaluation of international standards focused on school development.

This includes all essential steps for single or joint accreditation from CIS and NEASC:

1. Help schools understand the criteria for standards of leadership, management, teaching and learning
2. Organise the self-study process of meetings
3. Support schools to gather evidence, and collect the needed data
4. Guide the writing of reports in relation to different sections required, evidence gathered and expected levels of quality and clarity

2. Set up and Strengthen the IB Diploma Program

CLC supports schools in the process of preparing for and gaining IBDP accreditation, and through the five year evaluation, as well as addressing areas for continual improvement within school contexts:

1. Help self study process for IB evaluation using the IBD five years’ review: orientations, planning for committees, presentations, recommendations
2. Advise strategies to strengthen performance for IB Diploma Core (TOK, Extended Essay and CAS), including formulation of TOK, CAS, and EE handbooks and related policies
3. Support planning for orientation sessions for students’ and teachers’ that emphasise research skills, as well as critical reading, writing and reflection
4. Help teachers document IB curriculum via effective lesson plans, schemes of work, unit plans, and assessment through workshops at school
5. Create through collaboration a rigorous and aligned mapping of concepts, content and skills from IGCSE and MYP onwards in line with the IB Diploma Programme

A unified planning for curriculum, teaching and assessment across K-12 helps raise students’ performance levels. CLC supports schools to develop a detailed curricular framework within and between different sections of a school (national and international) and different curricula (State Board/ICSE/CBSE and IGCSE/MYP/IBDP). Where relevant, CLC supports the school in aligning the IB Diploma Program with national curricula or other non-IB exam boards.

Specialty of CourseLeap Math (CLM) is in helping schools to set up a robust Maths programme with rigorous methods that drive students to investigate, propose ideas and search for alternative solutions. This includes professional development and training of teachers in this area, such as interdisciplinary and research based approaches to the teaching of Maths, use of technology, instructional coaching and mentoring, use of effective use of resources, etc. 

Flagship services of CourseLeap Plus (CLP) are working with students and teachers to set up a strong IB Core programme at schools. 

1. Curriculum Planning, Articulation and Implementation

CLC supports schools in ensuring progression and continuity of student learning, experiences and skills, through teacher collaboration and clearly produced documentation:

1. Articulate the goals of the K-12 program which is coherent across any discipline. 
2. Help create course outlines benchmarked to comparable national or international programs, implemented with a sound philosophy, by careful planning of concepts, content and skills
3. Support in preparing a complete documentation of the curriculum handbook for each subject at the school
4. Review schemes of work across all departments to unify curriculum delivery
5. Create understanding for development of unit plans with common templates and strategies for trans-disciplinary skills, guiding questions and learning skills
6. Ensure instructional methodologies and assessments that are based on rigorous standards for investigations, problem solving and the use of technology
7. Support development of balanced formative and summative assessment practices with grading criteria, descriptors, and the school’s assessment policy

2. Benchmark Continuum Skills Across Curricula (ICSE/CBSE, IGCSE, IB, Pre-University) 

1. CLC curates a roadmap for teachers, making explicit the expectations for instruction and assessment that emphasise understanding of relevant modern day skills - cross-disciplinary approaches to knowledge acquisition, inquiry-based learning, metacognition reflection, investigation, team work, and research. On special request, CL can deliver with students and teachers an interdisciplinary program of 10- 20 hours to prepare students for success in any advanced curriculum
2. Offer need-based workshops, in which CL guides teachers and school leaders to develop age appropriate progression of higher order thinking skills and learning how to learn skills that enrich and deepen understanding
3. Train teachers to understand approaches to teaching and learning, concept based teaching, critical thinking skills, and research skills, and then support the school in aligning the curricula accordingly
4. Help schools articulate student-care programs that encourage healthy relationships, effective teamwork, and relevant academic and social skills, positive attitude and cultural sensitivity

CLC helps with internal quality assurances for school advancement and enhancing the overall school experience. Building the reputation of an international school is a time-consuming, multi-dimensional process, which demands a careful, thoughtful and professional approach. 

The support offered by CLC focuses on helping schools realise their educational philosophy on a daily, practical level, addressing the closely interdependent areas of leadership and governance, teaching and learning cultures, academic policies and collaboration both within and between departments. Internal quality procedures focus on consistency in quality and planning for continuous improvement as the hallmark of professionalism; this combined with the school's own self-analysis can be a stimulus that propels a school to raising standards of performance. This is achieved through a two stage process:

1. First, we assess the specific requirements of the school through an internal assessment assurance audit of existing systems and practices, in close collaboration with key leadership and governance figures. We then provide feedback as a ‘critical friend’, assessing processes and performance on all levels from the viewpoint of our extensive experience of best practices in the international school sector. This critical approach offers encouragement and celebrates what is found to be working successfully as well as identifying present and possibly future problems where they are encountered. CLC consultants work closely and in tandem with school teams through- internal surveys, learning walks and observations. We also use focus groups and small team collaborations, culminating our process with a report and an exit meeting. A detailed report is then submitted at the end of this process with concrete ideas for school development, providing the school with strategic objectives over future years.
2. As a second way forward, we can provide collaborations with master teachers, who will bring to your school their extensive experience working in the international sector, both at home and abroad. Partnerships with our master teachers support schoolteachers in the areas where intervention, collaboration and role modelling can help to improve the levels of teaching and learning in particular departments with the larger goal to improve a school's overall performance. To this end, master teachers can participate in the life of the school on all levels, from the senior leadership and department meetings to the classroom, as required.

1. CLC helps schools design and facilitate team processes and internal school systems to track students’ performance data and support student learning

1. Analyse student learning data, school’s overall and department-wise results, and teaching impact, in order to advise stakeholders about students’ achievements, reflect and improve areas that need attention
2. Set up internal school systems (meetings, structures and policies) to track students’ progress, consistent with school mission and curricular goals
3. Engage student learning through differentiation and enrichment
4. Support development of exit and learning surveys, as a source of student-led data for school improvement
5. Coordinate strategies with leadership staff to achieve organisational results in areas of parents’ satisfaction

2. International Partners: CLC aligns with international partners to provide benchmarked, standardised global assessment measures for students and schools.

CLC guides schools to create collaborative structures, self initiated, peer and institutional supported learning and development for teachers and leaders. CLC expedites school-wide professional development by introducing teachers to various models of cooperative learning and leadership. CLC supports the implementation of effective appraisal models, which lead to enhanced levels of teaching and learning.

1. Instructional Leadership

Support schools in preparing teachers to meet the aims of delivering quality education to the next generation through regular self-evaluation and target setting:

1. CLC helps schools formulate teachers’ appraisal that are both formative and evolutionary in nature and aligned with 
2. professional development goals of the school
3. Guide the development of a school-wide program for teacher growth through a variety of means: observation, constructive feedback, and analysis of students learning surveys that feed into teachers’ performance improvement
4. Increase school effectiveness through developmental appraisal of teachers, middle- management and senior management

2. Professional Learning Communities

CLC helps develop network of teachers within schools and foster connections between schools to create environment of shared influence

1. Develop a team approach within institutions to ensure coherence and consistency, collaborative schemes of work, and common instructional strategies
2. Spearhead in-school workshops and lead job-embedded professional learning across K-12 for teachers, to facilitate improvements in instruction and student learning aligned to school-wide and team goals
3. Open spaces for sharing expertise, knowledge and research to improve teacher practice
4. Develop network communities between schools, which support the acquisition and development of up to date pedagogical approaches

1. Creative Pedagogical Approaches based on Research

Drawing on current educational research, CLC guides schools in developing creative pedagogical approaches through action research models. CLC supports schools in the sourcing and implementation of new resources, suited to school development plans. CLC draws on a wide network of professionals to provide support in working towards whole school targets (e.g. discrete subject areas, special educational needs, learning resource centre, research based pedagogical approaches, etc.)

2. 21st Century Digital Readiness for Learning

CLC assists schools in developing and upgrading their infrastructure, including areas such as layout design, classroom designs, library, cafeteria, automation system, security, and technology resources that map with institutional goals and objectives of quality learning. CLC also provides advice on a 21st-century-compliant classroom set-up that is digital-ready and connects schools to professionals with a cutting-edge product that supports and bolsters a schools vision for quality education.