A professional pathway for instructional leaders
The Propel Leadership Programme builds a global community of leaders who carry experiential, evidence-based education into their schools — fully aligned to NEP 2020, NPST and NCF-SE 2023.
One pathway, season by season
- 96 total CPD hours across the pathway
- 5 modules, each complete in itself
- 4 NPST career stages mapped
- 1 School-Based Project per season
Leadership is what happens in the space between people
PLP nurtures instructional leaders driven by a clear purpose: to create a liberating education at the school level — one deeply rooted in meaningful learning and evidence-based pedagogy. Leading change is not the same as managing a school.
Experiential
Learning unfolds through direct experience, structured reflection, focused research and application in participants' own schools.
Residential
Each module runs 3–4 days, intensive and immersive — leaders step away from the daily routine to think together.
Accountable
Every module carries measurable outcomes, KPIs and verifiable CPD credit counting toward the NEP 50-hour mandate.
NEP-Ready
Explicit alignment to NEP 2020, the National Professional Standards for Teachers, and NCF-SE 2023.
Five connected milestones
Each module is a milestone toward the next, yet each stands complete in its own right. Tap any module to go deeper.
Delivered in partnership
Propel Curriculum
Eight years of experiential, project-based curriculum across ~50 partner schools in India.
ipropel.org ↗PBL Path — USA
Place- and project-based learning partner informing the programme's pedagogy.
pblpath.com ↗Also delivered with LearningFields — New Delhi
Structure, methodology & policy alignment
PLP unfolds across connected modules running twice a year. Version 2.0 makes the original spirit accountable — every module now carries explicit NEP alignment, measurable outcomes, CPD credit, appraisal linkage and concrete classroom protocols.
Built on three national frameworks
50 CPD hours
Para 5.15–5.20: every teacher and school leader completes ≥50 hours of CPD per year; merit- and standards-based appraisal and progression.
Four career stages
Beginner (Pragammi), Proficient (Praveen), Expert (Kushal), Lead (Pramukh) — evidence-based, portfolio-supported progression.
360° assessment
Section 3.4: regular, formative, competency-based assessment via self, peer and teacher inputs, portfolios and the Holistic Progress Card.
How a single season meets the mandate
One PLP season delivers 62 CPD hours — 24% above the NEP 50-hour bar — across five verifiable activity types.
| CPD activity | Hours | Mode | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential module | 12–24 | Face-to-face, experiential | Attendance + facilitator sign-off |
| School-Based Project | 15 | Applied, in own school | SBP report + impact evidence |
| Inter-session learning circles | 6 | Online / blended | Circle log + reflection |
| Mentoring conversations | 5 | Blended | Mentoring record |
| Reflective writing & portfolio | 4 | Self-study | Leadership portfolio entry |
From module to career progression
| NPST stage | Leader's focus | PLP contribution & evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Proficient (Praveen) | Independent, effective, inclusive practice | Foundation + PLP-1; SBP showing a led change; observation evidence |
| Expert (Kushal) | Deep pedagogical expertise; mentors peers | PLP-2 + PLP-4; CLT lesson redesign; assessment & portfolio system |
| Lead (Pramukh) | Whole- and cross-school influence | PLP-3; facilitates teacher learning labs; documented impact |
Mentoring
Every leader is paired with a Propel Coach and a critical-friend peer for the full cycle: a goal-setting conversation at module start, two mid-cycle SBP check-ins, and a reflection-and-evidence review before the next module. Each is logged (5 CPD hrs/cycle).
Appraisal integration
PLP supplies ready-made evidence for NEP's multi-parameter appraisal: peer review, CPD hours, quality of practice, service & leadership, and self-reflection — all mapped to NPST standards and formatted for the school's appraisal file.
Who joins, and how
| Criterion | Weight | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment to liberating, experiential education | 25% | Statement of purpose; prior lab participation |
| Readiness & authority to lead change | 25% | Role, mandate, Head's endorsement |
| Capacity to complete the School-Based Project | 20% | Proposed SBP focus; release-time commitment |
| Cohort diversity (size, region, stage) | 15% | Application profile |
| Reflective disposition & openness to feedback | 15% | Short reflective response / interview |
Five milestones along the pathway
Each is a milestone toward the next, yet each stands complete in its own right. Select a module for full detail, outcomes and KPIs.
The School-Based Project
Where learning becomes visible
Each module ends with a School-Based Project carried out within a month, in the leader's own context. The SBP is the single richest source of NPST progression evidence.
Five light stages, one coherent arc
Charter
Name the change, the why, the community, and one student-level success measure.
Baseline
Capture a simple before-picture: data, observation, voice.
Action
Lead the change over the inter-season gap, with mentor check-ins.
Evidence
Gather what changed for children and teachers.
Reflection
Reflect against NPST standards: keep, change, let go.
Accountability protocol
- Two mentor check-ins and one peer review per cycle.
- Certification is released only on SBP completion and evidence review.
- The evidence set slots straight into the school's NEP appraisal file and the leader's NPST portfolio.
Why it matters
A leader can run a tidy timetable and still change nothing about how children learn. The SBP holds change accountable to the only question that counts: what difference is this making for children?
| Stage | What the leader does | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Charter | Names the change, the why, the community, one success measure | Signed SBP charter |
| Baseline | Captures a simple before-picture | Baseline snapshot |
| Action | Leads the change with mentor check-ins | Action log + artefacts |
| Evidence | Gathers what changed | Evidence set |
| Reflection | Reflects against NPST standards | Portfolio reflection |
Resource persons
A team of educators, leaders and practitioners who facilitate the programme and mentor the cohort across the seasons.
Piloting the Programme
PLP-1 · Leading Change in School
We are delighted to open the first pilot of the Propel Leadership Programme — with a select group of instructional leaders from schools already partnering with Propel who have taken part in several learning labs with us.
Instructional leaders ready to lead change
Principals and academic heads of schools already using the Propel Curriculum, who have participated in multiple Propel learning labs, and who meet the selection criteria.
- Limited places — in keeping with the intensive, residential nature of the module.
- Endorsement — written support from your Head of School committing release time.
- A change in mind — a brief note on the change you hope to lead.