That puts Durango’s work on a national stage. The white paper looks at a challenge facing schools across the country. Families, educators, and employers increasingly agree that students need more than academic knowledge to thrive after graduation. Skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and leadership matter, too.
The harder part is making those skills part of everyday learning. On pages 10-11, the paper highlights DSD’s approach to that work, from the extensive community engagement that shaped our Portrait of a Graduate to the ways the six competencies are becoming part of teaching, learning, student experiences, and our district’s strategic direction.
DSD’s Portrait of a Graduate was created in 2021 with input from thousands of students, families, staff, and community members. Together, they identified six competencies our community wants every student to develop: Resilient Risk-Taker, Agile Thinker, Empathetic Collaborator, Creative Problem-Solver, Confident Communicator, and Courageous Leader.
It’s not meant to live on a poster. Our goal is for students to recognize these skills in themselves and practice them throughout their K-12 experience. The national white paper highlights DSD as one example of how districts can turn a community-created vision into meaningful experiences for students.
See the Portrait in action
Want to learn more? Visit our Portrait of a Graduate page, or search our social media channels for individual competency hashtags such as #AgileThinker.
Better yet, ask your child what they know about the Portrait of a Graduate. See what they say.