Portrait of a Graduate

Watch our video

Portrait of a Graduate in Action

From our youngest learners to our graduating seniors, HCS students are growing into the Portrait of a Graduate every step of the way. This video showcases how each grade band develops life-ready skills—academic excellence, communication, resilience, cultural awareness, and problem-solving—through intentional, student-centered learning experiences.

Our Portrait of a Graduate Indicators

Students apply knowledge and demonstrate mastery of academic and technical skills across all content areas.

Students are inspired, informed, and fully prepared for success as a result of robust, well-designed and purposeful K-12 experiences.
Students demonstrate mastery of content standards through their performance on worthwhile tasks.
Students demonstrate academic and technical skills in a variety of ways.
Students demonstrate the ability to appropriately use technology.
Students independently demonstrate and apply literacy skills through reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Students support ideas and perspectives through the use of reliable and relevant evidence.

GRADE BAND	SKILL BUILDING EXAMPLE
9-12	*Students can identify and reflect on bias,* discern differences between evidence and assertion and draw inferences and conclusions.
6-8	*Students can critically examine* primary and secondary sources.
K-5	*Students can express* opinions and justify thinking.

Students resourcefully solve problems using a creative mindset and consider the impact of solutions beyond the classroom.

Students use empathetic strategies to innovatively consider the environmental, social, and economic impacts of real-world problems.
Students create and utilize appropriate tools to solve problems.
Students think critically to define, analyze, and research viable options to create solutions.
Students persevere through understanding that revision and feedback of ideas are part of a successful problem-solving process.
Students work independently as well as contribute to a team.
Students demonstrate confidence and initiative to take action and ask questions that further develop ideas.

GRADE BAND	SKILL BUILDING EXAMPLE
9-12	*Students research, identify root causes, and analyze options* for solutions to select the most viable option.
6-8	When presented with multiple solutions, *students are able to analyze each solution* and choose the most viable option.
K-5	When given a situation *students are able to define the problem and corresponding solution.*

Students actively listen, seek the perspectives of others, and clearly express and support their ideas for a variety of audiences.

Students demonstrate active listening skills.
Students participate in equitable discourse and can disagree respectfully.
Students obtain and evaluate evidence to determine its credibility and articulate point of view.
Students analyze, interpret, and present information to support their ideas.
Students adapt the delivery of communication for different audiences.
Students communicate their own needs and the needs of others.

GRADE BAND	SKILL BUILDING EXAMPLE
9-12	*Advocates personal needs* and the needs of others.
6-8	*Knows the appropriate ways to express personal needs* and the needs of others.
K-5	*Aware of personal needs and the needs of others* and begin to express in an appropriate manner and at appropriate times.

Students seek to understand and respect varied perspectives to create a sense of belonging and responsibility that fosters a thriving, inclusive community.

Students engage in school activities and extracurricular opportunities.
Students participate in civic engagement through capstone projects, work-based learning, or community service projects.
Students recognize their own strengths and beliefs and how they relate to others.
Students acknowledge personal bias and recognize the need to respectfully consider other perspectives.
Students collaborate effectively with others to achieve a common goal.
Students take responsibility for their actions and understand the impact of their decisions.

GRADE BAND	SKILL BUILDING EXAMPLE
9-12	*Work-based learning* and community-based capstone project.
6-8	*Community service projects* begin to happen in the external community rather than only at school.
K-5	*Students take care of their own environment* such as personal space, classroom, school, etc.

Students enter their post-secondary lives able to persevere and are empowered to continue their learning and training connected to their interests and goals.

Students complete a focused pathway of their choice based on their interests and aptitudes.
Students set strategic short and long-term goals and have a college and/or career plan.
Students demonstrate work-ready and social-emotional skills needed to be successful in college and/or career.
Students enroll in early post-secondary opportunities (EPSO) aligned to their college and/or career plan.
Students value failures and setbacks as an important part of the learning process.
Students demonstrate courage in taking calculated risks and persevere through difficult a challenging tasks until completion.

GRADE BAND	SKILL BUILDING EXAMPLE
9-12	*Show focus on process equally to product,* share how your growth and design is a marathon, not a sprint.
6-8	*Develops understanding of idea doubt vs. self-doubt.* Use your portfolio to show your growth; what can you do now that you couldn’t before?
K-5	*Consistently try work that challenges them,* able to explain why it is important to be challenged.