01
Creative & Critical Thinkers
Ask meaningful questions. Evaluate evidence. Imagine and test better solutions.
PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE
More than a poster.
A promise put
into practice.
Help students become the thinkers, communicators, learners, and citizens your community envisions.
From vision to daily learning A practical pathway with Pro Fish In SeaTHE QUESTION THAT MATTERS
Not just “What should a graduate know?”
“Who are we helping them become?”
THE PURPOSE
A shared vision.
A lifetime of possibility.
A Portrait of a Graduate describes the competencies a community wants every student to develop, not only for graduation, but for work, relationships, civic life, and continued learning. Its value grows when those aspirations become clear expectations students can practice and teachers can support.
02
Effective Communicators
Express ideas clearly, listen to understand, and communicate for a purpose.
03
Resilient, Lifelong Learners
Use feedback, reflect on progress, and keep learning through challenges.
04
Engaged Citizens
Consider other perspectives, act responsibly, and contribute to a community.
Growth looks different at every age.
Illustrative classroom look-fors, not a substitute for the complete proficiency scales.
Creative & Critical ThinkersEvaluate evidence and justify a conclusion.
Effective CommunicatorsAdapt an explanation to an audience and respond to questions.
Resilient, Lifelong LearnersReflect on a strategy and make an improvement plan.
Engaged CitizensCompare perspectives and propose a responsible action.
THE IMPLEMENTATION GAP
A beautiful vision needs
a classroom pathway.
“Be a critical thinker.”
- Students may not know what success looks like.
- Evidence can be scattered across assignments.
- Progress is hard to discuss consistently.
“Evaluate evidence.
Explain your conclusion.”
- Clear learning targets and proficiency levels.
- Activities, goals, and artifacts tied to a target.
- Visible progress and teacher review.
THE PRO FISH IN SEA PATHWAY
Make the portrait part of
the learning, not an extra.
A connected workflow turns broad competencies into concrete next steps, meaningful practice, and conversations about growth.
01 / MAKE IT CLEARGive “success”
Give “success”
a shared meaning.
Grade-banded proficiency scales describe what students are working toward. Foundational skills at 2.0 support the target at 3.0; 4.0 describes advanced application.
Student-friendly language and a next-score prompt help learners answer: What do I need to do next?
2.0 Developing3.0 Proficient4.0 Advanced
02 / MAKE IT RELEVANTOne learning experience.
One learning experience.
Two kinds of growth.
In blended classes, an academic activity can also offer an opportunity to develop a POG competency. Teachers can identify these connections through Blend Opportunities and select resources aligned to the target.
ILLUSTRATIVE CLASSROOM CONNECTIONACADEMIC LEARNINGAnalyze water-quality data +PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATEEvaluate Evidence
Interpret patterns and justify a recommendation.
Explain which evidence supports the conclusion.
Same project. Explicit academic and competency look-fors. Teacher judgment remains essential.
03 / MAKE IT STUDENT-OWNED“I can see my growth.
“I can see my growth.
I know my next step.”
The student dashboard brings the four pillars, target statuses, and goals into one view. Students can see where they are progressing and choose a specific skill to work on.
The portrait becomes a learning journey students can name and navigate, rather than a list of qualities adults describe for them.
04 / MAKE IT ACTIONABLEA goal becomes
A goal becomes
a plan for growth.
Students select a goal score and describe what they will do and how they will recognize success, or create an activity with the AI coach.
Teacher approval, artifacts, reflection, and scoring connect intention to evidence. The teacher stays in the loop; creating a goal is not the same as demonstrating proficiency.
05 / MAKE SUPPORT TIMELYSee where to celebrate.
See where to celebrate.
See where to step in.
The teacher view summarizes target progress and highlights goals needing review or scoring. Status filters and student-level views help teachers focus their attention.
Use the information to plan feedback and support, not to reduce a learner’s identity to a number.
A SHARED LANGUAGE FOR GROWTH
Different roles.
One connected purpose.
For students
Clear expectations, visible progress, and a voice in planning their own growth.
For teachers
A practical way to connect competency goals to instruction, evidence, feedback, and next steps.
For school & district leaders
A concrete implementation pathway for the graduate vision, with classroom-level progress to inform conversations.
For families
Specific skills and goals that make conversations about learning more meaningful than broad labels.
The platform supports the work; educators and students bring the vision to life. Screenshots show illustrative data, not measured impact or guaranteed outcomes.
FROM ASPIRATION TO ACTION
Your portrait deserves
more than a place on the wall.
Give it a place in every student’s learning journey.
Explore Pro Fish In Sea Discover the whole platform →