The Portrait of a Graduate is the District’s “north star” that ensures we prepare students for success, now and in the future. The Portrait is a collective vision that articulates our community’s aspirations for every student in Columbus City Schools.

Beginning in December 2019, Columbus City Schools partnered with Battelle for Kids to engage stakeholders to develop a Portrait of a Graduate that is unique to our community and our schools. The Portrait Design Team was composed of more than 150 internal and external stakeholders, who represent the various groups of our community including families, students, teachers, administrators, staff, partners, policymakers, and business leaders. This Design Team enabled CCS to engage diverse perspectives to build a shared vision for our students.

Over the course of several months, the Portrait Design Team explored the questions:

• What are the hopes, dreams, and aspirations that our community has for our young people?
• What are the skills and mindsets that our children need for success in this rapidly changing and complex world?
• What are the implications for the design of the learning experiences—and equitable access to those experiences—we provide in our school systems?

What resulted was a final Portrait of a Graduate that includes six attributes that we envision for every CCS student to embody:

• Adaptability – Our students will be agile in thoughts and actions, responding productively to positive and negative feedback while balancing diverse views to reach workable solutions.
• Communication – Our students will effectively express thoughts and ideas using oral, written, and nonverbal skills while being active listeners able to decipher meaning and intention.
• Creativity – Our students will be imaginative and explore original ideas and innovative solutions by transcending traditional thoughts, patterns, and relationships.
• Critical Thinking – Our students will analyze and apply evidence-based reasoning to understand “big picture” challenges and how solutions affect other parts of a system.
• Global Empathy – Our students will value and engage diverse cultures and unique perspectives through mutual respect and open dialogue while taking action to make the world more equitable and inclusive.
• Technology – Our students will leverage traditional and emerging technology to consume, create, communicate, and connect while practicing responsible citizenship in an increasingly digital world.