Career Focus

This course is designed for students who are interested in the intersection of education (K-12 and higher education) and business — whether that means starting a business in the education sector or being a board member or investor, to someone who wants to make a difference in the education sector while pursuing a career in other industries.

This course draws on the extensive experiences of the instructor (HBS ’93) who has been a social entrepreneur in the education sector for the past three decades. His work includes founding a venture backed school network, leading a firm that has been advising and supporting public school districts around the US, investing in numerous educational startups, and serving as a board member in numerous educational non-profit organizations.

This course is geared for students of all backgrounds, and everyone can deeply engage in the class discussion. Education work-related experience is not necessary.

Course Overview

The course covers a wide range of topics across K-12 and higher education. Topics include education reform efforts, adaptive and personalized learning approaches, disruptive innovations such as AI and machine learning, and system-level change efforts. The broad set of topics will create an opportunity for the class to deepen its understanding of the complexities and constraints of the sector while ferreting out what works. Cases are set in various markets including the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America. A third of the cases are set in a non-US context.

The cases feature social entrepreneurs leveraging entrepreneurial and managerial practices to deliver pattern-breaking change in K-12 schools and higher educational institutions. The cases will examine protagonists working within established educational systems as well as through independent education-focused organizations. Three-quarters of the cases are on private enterprises (for-profit and non-profit) and about a third of the cases are on private venture-backed companies. Nearly all the sessions include visits from case protagonists.

Course Organization

In addition to an introductory module which will provide background and context of the education sector, the course will be organized into the following modules:

• Personalizing learning: How can schools meet the unique needs of each student? What role can technology play in this effort and how is it changing the role of the teacher and the classroom?
• Striving for equity and performance: How should schools define success beyond test scores? What are the skills and aptitude necessary for the future? How will the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the U.S. impact the definitions of success, merit, and equity?
• Achieving systemic coherence: What are ways in which leaders can align systems, structures, and resources to lead an inherently complex organization that serves a vast range of needs?
• Evaluating opportunities: How should social entrepreneurs define success for families and schools while satisfying investors? The course will examine ventures that are rapidly adapting technology, selling directly to parents (e.g., consumers) as well as to institutions (e.g., colleges, schools). The course will evaluate emerging ideas and ventures and get a chance to ponder the question of how social entrepreneurs can do well and do good at the same time.
• Disrupting higher education: What will the rapid changes occurring among colleges and universities mean for the future? How are entrepreneurs using technology and new business models to bring quality post-secondary education to all?
• Scaling change: How can entrepreneurs and leaders scale what works? What are the challenges in replicating, scaling, and sustaining successful models?

The course also endeavors to foster a strong community of students who share an interest in the education sector across HBS and other parts of Harvard University.

Grading and course requirements

Grading is based on class participation (50%) and final paper (50%).

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