Rochester schools present draft 'Profile of a Graduate' to board, ask for feedback

Rochester Public Schools staff presented a draft framework called the RPS Mindsets, Behaviors and Experiences for Student Success — described as a local "Profile of a Graduate" — during the March 18 school board meeting, asking the board to review the proposal and send community feedback ahead of a May 6 update.

District leaders said the framework bundles social-emotional mindsets, learning strategies, self-management and grade-by-grade experiences intended to ensure every student leaves high school with a plan for next steps, whether that is college, a career, military or industry certification. Heather Hogan, director of post‑secondary readiness, told the board the working group began in August, met roughly twice a month and reviewed existing frameworks including the Connolly framework and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) mindsets and behaviors.

The district said it revised those models to emphasize non‑college pathways and relational supports. Hogan said the proposal ties into the Xello college‑and‑career platform the district already uses and would include artifacts in a student portfolio, self-assessment prompts and grade‑level “experiences” beginning in kindergarten.

Board members broadly endorsed the direction but used the discussion to press for clarifications. Director Marvin (school board member) praised the focus on creativity, resilience and collaboration, saying, "We need students who can think, who can create, who can collaborate," and urged attention to helping students recover from failure. Director Raederin (school board member) and others asked the presenters to make sure vocational and trade pathways are clearly represented so students who plan to enter the workforce directly feel included.

District staff described three main components: six mindsets (for example, belonging and a positive attitude toward learning), learning strategies (problem solving, time management), and self‑management and social skills (self‑discipline, teamwork, empathy). The presentation cited district research linking extracurricular participation in ninth grade to higher graduation likelihood and offered one striking figure the presenters used in discussion — "a 139% increase in graduating" associated with ninth‑grade extracurricular participation — which staff said came from Research & Assessment findings.

On monitoring and implementation, staff said they will work with the Research and Assessment office to gather internal and external feedback around three questions: what excites people about the proposal, what concerns they have, and how the framework could be used at home. The district plans to return to the board with a summary on May 6 and later present a version for formal endorsement.

Questions from board members covered assessment (teachers and counselors discussed using student self‑assessment and portfolio artifacts rather than exhaustive checklists), alignment with Xello (Hogan said Xello supports portfolios and tracking), counselor readiness (a multi‑year ASCA alignment effort is underway), and family engagement. Several board members urged explicit plans for reaching parents who do not typically attend school events and for ensuring the language of the materials is accessible to families.

District presenters and board members agreed the draft is a starting point. Staff asked the board to encourage community feedback; the board directed staff to return with revisions informed by community and internal input.

The board did not take a formal vote on this item; staff said next steps include community engagement, curriculum alignment, and a May 6 progress report to the board.