
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.
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS INTERESTED IN OFFERING THE
GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROCESS?
Accredited secondary schools and recognized youth organizations mail one completed copy of
the APPLICATION & AGREEMENT (see homepage) plus a one-time only $699 Application Fee to
The Leadership Capital Group LLC to establish an account. An active account is necessary to
purchase Great Expectations courseware and benefit from any volume discounts and special
offers made available by The Leadership Capital Group LLC.
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 or youth organization 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 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. A complete list of the volume discounts and other
monthly specials currently being offered by The Leadership Capital Group LLC is available HERE.
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.
Kindly be aware that courseware sold at volume discounted prices in quantities of over 100 units
is excluded from the LCG return policy.
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 $499, 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, facilitator training programs are available at several locations in the United States and
around the world. 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.
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 2010 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 typically provides the following student materials and
services for its current courseware fee (*):
A) The design of the 24-session core program,
B) One Student Guide per student (with 3-ring binder),
C) One Student Attache' Case per student,
D) One Prior Learning Portfolio Supplement per student,
E) One Progress Report per student (plus several extras),
F) One Great Expectations T-shirt (or comparable substitute) per student
G) One Certificate of Completion per student with matching folder (plus several extras).
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 (cost: approximately $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/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 100 (total) units or less of Great Expectations 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 orders of
100 (total) units or less of Great Expectations courseware purchased from LCG by participating
schools and youth organizations. Materials purchased 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 attache' case, 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 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 and those a part of recognized youth organizations.
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 in 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 mindthat 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 (downloadable) 4-page flyer and 60-page brochure will
be available shortly in the FAQ section of this website for local duplication.
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 not
sold separately.
_________________________________________________________________________



FAQ's: Schools & Youth Organizations
GET the Edge!
greatexpectationsforteens.com
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.
*******
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.
*******
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?
*******
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!)
*******
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
*******
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.
*******
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.