Services
Portrait of a Graduate Frameworks
Nearly every district has a Portrait of a Graduate. Far fewer have made it real in classrooms. I facilitate the community process and instructional design that connect your graduate profile to curriculum, assessment, and daily instruction.
Competencies need behaviors
"Critical thinker" and "collaborator" are values. They become real only when we can name what they look like at grade 3, grade 7, and grade 11 — and when a teacher can plan for them and see them. The work of making a Portrait real is the work of translation: from values, to competencies, to observable behaviors, to instructional moves, to assessment.
What I deliver
- Facilitated community and stakeholder engagement to define or refresh the Portrait
- Translation of competencies into grade-banded, observable behaviors
- Instructional and assessment design that makes competencies teachable
- Alignment with your existing curriculum, not a separate initiative
- A rollout plan that builds teacher and leader ownership
How an engagement might unfold
Illustrative only — every engagement is right-sized to your goals and calendar.
Phase 1 · Define / refresh
Facilitate the stakeholder process to name the competencies that matter to your community — or sharpen the profile you already have.
Phase 2 · Translate
Turn competencies into observable, grade-banded behaviors and connect them to curriculum and assessment.
Phase 3 · Enact
Support teachers to plan for and assess the competencies, with coaching and leader look-fors.
What changes
“A Portrait of a Graduate is only as good as the daily instruction behind it. The work is translating values into what teachers plan for and students can do.”
Dr. Nicole Moriarty · The Teaching and Learning Collective
Frequently asked
We already have a Portrait. Can you still help?
Absolutely — most of my Portrait work is with districts who have the profile but not the practice. We start from what you have.
Do you facilitate the community engagement piece too?
Yes. Defining or refreshing a Portrait is a community process, and facilitation is part of the work.
How does this connect to MTSS and literacy?
They reinforce each other. A Portrait defines the destination; strong Tier 1 instruction and literacy are how students get there.
Ready to talk about Portrait of a Graduate Frameworks?
Whether you are a superintendent seeking district coherence, a teacher looking for renewal, a parent advocating for your child, or a student ready for more — we welcome you.