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 Portrait names the destination.
Proficiency scales build the path to get there.
A competency such as Critical Thinking may express exactly what a school wants for its graduates. But until that vision is translated into observable skills, clear expectations, and opportunities to practice, it can remain little more than an aspiration.
“Be a critical thinker.”
- Students are told the competency matters, but may not know what successful critical thinking actually looks like.
- Teachers may interpret the competency differently from classroom to classroom.
- Activities may encourage critical thinking without intentionally producing evidence of it.
- Feedback is often subjective because there is no shared definition of increasing proficiency.
- Progress is difficult for students, teachers, and families to see over time.
“Evaluate the evidence.
Compare perspectives.
Defend your conclusion.”
- Proficiency scales define the competency in observable skills and increasing levels of performance.
- Learning experiences intentionally create opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate those skills.
- Teachers gather evidence against shared expectations, creating greater consistency across classrooms and content areas.
- Students know where they are and what comes next, making growth visible and actionable.
- Evidence accumulates over time, allowing the Portrait of a Graduate to become something students actually develop, not simply something a district hopes they become.
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.
Academic learning and Portrait of a Graduate competencies do not need to compete for instructional time.
Pro Fish In Sea helps teachers identify natural Blend Opportunities where an academic task can also provide an authentic opportunity to develop a Portrait of a Graduate competency.
The academic scale remains the primary learning target. The POG competency adds another dimension to how students engage in, manage, apply, or communicate that learning.
ILLUSTRATIVE CLASSROOM CONNECTIONACADEMIC SCALEAnalyzing How Characters, Events, and Ideas Develop · 3.0 +PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATEUse Time and Resources Effectively
Describes how a plot unfolds and how characters respond or change, and analyzes how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated.
Organizes tasks, sets priorities, and uses resources such as texts, digital media, and teacher support to complete work on time.
See the Blend in Action
The Most Dangerous Game
Character Change Analysis
YOUR CHALLENGE
At the beginning of The Most Dangerous Game, Sanger Rainsford has strong opinions about hunters and the animals they hunt.
Then he becomes the hunted.
Your task is to determine: How do the events on Ship-Trap Island affect Rainsford’s thinking, behavior, and perspective?
As you read, collect evidence that shows how Rainsford responds to the increasingly dangerous events of the story.
DAY 1: ESTABLISH RAINSFORD’S STARTING POINT
Read the opening portion of the story through Rainsford’s arrival at General Zaroff’s home. Identify evidence that reveals:
- Rainsford’s original attitude toward hunting.
- What he believes about the relationship between the hunter and the hunted.
- His initial reactions to Ship-Trap Island and General Zaroff.
Record at least two pieces of textual evidence that establish what Rainsford is like at the beginning of the story.
DAY 2: TRACK THE CHANGE
Continue reading as Rainsford becomes General Zaroff’s prey. Identify at least three important events that influence Rainsford. For each event, record:
- What happens.
- How Rainsford responds.
- What his response reveals about him.
- How this compares with the Rainsford we met at the beginning of the story.
Pay particular attention to moments when Rainsford experiences the fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability of being hunted.
DAY 3: ANALYZE AND EXPLAIN
Complete this final response: How does Rainsford develop over the course of The Most Dangerous Game, and which events contribute most to that development?
Use evidence from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Your response should:
- Clearly explain Rainsford’s starting perspective.
- Identify important events that influence him.
- Analyze how he responds to those events.
- Explain what changes in his thinking, behavior, or perspective.
- Support your conclusions with specific textual evidence.
MANAGE YOUR LEARNING
You have three class periods to complete the investigation. Before beginning, create a simple plan for your work. Decide:
- How much of the story you need to complete each day.
- When you will stop to record evidence.
- When you will begin your final analysis.
- Which resources you will use if you need help.
Available resources include the story text, audio version, vocabulary support, Character Change Evidence Tracker, class notes, and teacher support. At the end of each class period, check your progress and adjust your plan if needed.
One meaningful learning experience can produce evidence of both academic mastery and the competencies students need to become increasingly independent learners.
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 their own 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.
MAKE IT THEIRS
Students can create their own
activities to meet POG goals.
When students design activities themselves, portrait skills stop being school language and start being life skills they can name, practice, and prove anywhere.
In their personal lives
Practice a skill through something they love, from hobbies to passion projects they choose themselves.
In the classroom
Design a way to show growth that fits how they learn best, then gather evidence of their progress.
With family
Bring goals home by teaching a sibling, joining a family project, or helping with real responsibilities.
In the community
Make a difference where it matters, from volunteering to a project their neighborhood can see.
Teachers approve and score the evidence, so student-designed activities stay connected to the goals their community values.
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 →