Middleton-Cross Plains board reviews 'Cardinal's Journey' portrait of a graduate

A stakeholder team presented the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District board with a proposed Portrait of a Graduate called the Cardinal's Journey, a districtwide framework intended to define the skills and dispositions students should have at graduation.

The committee, which met five times beginning in November and included students, parents, educators and community leaders, recommended a two-part model: Cardinal Mindset (curiosity, community orientation, self-awareness and accountability) and Cardinal Foundations (communication, collaboration, critical thinking and adaptability). Bartlett Durand and staff members showed visuals and rubrics the district could use for implementation.

District officials said the work was designed to be locally meaningful and supported by rubrics and student- and family-facing questions to guide classroom and home conversations. "We started really big and then we prioritized the key attributes and skills," Bartlett Durand said. The presenters said students helped lead much of the drafting and produced graphics to support the work.

Presenters described two rubrics: one defining mindset attributes and another detailing foundational skills with performance indicators for students, educators and administrators. The committee also developed sample questions that parents and teachers can use to prompt student reflection. "Our parents really connected to these questions and our staff really connected to them as well," a presenter said.

Board members praised the visuals and the practical rubrics, saying the materials felt usable at elementary through high school levels. One board member, citing the student involvement, said senior Noah Duckett described the work as "bittersweet" because he helped create language but will graduate before it rolls out for his cohort.

District leaders outlined possible next steps for integration: curriculum renewal and adoption cycles, report card alignment, academic and career planning (ACP) in middle and high schools, student-led conferences, and learner profiles starting in sixth grade. Presenters suggested piloting Cardinal's Journey visuals in schools next year and embedding the language into academic and advisory structures.

The presenters asked for board feedback and said the committee will return with additional implementation details. "We're hopeful because of the great work of the committee that this will really stick and mean something in our system over time," a presenter said.

Board members suggested adopting the community agreements used by the committee as a model for board norms and stressed the need for sustained professional development and communication so the framework does not "die on the vine." The presenters acknowledged those concerns and indicated the district plans year-long messaging and staff-level supports.

If the board advances the proposal, district staff said they will propose pilot timelines, integration with ACP and curriculum renewal timelines in future board updates.