Board discusses 'profile of a graduate', homework and grading alignment after retreat

Board members used the Oct. 9 meeting to recap two days of retreat work on a "profile of a graduate"—the set of skills and dispositions the district wants graduates to have—and to continue conversations on homework and grading alignment.

Directors described preparatory materials (podcasts, a book on mastery learning) and emphasized community engagement through upcoming town halls. Directors and students debated homework's purpose and variability: board members said homework should extend learning but not create excessive burdens; students and directors noted that homework loads vary widely by teacher and can limit extracurricular participation.

Discussion of grading focused on whether grades should be currency for college admissions or communicate mastery. Some directors argued for assessment approaches that reflect end‑of‑course mastery and allow students to demonstrate growth through opportunities to retake or revise work. Board members also discussed the operational challenges of implementing mastery‑based grading at scale for roughly 6,000 high school students and noted the district's pilots and collective bargaining constraints.

Directors proposed improving surveys to capture whether homework prevents participation in sports or clubs, and several suggested building repositories of model syllabi and better teacher communication to reduce variability. The board did not adopt new policy at this meeting but signaled continued focus through committees and town halls.