Cisco Gobal Education has articulated a vision for a 21st century education system, Education 3.0, and enlisted CCT to develop a set of Leading Indicators that help schools and districts assess themselves against the 3.0 vision. The Education 3.0 Leading Indicators & Diagnostic Tool are designed to help schools and districts explore their capacity to provide a rigorous, cutting-edge education to their students. The Education 3.0 Leading Indicators draw on the best available thinking on the directions that education needs to pursue, including the latest education research and discussions on 21st century learning, school reform, teacher professional development, information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, education leadership, and technology integration.

The Leading Indicators were reviewed by education experts in a number of fields and the Diagnostic Tool, developed as a result of the Indicators process, was pilot tested in a number of districts and schools. The Leading Indicators are divided into four categories, or Pillars:

1. 21st Century Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment
2. High-Quality Infrastructure and Technology
3. Adapted System Reform, and
4. Leadership, People, and Culture.