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WHAT IS REQUIRED OF SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS INTERESTED IN OFFERING THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROCESS? Accredited secondary schools and youth organizations mail one completed copy of the APPLICATION & AGREEMENT (see homepage) plus a one-time only $1,995 Application/Set-Up Fee to The Leadership Capital Group LLC to establish an account. An active account is necessary to purchase Great Expectations courseware. Only one application form and one fee is required of school districts and youth organizations appointing one Official School Contact (OSC), regardless of the number of schools or organization chapters in the district. Payment is accepted via school check only. After further processing, Official School Contacts are forwarded one copy of the Great Expectations Facilitator Guide, one copy of the Great Expectations Student Guide, plus a variety of related items to help school and/or organization officials assess the Great Expectations process. Copies of materials provided to OSC's are for official use and review only. We're confident school and organization officials will like what they see and read, but if not, OSC's need only notify LCG via email within 10 business days that they wish to return the review materials. Upon receipt we'll close the school or organization account and refund the Application/Set-Up Fee promptly, minus 10% original shipping and processing. Please note that returned review materials MUST be received by LCG intact and in reusable condition within 2 weeks of the notification by email. WHAT DO SCHOOLS & ORGANIZATIONS GET IN RETURN FOR THE $1995 APPLICATION/SET-UP FEE? The Application/Set-Up Fee assures school and organization contacts the help they need to implement and manage the Great Expectations process properly. Similar to a business help-desk, assistance from The Leadership Capital Group LLC is typically provided via phone consultations and/or an exchange of emails. The Application/Set-Up Fee is the only mandatory consulting fee charged by The Leadership Capital Group LLC to new schools and organizations. There is no strict limit to the number of help-desk consultations and/or emails that may be requested or initiated by Official School Contacts (OSC's), although those with unusual needs or an unusual number of requests may be charged additionally. Additional charges are extremely rare and subject to advance client approval. As indicated previously only one Application/Set-Up Fee is required of school districts and youth organizations appointing one Official School Contact, regardless of the number of schools or organization chapters in the district. Payment is accepted via school check only. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE STUDENT MATERIALS? The "tuition" for the Great Expectations process is set locally by school or organization officials and may be higher or lower than the fee charged by The Leadership Capital Group LLC for the courseware and other services it provides. LCG charges $695 per participant (suggested retail price) for its portion of the materials covering the full multi-year process. Special pricing may be available to schools and organizations in need, and those purchasing courseware in bulk. Student materials may be ordered in any quantity and may vary slightly on occasion due to the availability of certain items. Substitutions are always of equal or greater value. A school or organization check for full payment, including any required tax, plus a completed order form must accompany all orders. Original shipping and handling is included. Private checks from class members cannot be accepted. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. WHO DELIVERS THE PROGRAM? All Great Expectations sessions and reinforcement modules are easily delivered by one adult facilitator. Facilitators are local school or youth organization faculty members selected, supervised and compensated by the host school or organization. IS IT POSSIBLE TO OFFER THE 12-WEEK CORE PROGRAM AND NOT THE REINFORCEMENT PHASES (EMBED & ENCORE)? Yes, but it's not recommended. The Embed and Encore reinforcement phases strengthen and build-upon the 10 skills and attitudes developed during the core portion of the process. They are a very important part of the Great Experience experience, and a major contributor to the remarkable growth and improvement achieved by the overwhelming majority of Great Expectations class members. Both Embed and Encore are easy and inexpensive to adminster, and research shows the return-on- investment (ROI) is remarkably high. All schools and organizations offering the Great Expectations core program are strongly encouraged to include both phases in their plans for students. HOW ARE FACILITATORS COMPENSATED? Any compensation provided for the delivery of Great Expectations classes is provided by the host school or youth organization, and may be incorporated into the "tuition" charged to program participants. Great Expectations instructors are school or youth organization employees or agents, not agents, employees or representatives of The Leadership Capital Group LLC or any of its divisions or affiliates. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE FACILITATOR MATERIALS? The materials provided to Great Expectations facilitators are among the most thorough and comprehensive in the industry. The fee for a set of facilitator materials is $495, and includes one copy of the Great Expectations Facilitator Guide, one Great Expectations Student Guide, and one copy of all relevant supplemental items. A school or organization check for full payment, plus a completed order form must accompany all orders. Private checks from facilitators cannot be accepted. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. DOES EVERY FACILITATOR NEED HIS OR HER OWN SET OF FACILITATOR MATERIALS? Yes. Given the amount of preparation required for each session and the fact most instructors prefer to make notes in the page margins and/or organize their materials in particular ways, it is very important that all Great Expectations facilitators be provided with their own set of materials. Of course, like all materials copyrighted by The Leadership Capital Group LLC, materials provided to Great Expectations facilitators may not be duplicated unless otherwise specified. IS FACILITATOR TRAINING AVAILABLE LOCALLY? Yes, one-day and two-day facilitator training programs by LCG trainers are available locally throughout the United States and in many other countries. Details about the costs and other policies associated with Great Expectations Facilitator Training can be obtained by contacting The Leadership Capital Group LLC at info@greatexpectationsforteens.com. ARE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE? LCG works hard to be sure no college-bound teen with a desire to participate is denied access to a Great Expectations class. Additional discounts on courseware are available on a regular basis to those in need and those ordering materials in large volume. Details can be obtained by emailing info@greatexpectationsforteens.com. Kindly be aware that unless otherwise specified courseware sold at discounted prices is excluded from the LCG return policy. DOES LCG ASSIST WITH THE ARRANGING OF CORPORATE OR COMMUNITY SPONSORS? No. As much as we might like to, The Leadership Capital Group LLC is not able to assist with the arranging of support from other organizations. Any such efforts are solely a local responsibility. IN SPECIFIC TERMS, WHAT STUDENT MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED BY LCG AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED BY SCHOOLS AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS? The Leadership Capital Group LLC agreed to several policy adjustments in April 2006 to enable school and organization officials to capitalize on their ability to buy books and other course materials at rates available only to not-for-profit educational institutions. The new policies have resulted in a $102 reduction in the per-student fees originally established by LCG for the Great Expectations courseware. The Leadership Capital Group LLC provides the following student materials and services for its current courseware fee of $695 per person: A) The design of the 24-session core program, B) One Student Guide per student (with quality binder), C) One Prior Learning Portfolio Supplement per student, D) One Progress Report per student (plus several extras), E) One Great Expectations T-shirt (or comparable substitute) per student (*), F) One Great Expectations T-shirt (or comparable substitute) per class assistant (**), and G) One Certificate of Completion per student with matching folder (plus several extras). (*) On rare occasions an additional supply of clothing or other LCG promotional items may be included in shipments from The Leadership Capital Group LLC. Typically the result of a product test, these quality complimentary items may be used and distributed by facilitators in whatever way they feel most appropriate. (**) Maximum 7 per class. Schools and youth organizations hosting Great Expectations classes provide the following student materials and services: A) The appointing of an Official School Contact, B) The organizing of classes, C) Up to 3 softcover textbooks per student (average total of $25 per person), D) The program delivery, and E) A variety of inexpensive handouts and program awards (average total of $5 per person) The cost per person of the materials and services provided by schools and youth organizations may be incorporated into the "tuition" charged to participants. It's important to remember that the Great Expectations process is sold in a bundled format only, which means that all materials and process phases (24-Session Core Program, Embed Reinforcement Phase, Encore) are included in one tuition charge, and that no materials or process phases are sold separately. School and organization officials promise to adhere to this provision as a part of their agreement with The Leadership Capital Group LLC. WHAT IS THE LCG RETURN POLICY? The Leadership Capital Group LLC wants parents and school and organization representatives to be happy with their courseware investments. Therefore, a refund (minus $49 original shipping and handling per set) will be provided to participating schools and organizations wishing to return up to 10% of any order of student courseware sets (*) within sixty days of the original shipment date. Example Original Purchase = 100 sets of courseware materials Eligible for Return & Refund per LCG Policies & Restrictions = Up to 10 sets This policy is intended to help minimize any expense to parents, schools or organizations created by students wishing to cancel or postpone their participation in a Great Expectations class just prior to Session #1 of the core program. Returns may be made by authorized school representatives (OSC's) at any time within the sixty (60) day window, provided all items are unused, intact and in their original packaging. The LCG return policy applies only to complete, reusable sets of Great Expectations courseware purchased from LCG at regular internet prices by participating schools and school districts. Materials purchased at (volume) discounted prices or from LCG affiliate or reseller organizations are excluded from this return policy. LCG does not attempt to influence local enrollment, refund or registration policies, nor does it issue materials or refunds to individual class members, consumers or facilitators. School and organization officials should please be sure to contact The Leadership Capital Group LLC by email for an address confirmation prior to the return of any Great Expectations materials. (*) At present, one complete set of student courseware is defined as one binder, one student guide, one student t-shirt, one progress report, one completion certificate and cover, and one each of any complimentary student items provided by LCG. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL CONTACT (OSC)? One of the challenges LCG faced several years ago when it was first starting to expand involved trying to communicate with multiple authorized representatives within client organizations. Given the nature of our business the result was often more mis-communication than anything else, and an endless battle trying to keep our email lists and other contact information current. We solved the problem by simplifying our communications with clients purchasing courseware from us via the establishing of one person per client as the official contact. The result has been a big improvement in our communications with customers, far fewer miscommunications and partial communications, and a much more efficient and cost-effective way of doing business. Happily, our best customers seem to like the current approach as much as we do, so we're pretty sure we've created a comfortable way of doing things for everybody. The Official School Contact (OSC) is the person who handles all communications to and from The Leadership Capital Group LLC on behalf of his or her school or youth organization. Most often a teacher, guidance counselor or senior administrator with a reputation for being energetic, popular, friendly and organized, outstanding OSC's have a deep-seated belief in the Great Expectations process and the important benefits to be had by those taking the program. A prior history in sales is considered a plus, as is some business or other private sector experience. In addition to handling all communications to and from LCG, most Official School Contacts serve as the person primarily responsible for all matters pertaining to the offering of Great Expectations programs within the school or organization, including: Any Promotional Efforts to Help Fill Classes The Enrolling of Students The Maintaining of all Records The Scheduling of Classes The Ordering of Materials from LCG Assuring the Proper Use of all Materials The Resolving of any Difficulties The Assigning of Instructors & Class Assistants The Collecting of Tuition Payments from Students and Parents, and The Purchasing of Textbooks, Course Awards and the Other Locally-Provided Course Materials Of course, the fact secondary school teachers and most youth organization officials have extensive experience organizing and presenting educational programs makes getting a good system in place a great deal easier. Large school districts planning to run Great Expectations classes at more than one school site should consider asking a faculty member or administrator at each school to assist the Official School Contact with any school-specific problems or challenges. HOW ARE PAYMENTS MADE TO LCG? The Leadership Capital Group LLC accepts school and organization checks only, and full payment must accompany the request (via the appropriate order form) for materials. Student and facilitator materials may be ordered in any quantity. WITH WHOM ARE PARENTS & STUDENTS CONTRACTING WHEN ENROLLING IN A GREAT EXPECTATIONS CLASS? It's important to keep in mind that The Leadership Capital Group LLC serves only as a provider of courseware to Great Expectations classes. Host schools and organizations accept full responsibility for all aspects of the organizing and presenting of Great Expectations programs, including, but not limited to, the safety of all participants, the assuring of quality and the resolving of any difficulties or conflicts. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITATORS? (*) All Great Expectations instructors must: A) Be fully licensed public or private school teachers in good standing, B) Show proof of a minimum of a Masters Degree from a regionally-accredited college or university, C) Be endorsed by his or her school principal or local organization head, and D) Have at least five years of professional teaching experience. (*) Instructor requirements are adjusted as appropriate for those teaching classes outside the USA. WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL CULTURE? Several years ago, Frank Ashby wrote a popular book for managers and executives called Revitalize Your Corporate Culture. Inspired by research suggesting a connection between comprehensive leadership training and improvements in organizational work environments, Dr. Ashby showed that once a certain number of people within an organization began practicing the interpersonal aspects of a quality leadership process a very positive ripple effect began happening within the culture of the organization. Follow-up studies at several universities confirmed the merits of the theory, and included additional evidence showing a connection between comprehensive (i.e. multi-phase, multi-year) leadership training and ongoing increases in worker morale, motivation and loyalty, and ongoing decreases in absenteeism, turnover and formal complaints. The findings and recommendations in Revitalize Your Corporate Culture apply as much to American middle schools, high schools and youth organizations as they do to business organizations. With all the concern today about the effects of chronic bullying, peer ridicule and elite cliques on the emotional development and well-being of teenagers, The Leadership Capital Group LLC believes that processes like Great Expectations offer important benefits to not only program participants, but also the environments in which they operate. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES? One very important distinction between Great Expectations and a typical high school or middle school course is the amount of student activity and participation involved each session. Good training programs keep students actively involved throughout the majority of most meetings. There is much less emphasis on note-taking and far less lecturing and explaining of things by facilitators. LCG programs are known for sweeping people into action early at every session and keeping them positive, involved and enthusiastic (P-I-E) pretty much continuously. It's very important that all Great Expectations facilitators truly embrace this approach. Those leading Great Expectations classes are asked to keep clearly in mind the fact that the core program is first and foremost a training process designed to build and practice new skills, not an educational process designed to provide new knowledge. Some compare our teaching techniques to those of a baseball or basketball coach at a team practice. The emphasis is on "doing" and practicing in a laboratory-like setting. There's a lot of activity, and very little passive listening, note-taking and test-taking. Both approaches have their place, of course. And one is no better than the other. But in a training program like Great Expectations it's important instructors view themselves more as coaches and less as teachers. On average, Great Expectations instructors do far less talking and explaining of things than most outstanding high school and middle school teachers, and far more interactive facilitating, encouraging and coaching. Great Expectations facilitators will find a good deal of detail about the special learning environment created in Great Expectations classrooms in their instructional materials. Among other things, they'll find that everything we do in every session of the process is positive, not negative or even constructively critical. We build exclusively on strengths, not weaknesses, and use heavy doses of appreciation and applause to motivate and inspire. The uplifting, confidence-producing building-block techniques LCG members have been using with managers and executives for nearly thirty years have stimulated transformations and break-throughs in thousands of adult class members. And they'll do precisely the same thing for serious-minded teenagers in the hands of a sensitive, yet demanding instructor. All it takes is an appreciation for the very special training techniques employed in this program, and a willingness to let the process unfold over time for each and every class member. HOW HARD IS IT TO ORGANIZE AND RUN THE EMBED REINFORCEMENT PHASE? There's really very little effort and expense involved, despite the enormous training-related value of the modules. Most clients think of their Embed phase as simply an ongoing series of self-improvement workshops, each announced in advance and involving any number of graduates from any number of core program classes. No special materials are required, and only one faculty member is needed to facilitate each meeting regardless of the number of participants. Embed meetings involving a large number of core program graduates are typically held in the school/youth organization auditorium or gymnasium. Participants are asked to bring only an open mind, a willingness to participate and their Great Expectations Student Guides. There are no extra charges of any kind and although strongly encouraged by most organizations and institutions, attendance is strictly voluntary. Embed modules provide a potent opportunity for Great Expectations graduates to keep strengthening and building-upon their skills. A number of co-teaching and co-leading opportunities for both graduates and class assistants is also a part of every meeting. Most business clients schedule one Embed module per week for employees, although some prefer a bi-weekly schedule. Several larger-sized (Fortune 500) organizations now schedule at least one Embed module each day of the week (M-F) for maximum employee convenience and benefit. ARE PRINTED BROCHURES & OTHER PROMOTIONAL ITEMS AVAILABLE? The Leadership Capital Group LLC does not distribute brochures or other promotional items directly to prospective class members. A (4-sided) flyer is provided free-of-charge to schools and youth organizations sponsoring Great Expectations classes. Copies may be made locally in whatever quantities are needed. Great Expectations t-shirts and other LCG clothing items are provided exclusively to class members, facilitators and class assistants as a part of the program materials. These items are currently not sold separately. |
BENEFITS TO SCHOOLS & SCHOOL OFFICIALS Great Expectations delivers a remarkable collection of benefits to schools and school officials, including: A) The adding of a world-class, college-level leadership process to the school curriculum or extracurricular program at minimal expense, B) The eliminating of design, lesson plan and printing costs, C) The providing of an additional challenge and income opportunity(*) to selected faculty members, D) The chance to show new, compelling evidence of a strong commitment to innovation, quality education and continuous improvement, E) The chance to raise behavior standards and reduce bullying, peer ridiculing and the developing of elite cliques, F) The chance to bring added distinction and recognition to the school and school district, G) The chance to strengthen even more the bonds with parents and the business community, H) The providing of students with the possibility of earning college credit via college PLAR assessments, I) The reducing of inventory (storage) expense, J) The introducing of a very positive and motivational influence into the school culture (**), and K) The possibility of distributing expenses over several budget years. (*) Determined by school or school district. (**) Details can be found in Revitalize Your Corporate Culture by Franklin C. Ashby. ******* |
LCG FEES AT A GLANCE SCHOOLS & ORGANIZATIONS $1995 One-Time Application/Set-Up Fee Covers All Schools in District STUDENTS $695 LCG Courseware Fee Suggested Retail Price FACILITATORS $495 Materials Fee USA Shipping & Handling Included Tax Additional No Renewal, Certification or Licensing Fees ******* |
FOR SCHOOLS & YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS The following is a look at a host of issues of special interest to school and youth organization officials. For convenience, all information is presented in question-and-answer format. Although significant policy adjustments are not expected in the near future, changes always remain possible without notice. |
NO GIMMICKS, NO FADS You won't find anything gimmicky or faddish in Great Expectations. The focus is on "what works", not "what's new." Our sessions are fun and entertaining, but that's not why people enroll. They enroll because of the results we generate. Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D. ******* |
Go GET 'em! greatexpectationsforteens.com |
FROM CONCERN TO GRATITUDE "Yes, we were a little concerned at first about turning a 'training and development' process over to those more accustomed to 'teaching'. But our fears quickly dissipated. The hand-picked (secondary school) teachers asked to deliver the test classes were beyond outstanding. They were spectacular! Their experience with teenagers made for a level of rapport and understanding that even our best trainers would find very hard to match. It was exactly what we had hoped for." Franklin C. Ashby, Ph.D. Panel Discussion Local PTA Meeting ******* |
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT OD EXPERTS SEE AS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT TO SCHOOLS OF THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROCESS? A) The Impact on the School Culture B) The Impact on the Reputation of the School and School District C) The Volume of Appreciation from Parents & Taxpayers D) The Link to Fortune 500 Teaching & Training Techniques E) The Chance Grads Have to Re-Take the Core Program Free-of-Charge F) The EMBED Reinforcement Modules G) The Growth Opportunity Provided to Deserving Faculty Members H) The Enhanced Relationship with the Local Business Community Answer: A That's right. They're all terrific, but in the opinion of several clients and FORTUNE 500 OD experts the single biggest "macro" benefit of Great Expectations is likely to be its effect on the school culture. (And it doesn't cost a penny extra!) ******* |
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER Please keep in mind that The Leadership Capital Group LLC and its members serve only as a provider of courseware to Great Expectations classes. Schools and school districts accept full responsibility for all aspects of the organizing and presenting of Great Expectations programs, the safety of participants, and the resolving of any difficulties or conflicts. ******* |
THE CORPORATE COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Today, about 95% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate university or corporate training division devoted to leadership development and related training. Total investment in the United States is approximately $30B per year, about 97% of which goes to managers and executives with an average age of thirty-six. LCG believes that quality leadership training contributes mightily to the growth and performance of high-potential managers, but that it offers even greater benefits to high-potential teenagers. Isn't it time we start making a commensurate leadership training investment in our young people? ******* |
THE ESTIMATING OF ROI VIA THE PHILLIPS 5-STEP PROCESS Efforts to quantify the return-on-investment (ROI) generated by important projects or activities has traditionally been of most interest to for-profit managers and executives anxious to demonstrate their effectiveness, or prove the wisdom of a decision requiring a large investment. LCG president, Dr. Frank Ashby, was one of the first leaders of a major multi-national training and development organization to become a certified ROI examiner. THE ROI INSTITUTE in Birmingham, Alabama is the world's leading authority on the design of return-on-investment methodologies, including those for training and education. Founded by renowned researchers and best-selling authors, Dr. Jack Phillips and Dr. Patti Phillips, more information about the institute and its work can be found at www.roiinstitute.net ******* |
DEDICATION Great Expectations is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Paul J. Mackey whose standards, wisdom and kindness remain a sterling example to us all. ******* ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The members of The Leadership Capital Group LLC are very grateful to the many friends and colleagues who provided support and encouragement during the development and testing of The Great Expectations Program for High-Potential Teenagers, particularly (in alphabetical order): Kathrin Bergin, Ph.D. Rep. Timothy Bishop Carol Crowley Hon. Francisco del Rosario Tere & Franco del Rosario Don Dunbar Sen. John Flanagan Gay Fogarty, Ph.D. Sylvia Galloway, Ph.D. Cyndi Gaudet, Ph.D. Ed Gerety Jude Hourihan, Ph.D., D.Sc. Prof. Eric Killian Sue Mackey Joe Montano Jack Phillips, Ph.D. Patti Pulliam-Phillips, Ph.D. Jo Ann Robinson Susan Robinson Jeanne Schnupp Jim Selbe Prof. Willa Smith Hank Spille, Ph.D. Ron Stone Prof. Scott Ventrella … and the more than 200 wonderfully helpful parents, teenagers, teachers and school district leaders who participated in Great Expectations surveys, design workshops and test classes. ******* |
COLLEGE READINESS & THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION! The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest education foundation, recently revised its investment strategy. It's now devoting a much bigger percentage of its support to (you guessed it!) college readiness and quality training initiatives that prepare teenagers for college and the world of work! Click HERE for the details! |
These skills have enabled good people to do great things for centuries. They are the skills our young people need to compete in a global economy. And the sooner in life they start working on them the better. Franklin C. Ashby, Ph.D. American Council on Education Washington, D.C. |