In response to my blog last March, more than 200 Needham
community members and staff expressed interest in the Portrait of a Needham Graduate process, and 53 have participated in
workshops and represented their stakeholder groups: students, educators,
parents, business and civic leaders, and higher education. We have met for
three full-day workshops and have grounded our work in research and data on
future trends in education and changes/challenges in society that we must
prepare our children to address. The presentations, articles, and videos
previewed by the Portrait participants are available to the entire community at
https://goo.gl/KsfeJk.
The speakers and panelists at the Portrait sessions have
been thought provoking and our small group discussions helped shape the vision
for the future of education in our community. Perspectives of local leaders
from business and higher education influenced our understanding of how to
prepare students for jobs and life-long learning. Although the conventional
wisdom about 21st century skills holds that students must master
STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering, math – because that’s where
the jobs are, according to our research, the top characteristics of success are
soft skills, like communicating and
listening well, having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues,
being a good critical thinker and problem solver. STEAM skills—in Needham we
also include an “A” for the Arts—are vital to the world we live in today, but these
skills alone are not enough. Broad learning skills are what some large
companies seek when they hire new employees and what some higher education
institutions care more about than grades or results on standardized tests.
Furthermore, in a fast-changing workplace, the ability to acquire new knowledge
and skills is critically needed. At the very least, learning how to learn just may be one of the
puzzle pieces for navigating an uncertain future.
After
discussing, debating, and articulating our vision for students at all grade
levels as we propel them towards graduation, the 53 members of the Portrait
committee drafted a framework for the broader community’s consideration. A
graphic facilitator from a local firm, Collective Next, assisted in
synthesizing the attributes, skills, and knowledge we believe Needham’s young
people need, now and as far into the future as we can see. I invite you to
review the draft list of competencies at https://goo.gl/4pNaUc
and to provide
us with your feedback on the overall Portrait process by completing a short
survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Needham-Portrait.
Using multi-pronged approaches, the Portrait committee is
communicating with as many stakeholders as possible throughout the month of
October and into early November. Community forums are being held; presentations
are being made at various organizations’ meetings; the Needham Education
Association is involved; and discussions are scheduled in each school. The
intent is for members of the Portrait committee to be ambassadors for this
effort by presenting information and soliciting feedback so that everyone’s
voice can be heard.
The last of four sessions with the Portrait committee will take
place on November 16th. Informed by feedback from the broad
community, the 53-member committee will be poised to consider strategic
priorities with the Portrait in mind. We will look at instructional practices
and professional learning that integrates the attributes, skills, and knowledge
made explicit by the Portrait. The committee will generate suggestions for
actions to help us make progress in a new direction.
Developing a Portrait of a Needham Graduate has been
inspirational and the impact at the school, department, and classroom level
will be considered before this framework is finalized. At a regularly scheduled
School Committee meeting in the spring, the members will be asked for their
approval of the Portrait and the critically important work ahead of helping us
prepare ALL students for the challenges and opportunities that await them.
I welcome and invite your feedback and support!
