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Worthington Board hears 'Portrait to Practice' plan to embed durable skills across preK–12
Summary
Board members heard a multi-school presentation on Portrait of a Learner, a district initiative to teach transferable “durable skills” (thinker, leader, friend) via a three-level framework, professional learning sessions and classroom examples; staff described next steps for curriculum alignment and teacher training.
The Worthington City Board of Education on Monday received a presentation titled “Portrait to Practice” describing how the district is putting its Portrait of a Learner into classrooms across prekindergarten through grade 12.
Assistant Superintendent Angie Adrian summarized the initiative and its partners, saying, "This initiative represents a shared commitment to really ensuring that our students develop the durable skills and the competencies needed for success in the classroom and beyond." She and a district team described a three-level portrait (elementary, middle and high school), professional learning with Battelle for Kids, and a partnership with Patel for Kids to tailor implementation to Worthington’s schools.
District leaders said the work moves the portrait from a district vision into instructional practice. The presentation described four learning sessions facilitated by Battelle for Kids this year that produced a learning framework, a theory of action, and a definition of “deeper learning.” Director Kelly Wegley (present by video) explained that the framework aligns durable skills with high-impact instructional strategies grounded in John Hattie research, and that this alignment supports recommendations from a recent special education audit. "This alignment is central to the development of our deeper learning framework," Wegley said in the prerecorded remarks provided to the board.
Principal Tianna Miller described classroom-level examples: monthly elementary assemblies that celebrate demonstrated competencies, a Global Thinkers course in which students identify community problems and take action, and use of CPM in secondary math to combine standards with communication and leadership practice. Miller shared an anecdote from kindergarten to illustrate student-level impact and said the portrait is being integrated into parent-teacher conferences, PTAs, yearbook art and student leadership projects.
Presenters said implementation steps include unpacking durable skills with teachers, embedding the competencies into tier-1 instruction, and using summer and fall professional development (three district summer Thursdays) to extend teacher learning. The district also highlighted school-level recognition programs tied to the portrait such as the Hawkeye Awards and “Cardinal of the Month.”
Board members praised the rollout and suggested connections to community events: one member said the Worthington Education Foundation’s eighth-grade “professional day” could incorporate portrait-framed questions (for example, asking professionals how they use critical thinking on the job).
District leaders said the next phases are teacher training and broader community awareness; they also noted invitations to share the work at external conferences if requested.
Ending: The board did not take a policy vote on the Portrait of a Learner during the presentation; presenters asked board members to support continuing professional learning and community outreach as staff finalize the deeper learning framework and summer training schedule.
