Fairfax County Public Schools staff presented an update on the division’s Portrait of a Graduate and its associated Presentations of Learning during the June 26 meeting, showing how students build portfolios and reflect on durable skills that staff and the board say are essential for college, careers and civic life.

Superintendent Dr. Reed described the Portrait of a Graduate attributes and noted the Commonwealth’s similar requirements in Virginia’s Profile of a Graduate. The presentation included examples and a short video featuring students describing the process of collecting evidence of skill growth, reflecting on work, and sharing culminating presentations. A student speaker in the video said the experience helps with college and job applications by teaching students to “reflect on what you know and how you know it.”

Board members praised the initiative and urged consistent implementation across the division. Several members said the Portrait’s skills — communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and metacognition — must be embedded in classroom instruction and advisory programs so they are not offered inconsistently across schools. Staff said secondary advisory periods are being used to embed lessons, reflections and culminating activities so all students have access to the experience.

Board members asked staff to make the presentation video available to the board and to share examples from Title I schools and other settings where equitable implementation is a priority.

“Knowing how to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue…is going to be so important,” outgoing student member Megan Sawant told the board in related remarks, and students and staff cited advisory periods, specialists and schoolwide celebrations as venues for Portrait of a Graduate work.