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Radnor task force presents "Portrait of a Graduate," committee asks how it will be taught and measured
Summary
A Radnor Township School District task force proposed a six-part "Portrait of a Graduate" and described an iterative, stakeholder-led process; committee members praised the framework but pressed for concrete implementation steps, teacher supports and student reflection tools.
Dr. Kearney told the curriculum committee on May 5 that a multi-stakeholder task force had developed a "Portrait of a Graduate" for Radnor Township School District after reviewing mission statements, other districts’ portraits and national guidance such as the International Baccalaureate and PA Department of Education recommendations. The group prioritized six characteristics and drafted supporting descriptors and indicators intended to guide classroom practice.
Committee members welcomed the work but pushed quickly to implementation questions. A committee member suggested replacing the header word "intrinsically" with "self-motivated" and elevating listening to the top-level header, saying those phrasing choices affect whether the traits feel accessible to all students. Dr. Kearney said the task force used a ranking process to narrow a long list of characteristics to six priorities and that the next step is to design how the portrait will appear "at the classroom level, at the school level, at the district level." She said communications staff are developing visuals and ancillary materials to show the portrait "in action."
Several members pressed for specifics about classroom supports. One member asked what tools teachers would be given to help students develop the traits without adding burdensome new work; members raised self-evaluation exercises, periodic progress reports and integration with existing career-readiness and advisory activities as possibilities. Dr. Kearney said early ideas included progress reflections and opportunities for students to track growth toward the indicators, but she cautioned that implementation planning is a separate phase and will be substantial work next year.
Teachers’ comments included examples of how phenomenon-driven, integrated projects and reflective tasks can surface the targeted characteristics across grades. A committee member noted that the portrait intentionally reflects diverse post-high-school pathways—not only college-bound students—and another suggested the district consider how to sequence work so students see the same framework through middle and high school.
The committee did not take a vote. Members directed staff to incorporate feedback on wording and implementation planning into next steps and signaled that further discussion of supports, teacher time and measurable indicators will continue during the 2026–27 implementation planning period.
The committee will revisit the portrait as staff prepare a draft implementation plan for next year’s meetings.
