Weston seniors report high confidence in Portrait of the Graduate portfolios, district staff say
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Summary
District staff told the subcommittee that the Portrait of the Graduate portfolio and interview process yielded strong student buy-in: of surveyed seniors, presenters reported about 96% said they were proud of the work and 86% said portfolios represented who they are.
Penny (speaker 11), assistant principal at Weston High School, and Vanessa Eisenman (speaker 14), director of the Portrait of the Graduate initiative, briefed the curriculum subcommittee on April 1 about the portfolio process required for graduation and results from a student exit survey.
Penny described the PACT advisory framework that carries students toward the senior portfolio over four years and said graduates present portfolios to a panel that assesses six competencies: thinking critically, communicating with purpose, solving problems, expressing creativity, caring for self and caring for others. "They put this portfolio together... and then at the end... they present to a panel," Penny said.
Vanessa said exit-survey responses indicate the program resonated: roughly 96% of respondents said they were proud of the e-portfolio they submitted and about 86% felt the portfolio was a good representation of who they are. Vanessa told the committee those results reflect meaningful reflection, interview experience and community participation in panels.
Committee members praised the cross‑building involvement and suggested continued emphasis on integrating the six competencies earlier in students' K–8 experience to build a through-line across the district. The subcommittee asked staff to consider ways to document or publicize the program model and to explore partnerships for earlier education pathways into teaching and internships.
