Portrait of A Dynamo |
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. The process of building and implementing a Portrait of a Graduate is a community effort.
____________________________________
What's New??
Educators and policymakers speak often about 21st-century skills but what does that mean to K-12 education and the workforce? Acknowledging the need to connect these concepts, many school districts are developing a Portrait of a Graduate. A Portrait of a Graduate - or for AVSD, A Portrait of a Dynamo - is not about strategies and methods or instructional practices, it is about knowledge, disposition and characteristics that District students should embody as they move forward in the world. It is a shared vision beyond district personnel.
The Portrait is developed with the input of parents, local business leaders, students, teachers, and district leaders by asking, “What are the core key competencies and dispositions we want our children to have for life beyond the Allegheny Valley School District PreK-12 education?”
Through this process, the District will develop pillars that reflect the skills that universities, employers, and our community say they are seeking. Once these pillars are identified, examples will be clarified and purposefully identified in the District’s curriculum. It is important to note that the District’s Portrait of a Dynamo is meant to complement academics and measures of preparedness. It is does not replace a focus on academic achievement, it shows the District’s commitment to investing in educational experiences for life.
Steps in creating a Portrait of a Dynamo:
- Form a Portrait of a Dynamo committee.
- Engage community members in discussion.
- Brianstorm Portrait of a Dynamo skills.
- Create a visual representation.
- Bring the Portrait of a Dynamo to life across the community.
- Measure progress for all students toward Portraitof a Dynamo.
During the summer, the Allegheny Valley School District administration and Consortium for Public Education representatives have been interviewing District stakeholders including community business owners, students, parents, and board members. The next steps include developing a community survey which will be shared on the Allegheny Valley School District website and newsletter. We cannot stress enough the importance that community members participate in the upcoming survey!