For the past 6 years, GSP has been supporting the city of Springfield, MA, in developing and implementing the Springfield Portrait of a Graduate. While many districts write portraits, seeking to establish a collective vision of skills and attributes that the community hopes students will develop, many portraits are written with cursory community input and then become little more than posters. Springfield’s work, however, has been unique.
Four elements have enabled Springfield’s portrait to drive creative transformation:
- Equitable, wide-reaching community engagement
- Focused work by cohorts of educators working together to implement the portrait
- Public celebration of the portrait
- Ongoing student engagement and feedback
In this Edutopia article, GSP Senior Associate Kate Gardoqui explains why Springfield’s Portrait has been such a powerful source of energy for transformation in the district.