FAQ

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Portrait of a Graduate?

The Portrait of a Graduate is Norwalk Public Schools’ roadmap for achieving its vision of preparing all students to be future ready. It outlines the essential skills and mindsets that student needs to thrive in school, career, and life. These include becoming a critical thinker, effective communicator, self-directed learner, synergistic collaborator, and global citizen.

The Portrait of a Graduate is not a program or curriculum. Rather, it is a unifying framework that helps guide teaching, learning, and reflection across all grade levels and schools. Each school brings this vision to life in ways that match its students, staff, and learning community.

By focusing on these future ready skills, Norwalk Public Schools works to support all students in becoming prepared for the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing world.

Why did Norwalk Public Schools develop a Portrait of a Graduate?

The world is changing at a rapid pace. In fact, many of today's elementary school students will enter careers that do not yet exist. As we navigate this dynamic global economy, our Portrait of a Graduate serves as a strategic blueprint. It ensures our students are not only ready for change but are also prepared to lead and innovate, equipped with the essential skills and competencies for the future.

Recognizing this shift, we understand that it is no longer sufficient for students to simply meet academic standards. These skills alone will not distinguish them in the modern workforce. Alvin Toffler, a renowned author and futurist, famously said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write. It will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

In essence, it is our responsibility to support our students in developing 21st-century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, global citizenship, and self-directed learning. These are a few of the skills most in demand by employers and are crucial for ensuring that our students, regardless of their chosen paths after high school, are set up for success.

How will students build the Portrait of a Graduate competencies at school?

In Fall 2024, we launched our Portrait of a Graduate, starting with the critical thinker competency. Throughout the school year, students explored what it means to be a critical thinker and applied these skills in meaningful ways.

Some of the ways students developed and engaged with the critical thinker competency in the 2024-25 school year included:

Learning what it means to be a critical thinker and why this matters both in and beyond school
Engaging in lessons, projects, and discussions designed to challenge their thinking and strengthen their reasoning skills

In Fall 2025, we will begin Phase II of the Portrait of a Graduate, expanding our focus to include the Effective Communicator competency. Students will build on their critical thinking skills by making their thinking more visible through speaking, listening, reading, and writing across all content areas.

In the 2025-26 school year, students will have opportunities to:

Learn what it means to be an effective communicator and why these skills matter in school, career, and life
Engage in authentic learning experiences that provide opportunities to actively engage with others, tailor messages for different audiences, and collaborate with others
Reflect on their critical thinking and communication skill development and set goals for future growth

Are the Portrait of a Graduate competencies being supported in every grade across the district?

Yes. The Portrait of a Graduate is a district-wide initiative designed to support all students in becoming future ready. Across every school and program in Norwalk, students have opportunities to develop these important 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and global awareness.

How these skills are taught may look different from school to school, depending on each school’s unique focus and approach. However, the Portrait of a Graduate serves as a unifying vision across the district. No matter the grade level or classroom, all students are being supported in building the mindsets and skills they need to thrive in today’s world and in the future.

How is the Portrait of a Graduate aligned with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program?

The Portrait of a Graduate defines what it means to be future ready in Norwalk Public Schools. It outlines the key skills and mindsets all students need to succeed in school, work, and life. These include being critical thinkers, synergistic collaborators, effective communicators, self-directed learners, and global citizens.

The International Baccalaureate, or IB, is a teaching and learning framework that guides how students learn each day. It encourages inquiry, reflection, global understanding, student voice, and lifelong learning.

At the center of the IB approach is the IB Learner Profile, a set of traits that closely align with the goals of the Portrait of a Graduate. Both focus on helping students become thoughtful problem solvers who are ready to make a positive impact.

The Portrait of a Graduate shows where we want our students to go. IB helps guide how we support them on that journey. Together, they help students grow into confident, capable, and future ready individuals.

When might students use the Portrait of a Graduate competencies outside of school and in the future?

The Portrait of a Graduate competencies are vital skills that students need to thrive both in the classroom and outside of school.

Here are some of the ways students may use these competencies outside of school and in the future:

At Home and With Loved Ones: Whether negotiating screen time or resolving sibling disputes, the Portrait of a Graduate competencies are essential to navigating relationships with loved ones.

Building Strong Friendships: From planning group activities to supporting friends in need, the Portrait of a Graduate competencies help students strengthen bonds and foster trust.

Shining in Extracurriculars: Students use the Portrait of a Graduate competencies in sports teams, music groups, volunteer work, and internships.

Leading in Post-Secondary Education and Careers: As they pursue higher education and enter the workforce, students will rely on all Portrait of a Graduate competencies to succeed and make a positive impact.

Navigating Everyday Adult Life: From managing finances to participating in community initiatives, our Portrait of a Graduate competencies empower students to be proactive, informed, and engaged citizens.

What was Phase I of the Portrait of a Graduate?

Phase I of the Portrait of a Graduate launched during the 2024–25 school year, with a focus on developing students as critical thinkers.

We started with the critical thinker competency because it built on the work our schools were already doing around student discussion and problem-solving. Additionally, families, staff, and students across the district identified it as one of the most important skills for helping young people succeed in a changing world.

During this first phase, we worked to:

Embed critical thinking into everyday instruction across subjects
Support students in explaining their thinking and using evidence to support their ideas
Support educators in planning deeper and more thought-provoking questions

As the year progressed, we saw strong results:

Educators intentionally planned for critical thinking learning opportunities
Students had more opportunities to solve complex problems and answer higher-level questions that promoted deeper thinking
Over 1,600 students, families, and staff participated in surveys and focus groups
Families reported greater awareness and understanding of the Portrait of a Graduate by Spring 2025
Educators reported feeling more confident in how to plan for and support critical thinking development at home

These outcomes helped lay the foundation for Phase II, where students build on their critical thinking skills by learning how to clearly and effectively communicate their ideas.

What was Phase II of the Portrait of a Graduate?

Phase II of the Portrait of a Graduate took place in the 2025 - 2026 school year, and built on the work started in Phase I. In Phase I, the focus was on supporting students to grow as critical thinkers by learning to ask thoughtful questions, solve problems, and explain their thinking using evidence. In Phase II, we deepened our focus on critical thinking through the effective communicator competency.

Phase II was also connected to our district’s newly established literacy vision. Across all subject areas, students have meaningful opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen in ways that support both communication and critical thinking.

In Phase II, we worked to:

Intentionally plan opportunities for students to think critically and engage in meaningful discourse
Conduct a K-12 learner profile pilot in which students had the opportunity to tell their story through a Portrait of a Graduate competency

What is new in Phase III of the Portrait of a Graduate?

Phase III of the Portrait of a Graduate focuses on empowering students to become self-directed learners who take ownership of their learning and well-being.

In this phase, students will have opportunities to set meaningful goals, develop action plans, monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning over time. They will also work on building healthy habits and positive practices that support both their physical and emotional well-being.

Phase III is designed to help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally while building their critical thinking and communication skills.