Nearly 100 school districts across California have engaged their community members to ask “what skills, competencies, and mindsets do our students need to be well-prepared for success in college, career, and civic life?” The result is a “Graduate Profile” or “Portrait of a Graduate” (PoG). While each is unique to their particular community and it’s values, they often include educational goals that everyone can agree upon, like self-directed lifelong learners, culturally-competent and globally-aware citizens, critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators and collaborators, and financially and digitally literate individuals, who are responsible, adaptable, resilient, kind, and curious.

When a district completes the process and introduces this new definition of student success, they typically begin to search for ways to bring the resulting PoG “from poster to practice”. There are many potential starting points. The “right” one depends on local assets, priorities and values, leadership, organizational culture, and sometimes politics.

At Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa (Sonoma County), a committee of students, parents, and educators have opted to begin with student portfolios — a digital place to capture examples of how students have demonstrated their learning, including PoG competencies. 

I like this starting point for many reasons. First of all, by design it is student-centered — allowing them to take ownership of their own learning and document progress. It requires students to reflect on their learning, consider criteria for high quality work, and curate the artifacts that they believe best represent their abilities. It builds a sense of agency.

Second, I like that student portfolios are personalized. Students can customize how they organize and display the artifacts in their portfolios. In doing so, they can exercise their creativity, add images that highlight their interests, and celebrate their cultures and identities.

Third, and very significantly, a portfolio bridges learning that happens in school and beyond. Often, young people gain so much from their experiences in extracurricular activities, after school and summer programs, through cultural centers and faith-based youth groups, and at part-time jobs or family-run businesses. The lessons they learn and competencies they demonstrate during these rich experiences are rarely captured in any formalized way. Portfolios enable students to reflect on how these experiences have enriched their lives and document their importance as assets to embrace and build upon.

Fourth, a portfolio is a portable record that can be retained and updated through and beyond their high school years. The curated content can be accessed quickly and easily when students apply for scholarships, colleges, internships, and jobs. 

Finally, building a portfolio can serve as a source of pride and empowerment. Often, students go through the motions of school, doing what is expected and feeling like they don’t have much to show for it. The process of creating a portfolio reminds them on a regular basis what they have learned and achieved. It gives them permission to celebrate their achievements and growth. That alone is highly motivating, brings relevance to their educational experience, helps them feel engaged, and gives them purpose.

To learn more about student portfolios, I’d recommend The Ultimate Guide to Student Portfolios (Unrulr, 2024).

Featured image from Unrulr’s portfolio tool at unrulr.com.