Wood River board adopts 'Portrait of a Graduate,' considers leadership capstone

The Wood River Rural Schools Board of Education on March 16 adopted a Portrait of a Graduate framework intended to guide curriculum and student outcomes across academic, cultural and leadership domains. The motion passed unanimously.

At the meeting, Mr. Cantrell outlined how the district might integrate the 7 Habits credentials into ongoing work on the Portrait of a Graduate and proposed a senior leadership capstone as a culminating experience for graduates. The board approved the framework after discussion of how credentials and a capstone could demonstrate student leadership and readiness for postsecondary work.

Board members described three main areas of emphasis in the Portrait of a Graduate: academic achievement, school culture, and leadership development. The adopted framework calls for aligning classroom instruction and assessment to explicit graduate outcomes so teachers and students can better measure progress toward the district’s goals.

The board did not set a specific implementation timeline at the meeting but discussed incorporating credentials into existing professional‑development plans and creating a capstone requirement for seniors. No formal vote on a capstone course or timeline was recorded; the decision at this session was limited to approving the framework.

Supporters said integrating credentials could provide clearer evidence of student competencies. The board will return to specifics about rollout, assessment and any associated costs in future meetings.