Board adopts ‘Portrait of a Learner’ after multi-year development and briefing

The Regional School District 15 Board of Education on April 28 voted to adopt the district’s Portrait of a Learner, a multi-year framework that sets out competencies and habits of mind the district intends students to develop from kindergarten through graduation.

The board’s final motion, amended during discussion, approved the Portrait “upon recommendation of the Portrait of a Learner Steering Committee.” The motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: district staff described the Portrait as an organizing framework intended to make explicit the non-content skills students build (for example, collaborative problem solving, metacognition and adaptability) and to align those indicators with curriculum, instruction and assessment over a multi-year rollout.

What the presentation covered Staff reported the district began work on the Portrait the previous summer, conducted multiple surveys and focus groups (12 student groups, five staff focus groups and three community focus groups) and worked with an outside consultant. Presenters said the steering committee reviewed feedback and asked for clearer, age‑appropriate definitions of competencies such as “empowered learner” and “innovative problem solver.” The document was placed on the district website ahead of the vote.

Board questions and implementation plan Board members raised how the Portrait will affect day‑to‑day instruction, professional development needs and measures of success. In response, presenters and the superintendent described a phased plan: a first year of awareness (defining competencies and creating “I can” statements by grade band with instructional teacher leaders), a second year focused on classroom implementation and teacher coaching, and a third year aimed at broader curricular integration and fuller implementation. Staff said the district intends to use teacher leaders and PD days to develop grade‑level, student-facing statements and to produce artifacts — student projects and videos — that demonstrate the competencies rather than relying on a single rubric score.

Vote and amendment An initial motion to approve the Portrait was moved and seconded on the floor. Board member Tom moved an amendment to the motion to specify that the approval was made “upon recommendation of the Portrait of a Learner Steering Committee.” The amendment was seconded and adopted; the amended motion then carried unanimously.

Ending: District leaders said adoption begins a multi-year effort that will include drafting student‑facing “I can” statements by grade band, targeted professional development and periodic board check-ins on implementation.