This report analyzes 272 district-level Portraits of a Graduate published between 2014 and 2024 across 36 states to identify and examine the prevalence of social and emotional, workforce-relevant, and academic and technical competencies. It offers bright spots for the use of Portraits as a means for schools, districts, and states to promote long-term student success and thriving.
Students’ success in school, career, and life depends on deep interplay between academic knowledge and social and emotional competencies—which include skills such as communication, adaptability, self-management, empathy, and responsible decision-making. Although employers increasingly seek these skills in employees, persistent gaps remain between the competencies most valued in postsecondary settings and those that applicants demonstrate. This gap underscores the importance of intentionally prioritizing social and emotional competency development integrated with academic content throughout K–12 education.
Portraits of a Graduate are vision documents at the school, district, or state level that have emerged as a widely used strategy for articulating a shared vision of student success that integrates academic, social, and emotional competencies (Atwell & Tucker, 2024). By defining these competencies, which incorporate the knowledge, skills, and mindsets students need after high school, Portraits of a Graduate can align instruction, policy, and community expectations.
This report examined the competencies that districts across the United States articulate in their Portraits of a Graduate. We analyzed 272 district-level Portraits of a Graduate published between 2014 and 2024 across 36 states. Using a combination of automated text analysis and subject-matter expert coding, we examined the prevalence of social and emotional, workforce-relevant, and academic and technical competencies. We also coded implementation features, such as guidance, measurement, and system-level supports, which are necessary to translate visions into action.
Related publications: Portraits of a Graduate: Strengthening Career and College Readiness Through Social and Emotional Skill Development