DC to Reimagine High School Graduation Requirements and Their DC-wide Graduate Profile

I am a proud parent of two teenagers who attended District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) . Earlier this week, I participated in a public feedback session with Antoinette Mitchell , the Interim State Superintendent of the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) , along with other parents of DC Public School students. The purpose of the session was to learn more about the District’s development of a DC-wide Graduate Profile as part of the Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements initiative.

Since then, I have been reading and thinking about current district and state efforts surrounding "Portrait of a Graduate" and "Profile of a Graduate" initiatives. In this post, I summarize some of my key findings and insights from recent research and the experiences of leading states and districts. I would appreciate any and all feedback as we in DC consider the opportunities and challenges of this initiative and its potential impact on our students.

Background and Rationale

In recent years, many states have begun developing "Portraits of a Graduate," holistic visions articulating the skills and competencies students need to thrive in work, postsecondary education, community, and personal life (Norville, 2022). This movement is driven by:

• Recognition that a high school diploma alone is insufficient preparation for students' next steps
• Desire to define school and system performance more holistically beyond reading and math
• Opportunities under ESSA for state-defined accountability measures
• Growing challenges of the 21st century that today's students must be equipped to meet

A high school diploma alone is insufficient preparation for students' next steps.

Key Skills Emphasized in State Portraits

A scan of all 50 states by Atwell & Tucker (2024) revealed that portraits commonly prioritize:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Social awareness
• Citizenship and Civic Engagement
• Social-emotional skills and competencies

These skills reflect states' understanding of the competencies essential for students' future success.

State Implementation Approaches

States are taking varied approaches to making their portraits actionable:

• South Carolina (2021) developed a detailed competency framework
• Utah (2020) and Wyoming (2018) created high-level profiles
• Virginia (2022) and Washington (2018) are using portraits to shape policy initiatives

While entry points differ, these states position portraits as the "North Star" guiding their education systems, aiming better to communicate the holistic elements of school and system performance.

States position portraits as the "North Star" guiding their education systems, aiming better to communicate the holistic elements of school and system performance.

Insights from District Implementation

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 's Learning Leadership Network is actively supporting 11 districts in their efforts to redesign secondary schools around portraits of a graduate. After one year, Supple et al. (2023) identified lessons learned:

• Commitment and Resilience: Systems transformation requires unwavering commitment from leaders, who have demonstrated resilience amidst various challenges.
• Improvement Science: Utilizing improvement science tools and principles provides a structured path forward. District teams have developed a network theory of improvement, highlighting high-leverage drivers and aligned measures for the upcoming school year.
• Collaborative Learning: The network facilitates valuable learning opportunities through cross-network partnerships, enabling districts to learn from each other and advance their transformational efforts.

Recommendations for State Education Agencies

Based on the findings of Atwell and Tucker (2024), state education agencies should consider the following to enhance the impact of Portrait of a Graduate initiatives:

• Increase the visibility and importance of these portraits in state education strategies.
• Develop clear implementation plans that align with the portrait's vision.
• Integrate social and emotional skill development into the core curriculum and instruction.
• Provide professional development for educators to support the implementation.
• Align assessment and accountability systems with the broader set of skills outlined in the portrait.

The Importance of Measurement

While OSSE has a lot more work ahead of them, Dr. Mitchell discussed in the session how the city will likely use rubrics as part of their measurement system.

The power of rubrics lies not in their mere existence, but in the purpose that drives their design, the care with which they are crafted, the wisdom in their application, and the insight in interpreting the stories they tell.

For more than three decades, rubrics have become widely used tools in education for both summative and formative assessment purposes. Several review studies have investigated the effectiveness and impact of rubrics across various educational levels and contexts.

• Jonsson and Svingby's (2007) review of research on rubrics highlighted several potential benefits of using rubrics in performance assessments. They concluded that rubrics can enhance the reliability of scoring, especially when they are analytic, topic-specific, and supplemented with rater training. While rubrics don't inherently facilitate valid judgment, they can support valid assessment when used within a comprehensive validity framework. Importantly, the authors noted that rubrics have the potential to promote learning and improve instruction by making expectations and criteria explicit, which in turn facilitates feedback and self-assessment.
• Brookhart and Chen's (2015) review found an increase in the frequency, scope, and rigor of rubric-related studies compared to earlier research. Their findings suggest that rubrics can provide quality information when certain conditions are met, particularly when criteria are clear and focused. The review also indicated generally positive effects of rubrics on performance.
• Despite the growing empirical support for rubrics, criticisms persist. Panadero and Jonsson's (2020) review explored these concerns and limitations. They found that many criticisms were based on anecdotal evidence and personal experiences rather than strong empirical data. Additionally, some critics appeared to have a narrow conceptualization of rubrics, often assuming they were only used for high-stakes testing or summative assessment.

While I could go more deeply into rubrics, my scan of the research evidence and my many years of working with education, assessment, and measurement experts suggest that while rubrics can be effective tools for assessment and learning when properly designed and implemented, their validity and reliability depend on the purpose for using them, how they are made, how they are utilized, and how results are interpreted. Indeed, the power of rubrics lies not in their mere existence, but in the purpose that drives their design, the care with which they are crafted, the wisdom in their application, and the insight in interpreting the stories they tell. If OSSE plans to use rubrics as its primary tool for assessing every student’s Graduate Profile, then we need to push them on these dimensions:?the purpose for using them, how they are made, how they are utilized, and how results are interpreted.

Final Thoughts

States and districts are increasingly adopting "portraits of a graduate" as a mechanism to redefine student success and system performance through a more holistic and future-oriented lens. This initiative represents a significant shift in preparing students for the complexities of society and the workforce, going beyond traditional academic skills to include social, emotional, and life skills. While still an emerging practice, current state and district efforts offer promising models and insights to guide OSSE. Continued research and cross-system learning will be crucial for realizing the full potential of graduate portraits to drive meaningful transformation of the high school experience and outcomes in our city. By understanding and implementing these insights, OSSE can enhance its strategies to ensure our students are equipped for success in their careers, postsecondary education, and personal lives.

References?

Atwell, M., & Tucker, A. (2024). Portraits of a graduate: Strengthening career and college readiness through social and emotional skill development. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. https://casel.org/portraits-of-a-graduate-2024/

Brookhart, S. M., & Chen, F. (2015). The quality and effectiveness of descriptive rubrics.?Educational Review, 67(3), 343–368.?https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2014.929565

Jonsson, A., & Svingby, G. (2007). The use of scoring rubrics: Reliability, validity and educational consequences.?Educational Research Review, 2(2), 130–144.?https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2007.05.002

Norville, V. (2022). States sketch “Portraits of a Graduate.” State Innovations, 27(1). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED625660.pdf

Panadero, E., & Jonsson, A. (2020). A critical review of the arguments against the use of rubrics.?Educational Research Review, 30, 100329.?https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100329

South Carolina Department of Education. (2021). Profile of a South Carolina graduate: Competency framework. https://personalizesc.ed.sc.gov/pscg-competencies/revised-pscg-competencies-full-continua/

Supple, E., White, T., & Palmer, S. (2023). Reflections from one year of the Carnegie Learning Leadership Network. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/blog/reflections-from-one-year-of-the-carnegie-learning-leadership-network/

Utah State Board of Education. (2020). Utah portrait of a graduate competencies. https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/704515.pdf

Virginia Department of Education. (2022). Profile of a Virginia graduate. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/parents-students/for-students/graduation/policy-initiatives/profile-of-a-virginia-graduate

Washington State Board of Education. (2018). Profile of a graduate. https://www.sbe.wa.gov/our-work/profile-graduate

Wyoming State Board of Education. (2018). Wyoming profile of a graduate. https://wyboardofeducation.org/wyoming-profile-of-a-graduate/

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