Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Portrait Of A Graduate topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Davenport board adopts 'Portrait of a Graduate' competencies after yearlong stakeholder process
Summary
The board approved five competencies — critical thinker, communicator, self‑directed, resilient and emotionally intelligent — following a year of student, staff and community engagement. District leaders outlined next steps for teacher pilots and grade‑band 'I can' statements.
The Davenport Community School District board voted to adopt a districtwide "Portrait of a Graduate" that identifies five competencies administrators and community stakeholders said graduates should demonstrate.
Andrea Stewart, consultant with Learning Couture, told the board the competencies — Critical Thinker, Communicator, Self‑Directed, Resilient and Emotionally Intelligent — reflect input from students, families, staff and community partners. Stewart said the final design was informed by “hundreds and hundreds of responses” and that students’ voices were brought into the final design team: “This is for them, most of all,” she said.
Why this matters: the competencies are intended to give a shared set of outcomes for every pre‑K‑12 student in the district beyond academic standards. District leaders said the framework will guide instruction, assessment and partnerships and will be described at grade‑band levels so teachers and families can see specific demonstrations of each competency.
The board heard survey results showing strong endorsement: staff and community respondents rated each competency positively, with most items scoring above 80% on the board’s internal feedback instrument. Administrators described a staged implementation: teams will write grade‑band “I can” statements, the district will recruit volunteer lighthouse pilot teams from across buildings to test approaches next year, and professional learning supports will be provided.
Board action: Director Barnes moved approval of the Portrait of a Graduate competencies; the motion passed by voice vote.
What’s next: over the summer the district will write fine‑grain descriptions of the competencies at K‑2, 3‑5, 6‑8 and 9‑12 levels; next year selected teacher teams will pilot implementation with coaching and feedback opportunities before broader rollout.
