States and districts are increasingly moving towards defining the characteristics they want to see in high school graduates in ways that capture readiness for citizenship, employment and social relations in the modern world. The development of Portraits of a Graduate at the state and local level, including examples and challenges is discussed in our report, Portrait of a Graduate: Landscape and Challenges.
In recognition of the myriad ways successful graduates can demonstrate competencies and mastery that align with graduate portraits, states are also increasingly providing for multiple pathways for students to matriculate with a high school diploma. In Multiple Pathways for Graduation: A Survey, we review and analyze some of the different ways states have enabled students to attain a diploma certifying graduation readiness that go beyond just traditional academic course passage and standardized testing.
Both reports were made possible by support from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and with the contributions of Sophia Raymond of MTA.