Our Offerings
Many school leaders are doing incredible work - yet they feel constant tension between innovation and the inertia of entrenched systems and mindsets.
Here’s how we help leaders move from aspiration to execution.
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Ascent Consulting helps leaders and their teams align around strategy, culture, and purpose - especially during periods of change, growth, or realignment. Through a collaborative and comprehensive approach, using our Ascent Framework, we help clarify direction, strengthen communication, and build the systems and structures that will enable your organization to thrive.
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Ascent Leadership Coaching supports leaders who are navigating growth, transition, or organizational change and want to strengthen their impact. Our coaching empowers current and emerging leaders to think strategically, communicate effectively, and lead teams through complexity and change — driving stronger performance and cultivating a healthy, purpose-driven culture.
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Envisioning is a collaborative, team-centered experience designed to help organizations clarify what’s next. Through a focused 2–3 day process, we guide leaders and their teams through reflection, ideation, and practical next-steps planning—resulting in shared clarity, alignment, and a clear direction forward.
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Planning & Alignment supports organizations and teams seeking clarity and coherence as they prepare for growth or navigate change. Through a facilitated envisioning and strategic alignment process, we help organizations clarify purpose, align mission, vision, and values, and translate those commitments into a clear, actionable strategy—ensuring people, priorities, and systems move forward together.
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Some schools are looking for guidance on a specific challenge or phase of growth. With our Focused Consulting Engagements, you can choose one or more phases of the Ascent Framework, or we can tailor our approach to address your most pressing needs. Each engagement delivers expert analysis, clear recommendations, and practical solutions tailored to your organization’s current context, helping you make meaningful progress without committing to the full framework.
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Some leaders are simply looking for a thought partner or need a little support navigating challenges, making decisions, or working through specific leadership situations. Our Focused Leadership Coaching provides personalized guidance, practical tools, and actionable insights tailored to your unique context—without the commitment of a full leadership development plan.
Our Approach
At Alturas, we use a human-centered approach - the Ascent Framework - to support leaders and organizations move from clarity to action and sustain growth over time.
Discovery
Understand your current reality.
Surface insights about leadership, culture, systems, and stakeholders to establish a clear starting point.
Envisioning
Define what matters most.
Clarify your mission, vision, and values. Ideate what’s next and set goals to co-create a shared North Star for future growth.
Strategy
Turn vision into direction.
Align priorities, roles, systems, and measures into a coherent strategic roadmap.
Integration
Make change sustainable.
Embed strategy into daily practice through coaching, aligned systems, and continuous improvement.
Testimonials
“Chad is a true change agent and educational innovator. He brings insight, perspective and a paradigm that always centers the unique experience of the student. His experience and thoughtful demeanor has impacted my growth as a program developer and in turn, elevated our educational philosophy and the culture of our school. Chad elevates all he works with.”
“Chad’s insight and guidance make ambitious goals achievable—he thinks big with you while pushing for purpose and intention. ”
“My team and I have benefited greatly from working with Chad Carlson as a thought partner and coach on learner-centered programming, innovation, change management, and professional development. Chad is a skilled and empathetic listener who meets leaders and teams where they are. He is a dynamic idea-builder who has supported our team through several strategic planning and design processes. I left every conversation with him feeling motivated and inspired.”
“Chad is a phenomenal visionary and thought leader in learner-driven, transformational education. Over the past eight years as a mentor, consultant, and colleague of mine at One Stone, he has consistently pushed the boundaries of what it means to support student growth, agency, and voice. Chad truly believes in and fosters educational practices and tools that meet students where they are and help them reach their full potential.”