Wissahickon outlines two‑year plan to build a district 'portrait of a student' with outside partner

The Wissahickon School District on April 27 described a two‑year plan to develop a district "portrait of a student," a framework that defines the knowledge, skills and dispositions students are expected to demonstrate by graduation.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gardner said the district intends year‑one to focus on planning and capacity building and year‑two (2026–27) to center on co‑creation with students, staff, families and community members and eventual board adoption. "Year 1 is centered on planning and capacity building...Year 2 shifts the focus to deeper engagement and development where the portrait of a student will be co‑created with stakeholders and formally adopted by the board," Dr. Gardner said.

The district proposed partnering with Professional Learning Partnerships (PLP) to support development at a cost presented on the agenda; the agenda lists a service agreement item (15.7) with PLP at a cost not to exceed $26,500. Dr. Gardner described a stakeholder team of about 20–30 people who would engage between touchpoints, with public engagement sessions planned through the timeline shared at the meeting.

Board members asked about implementation impacts beyond the creation phase, alignment with existing systems such as MTSS and PBIS, and whether data from other districts could be provided showing measurable outcomes. Dr. Gardner said the partnership would be collaborative and that the district can provide evidence from peer districts on request.

The item to approve the PLP service agreement was listed on the agenda for future board action; the assistant superintendent paused for questions and noted more details will be provided to the board ahead of the vote.

This is an informational and planning phase; no final adoption occurred on April 27.