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Oaks Christian School Portrait of a Graduate

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Oaks Christian School Portrait of a Graduate

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Oaks Christian School is an exceptional community where students graduate as caring and compassionate servant-leaders who will use their knowledge, gifts and abilities to be positive influences in the world. We teach from a biblical worldview which is paired with a culture of care to form our three pillars.

Knowledge and Wisdom
An Oaks Christian graduate is a discerning, discipline individual whose curiosity propels him/her to innovate.

Well-being and Community
An Oaks Christian graduate is purpose-minded person who acts in a loving manner towards all while maintaining a joyful and sacrificial outlook.

Leadership and Character
An Oaks Christian graduate acts with integrity and humility. Collaboration and courage are hallmarks of their character.

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Portrait of Graduate - Oaks Christian School

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Oaks Christian School is an exceptional community where students graduate as caring and compassionate servant-leaders who will use their knowledge, gifts and abilities to be positive influences in the world. We teach from a biblical worldview which is paired with a culture of care to form our three pillars.

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Coram Deo Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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Coram Deo Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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Biblical integration is challenging students to look at everything through a Biblical lens and not simply part of the curriculum. It is actually a model for living Coram Deo "in the presence of God"

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St. Mark's Episcopal School Portrait of a Graduate 

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St. Mark's Episcopal School Portrait of a Graduate 

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Michael Artlip, '16, was the Valedictorian at Strake Jesuit and is a Division I Athlete at Penn State!

Read More about Portrait of a Graduate: Michael Artlip, '16

Michael Artlip, '16, was the Valedictorian at Strake Jesuit and is a Division I Athlete at Penn State!

Read More about Portrait of a Graduate: Kendall Doerr, '20

We're proud of St. Mark's alumna, Ava Phillips, '18, who wrote a very thoughtful piece for The Buzz Magazines about the events in Washington D.C. in January.

Read More about Portrait of a Graduate: Ava Phillips, '18

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Portrait of a Graduate - St. Mark's Episcopal School

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Michael Artlip, '16, was the Valedictorian at Strake Jesuit and is a Division I Athlete at Penn State! Read More about Portrait of a Graduate: Michael Artlip, '16 Michael Artlip, '16, was the Valedictorian at Strake Jesuit and is a Division I Athlete at Penn State!

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Delaware Valley Classical School Portrait of a Graduate

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Delaware Valley Classical School Portrait of a Graduate

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At Delaware Valley Classical School, we desire to train, mentor, and encourage students throughout the course of their education to love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love their neighbor as themselves (Luke 10:27). With the Bible as the foundation, we aspire to cultivate character, excellence, wisdom, joy, and gratitude through reliance on God, the training by the teachers, and the strength of the curriculum beginning in kindergarten and culminating at graduation.

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DVCS Portrait of a Graduate | Christian School in New Castle, DE

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At Delaware Valley Classical School, we desire to train, mentor, and encourage students throughout the course of their education to love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love their neighbor as themselves (Luke 10:27).

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Southside Christian School Portrait of a Graduate

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Southside Christian School Portrait of a Graduate

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Southside Christian students will be prepared for college and vocational excellence as evidenced by:

developing lifelong learning habits that produce competency. (Prov. 10:14, Phil. 1:6, 2 Tim. 2:15)

developing their intellect to the fullest ability in order to think analytically and employ problem-solving skills. (Prov. 18:13, 15, 17, Rom. 12:2, Eph. 5:8-16, Phil. 4:6, James 1:5)

recognizing, developing, and utilizing God-given abilities to the fullest extent. (Ex. 31:2-5, Dan. 1:17)

maturing as Christian leaders to serve in their respective disciplines. (2 Tim. 3:16-17, Titus 2:1)

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Southside Christian students will be prepared for college and vocational excellence as evidenced by: developing lifelong learning habits that produce competency. (Prov. 10:14, Phil. 1:6, 2 Tim. 2:15) developing their intellect to the fullest ability in order to think analytically and employ problem-solving skills. (Prov. 18:13, 15, 17, Rom. 12:2, Eph.

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A Comprehensive Guide to a Portrait of a Graduate

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A Comprehensive Guide to a Portrait of a Graduate

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Many school district leaders are coalescing around the idea of a Portrait of a Graduate, asking the question: how can we bridge the gap between high school graduation and what comes next?

In today's world, the demands for students are tremendous as they move on to college, career, and adult life. It's no longer enough to just graduate on time with the right academic credentials.

That's why creating a Portrait of a Graduate may be at the top of the agenda for you and your team. Unique to each district, a Portrait of a Graduate outlines the 21st century skills that a district believes their students should embody and exemplify by graduation.

A Portrait of a Graduate is a great way to align school operations and pedagogy around a collective vision for student success. With this vision, your community is taking a strong stance on what it means for your students to be college, career, and life ready. You are also reinforcing your commitment to supporting the whole child in a way that goes beyond test scores.

If your district is ready to join the Portrait of a Graduate movement this school year, this guide is for you. You'll learn strategies for creating, implementing, and measuring the success of a Portrait of a Graduate in your community. You'll also see real examples from districts that have brought their graduate visions to life.

Learn how DC Public Schools uses Panorama to measure their Portrait of a Graduate.

1. What Is a Portrait of a Graduate? 2. How to Create a Portrait of a Graduate 3. Strategies for Portrait of a Graduate Implementation 4. Portrait of a Graduate Examples and Resources
What Is a Portrait of a Graduate?

The process of building and implementing a Portrait of a Graduate is a community effort. Typically, districts bring together students, staff, teachers, community leaders, business leaders, and school administrators to create the portrait. These stakeholders come together to discuss the responsibilities and goals of public schools in their local community, as well as the traits and skills that students will need the most to be successful in adult life.

Once the traits are finalized, the district submits the Portrait of a Graduate to its Board of Education. The end deliverable gets incorporated into the district's strategic plan and serves as a public-facing north star.

It's important to note that a district's Portrait of a Graduate is meant to complement academics and test scores as measures of preparedness. While it does not replace a focus on academic achievement, it shows the district community's commitment to investing in educational experiences that educate the whole child.

The Importance of a Portrait of a Graduate for Students

National data on postsecondary student outcomes highlights the need for district leaders-alongside community stakeholders and students-to redefine what student success means in schools. Here are some trends to be aware of:

Within the Portrait of a Graduate movement, districts are responding to these challenges with a deep focus on students' life skills-also known as 21st century skills or SEL skills-that supplement and enhance students' content mastery.

According to the 2018 Gallup Superintendents survey, 66 percent of superintendents ranked SEL/21st-Century Skills as a key area of need and a lever for improving students' college and career readiness.
How to Create a Portrait of a Graduate

1. Form a Portrait of a Graduate committee.

2. Engage community members in discussion.

3. Brainstorm and vet Portrait of a Graduate skills.

4. Create a visual representation.

1. Form a Portrait of a Graduate committee

The first step in creating your Portrait of a Graduate is to invite a group of participants. The most successful districts invite a variety of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community and business leaders.

You'll also need to select a facilitator, whether it's someone from your community or a professional.

Some districts like Sonoma County have expanded their Portrait of a Graduate conversations even further through the use of surveys.

2. Engage community members in discussion

Orient your committee's dialogue around key questions. Here are some questions sourced from districts.

From Sonoma County in California: What are the hopes, aspirations and dreams that our community has for our young people?

From Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District in Texas: What traits, skills, and mindsets do students need to be successful, regardless of the area they choose to pursue?

3. Brainstorm and vet Portrait of a Graduate skills

When considering skills and mindsets, the 4 C's designed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) -critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication-can be a strong starting point. This popular framework also includes life skills such as flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity, leadership and literacy skills such as information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy.

You might also consider language that honors the core values of your community. What are the skills and traits that community members take pride in and hope to pass on to their students and children?

Once you have a working draft, review your language from diverse perspectives to ensure it is inclusive of all students. For example, how might words like "self-reliant" and "citizenship" be interpreted? As a community contract, your Portrait of a Graduate must be widely circulated and thoroughly vetted.
Widely used Portrait of a Graduate skills and attributes:

Creative and critical thinker

Problem solver

Solution seeker

Lifelong learner

Self-regulated learner

Effective communicator

Innovator

Collaborator

Ethical and global citizen

Goal-directed and resilient individual

Dynamic leader

4. Create a visual representation

Next, it's time to create the end product-the visual representation.

Visual expression can be a powerful element. Districts use a variety of templates and shapes for their portraits, from silhouettes of graduates to circular badges. Some school districts, such as Humble Independent School District in Texas, even engage student artists to emphasize the element of student and community ownership in the Portrait of a Graduate process.

Strategies for Portrait of a Graduate Implementation

Once you've created your Portrait of a Graduate, don't stop there. Done well, a Portrait of a Graduate should guide district decisions around everything from classroom pedagogy, to human resources, to financial services and operations.

Create system alignment

Once complete, the committee should submit the Portrait of a Graduate for school board review and approval.

After it is approved, take the time to embed the vision into your strategic plan, website, and mission statement. Identify the initiatives and programs that will help students develop these competencies, and begin to design learning processes that integrate these traits into the classroom for all grade levels.

Operationalize your Portrait of a Graduate with measurement

Next, determine how you will measure progress for all students toward your Portrait of a Graduate vision.

Using instruments like the Panorama Social-Emotional Learning Survey, your district can gather valid and reliable data from students on their development of Portrait of a Graduate traits. The Panorama survey is customizable and aligns to CASEL competencies like Social Awareness and Self-Management.

You can easily map Panorama survey topics to your Portrait of a Graduate framework. For example, learn how District of Columbia Public Schools cross-walked their "Loved, Challenged, and Prepared" traits to the Panorama survey.

With a college and career readiness platform like Panorama, you can also look at your Portrait of a Graduate data alongside other college and career readiness indicators such as SAT scores, credit accumulation, course performance, attendance, and behavior. A holistic view of each child helps district-level staff, principals, counselors, and teachers understand exactly where students may be off track, and how to best help them.

A student report from Schertz-Cibolo-Universal-City ISD in Panorama (not real student data)

Provide educators and staff with ongoing professional development

Remember that it all starts with adults. Do educators deeply understand the Portrait of a Graduate traits? Do they feel equipped to help students develop these skills? Do educators themselves embody the traits you're promoting?

Build adult capacity around these skills and mindsets by focusing on adult SEL and self-care. Data can also play a powerful role in professional development. Imagine a room full of educators discussing trends in school-level data, identifying students who need additional support, and setting concrete goals to ensure every student is progressing towards your Portrait of a Graduate vision.

Bring your Portrait of a Graduate to life across the community

Most importantly, continue to communicate and celebrate your vision.

Hold interviews with the student and community newspapers. Recognize students on social media for exemplifying the traits of a graduate, like in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District.

Incorporate the Portrait of a Graduate into your meetings at every level. Discuss how your vision can be equitably implemented for all students. Engage staff, administrators, and students in conversations about what the portrait means to them.
Portrait of a Graduate Examples and Resources
Finally, make resources accessible for parents and teachers across elementary school, middle school, and high school to help cultivate these traits, mindsets, and skills in students.
Browse the #PortraitofaGraduate hashtag on Twitter for more inspiring examples.
School District Examples

Additional Resources to Explore

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A Comprehensive Guide to a Portrait of a Graduate

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A Portrait of a Graduate represents a school district's vision for the 21st century skills, character traits, and/or social-emotional competencies that students need to succeed in college, career, and life.

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St. John's Episcopal School Portrait of a Graduate

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St. John's Episcopal School Portrait of a Graduate

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The first day when your pre-k child climbs out of their car seat and makes their way into St. John's, it is difficult to imagine who they will be 10 years later when they arrives at school for the last time as a graduating eighth grader. For our faculty it is a little different. We keep a list in our minds of the qualities we want all our students to have upon graduation. By the time our students leave us, they are skilled critical thinkers who love to learn. They are compassionate with a healthy respect for the abilities and perspective of others. They are confident and articulate, equipped to serve the world around them.

St. John's graduates embody :

Loves to learn, motivated by genuine curiosity.

Brings optimism, confidence and discipline to solving problems through the use of critical thinking skills.

Strives to live with integrity

Shows tenacity and resiliency

Practices compassion, respectfulness, and altruism

Collaborates in a supportive, helpful fashion.

Communicates clearly, correctly and gracefully.

Community- and globally-conscious.

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Portrait of a Graduate - St. John's Episcopal School

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The first day when your pre-k child climbs out of their car seat and makes their way into St. John's, it is difficult to imagine who they will be 10 years later when they arrives at school for the last time as a graduating eighth grader. For our faculty it is a little different.

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St. George's Independent School Portrait of a Graduate

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St. George's Independent School Portrait of a Graduate

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Fort Bend Christian Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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Fort Bend Christian Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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An FBCA graduate is equipped academically, spiritually, socially and physically to serve God, faithfully exhibiting a Kingdom-focus throughout all aspects of his or her life by:

Trusting God and embracing the journey of Christian discipleship.

Seeking to be a proud ambassador of his or her faith in school and the greater community.

Pursuing knowledge, truth and wisdom.

Shaping society through dynamic critical thinking, creative solutions and effective communication.

Honoring God courageously by standing against the current of the culture.

Leading with love, integrity and compassion.

FBCA seeks to graduate students who are grounded in God's word, strong in their faith and well prepared to achieve academic and spiritual success in college and in life.

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An FBCA graduate is equipped academically, spiritually, socially and physically to serve God, faithfully exhibiting a Kingdom-focus throughout all aspects of his or her life by: Trusting God and embracing the journey of Christian discipleship. Seeking to be a proud ambassador of his or her faith in school and the greater community.

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Prestonwood Christian Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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Prestonwood Christian Academy Portrait of a Graduate

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The is a difference factor PCA when compared to other private schools. Prestonwood Christian Academy developed the Portrait of a Graduate to ensure that all scholastic, spiritual and co-curricular programs were held to the highest standards. At PCA, we aspire to produce graduates who are grounded in the Word of God and develop a strong respect for the things of the Lord.

In addition, the emphasis on world missions and evangelism with our World Impact Day and Minimester opportunities help to develop an eternal perspective. Daily rigor in school, whether in the classroom or in co-curricular activities, helps foster a strong work ethic and reinforce a quality liberal arts education preparing students with a "big picture" perspective of life and an appreciation for the creative nature of God. All this coupled with a strong emphasis on servant-leadership founded on humility equip PCA students with character and commitment necessary for success in life.

Reverence for God is the beginning point of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
An Eternal Perspective is interdependent with reverence (Colossians 3:23)
Humility is then cultivated when one recognizes that our life is about Him; we are 'serving-as-His-leader' (Philippians 2:2-11); (Matthew 6:33).
The process of learning, or scholarship, is conditioned by reverence, eternal perspective and humility. The development of a biblical worldview is the fruit of this process.
Rigor, high expectations and accountability compliment the entire learning environment; students grow accustomed to striving for excellence (II Corinthians 10:5).

Please take a moment to watch the videos of alumni and current students who represent the portrait of a PCA graduate;

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Prestonwood Christian Academy- Portrait of a PCA Graduate

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The is a difference factor PCA when compared to other private schools. Prestonwood Christian Academy developed the Portrait of a Graduate to ensure that all scholastic, spiritual and co-curricular programs were held to the highest standards. At PCA, we aspire to produce graduates who are grounded in the Word of God and develop a strong respect for the things of the Lord.

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High School Options and Post-Secondary Student Success: The Catholic School Advantage

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High School Options and Post-Secondary Student Success: The Catholic School Advantage

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River Oaks Baptist School Portrait of a Graduate

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River Oaks Baptist School Portrait of a Graduate