On October 14, Dr. Gutekanst posted an updated on the Portrait of a Needham Graduate project on his blog.
Since spring of 2018, a group of 53 community members and NPS staff have met for several full-day workshops to develop a vision for education in Needham. The group has read articles, watched videos, heard presentations, and engaged in facilitated discussions to draft a framework, and are now seeking input from the wider community. Members of the committee are spending the month of October meeting with school and community groups to present information and solicit feedback from as many stakeholders as possible.
The final group working session will take place on November 16, 2018, at which point the group will consider next steps, informed by feedback they have received from the community. Recommendations will be presented at a School Committee meeting in Spring 2019.
Draft List of Competencies:
Creative Problem Solving Students will be able to analyze relevant information and design innovative solutions to improve outcomes.
Resilience Students will be flexible, adapt to change, and persist to accomplish difficult tasks by overcoming academic and personal barriers to meet goals.
Cultural Responsiveness Students will understand and respect their own andother cultures, possess bilingual skills, and act to ensure fairness and access.
Metacognition Students will direct their own learning, ask for help when they need it, and work toward lifelong learning goals.
Communication Students will articulate ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.
Empathy Students will demonstrate understanding of others’ perspectives and needs and listen with an open mind to understand others’ situations.
Collaboration and Teamwork Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams.
Information Acquisition and Literacy Students will apply effective reading skills to acquire knowledge, incorporate effective writing skills to convey understanding, and use technology skills & digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.
Citizenship Students will understand governmental processes and exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels.
Content Competency Students will develop and draw from knowledge in academic disciplines, and transfer knowledge to other situations. Disciplines include, but are not limited to: Science, Math, History, Language, Arts.
Personal Responsibility Students will act responsibly and ethically to build trust and lead.
Wellness Students will engage in healthy and positive practices to promote physical and mental wellbeing.