Portrait of a Learner
Click to view a grade level breakdown
Communication
Communication is the active process of expressing and understanding thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Through strategies including oral, signed, and written language, gestures, art, technology, and active listening, students deepen their thinking, awareness, and engagement.
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Grades TK - 2 Communication is how I share my feelings and ideas with others and how I understand
*I share my needs clearly with appropriate *I communicate clearly by speaking and *I speak about a topic using details. |
Grades 3 - 6 Communication is how we share and understand thoughts, feelings, and ideas. To communicate well, I focus my attention on skills such as speaking, writing, reading and listening. Having good communication skills helps me to better understand the world around me. *I listen, share my ideas clearly, and work *I give, receive, and share information in a *I choose my words thoughtfully to promote |
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Junior High *I contribute to group work, listen to different *I actively listen to and contribute to *I work respectfully with my group, consider |
High School *I disagree respectfully while maintaining *I listen actively, speak clearly, and write *I ask questions when I am confused or |
Collaboration
Collaboration is the ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams. It involves the ability to exercise flexibility and make compromises to accomplish a common goal with a shared responsibility for collaborative work. It also includes students' abilities to express their own, and listen to others' thoughts, ideas or needs. Collaboration helps students to think more deeply and creatively, and be able to work with others at school and beyond.
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Grades TK - 2 I know that collaboration is another word for teamwork. It means knowing how to play and work well with others. *I work with my friends to solve problems *I am flexible and can compromise to *I listen to my partner’s ideas before I |
Grades 3 - 6 I think of collaboration as "super-powered teamwork." It’s more than just sitting in a group; it’s about knowing how to work with all kinds of people to complete a task. *I work respectfully with my classmates, *I work together with my classmates and *I contribute and participate in the group |
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Junior High I think of collaboration as high-level teamwork. It’s the ability to work *I share responsibility, respect different *I work with others to problem solve and *I prioritize diverse viewpoints to ensure |
High School Collaboration is the ability to integrate my skills with a diverse team to complete a task that turns out to be better than if I did it *I contribute actively through attentive *I support the success of the group, not *I actively participate, express ideas, |
Creativity
Creativity is the dynamic process of exploring and transforming the world in new and meaningful ways. The creative process is a core element of all learning experiences because individuals learn most effectively when they play an active role in constructing new learning.
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Grades TK - 2 Creativity is the way I use my imagination to change things and make something that never existed before. *I use my imagination to think of new *I use many different methods to show *I use my imagination to explore, |
Grades 3 - 6 Creativity is my power to explore and change the world in my own way. It is a special process where I use my imagination to build something that didn’t exist before. *I look at a challenge from a different *I use many different methods to solve *I use my imagination, explore new ideas, |
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Junior High Creativity is my ability to change the world by taking what exists and transforming it into something new and meaningful. *I use my imagination to create unique *I approach new problems with an open *I use my own unique style to show what I |
High School Creativity is the dynamic process of taking the world as it is and transforming it *I develop a body of creative work over *I approach new challenges with a *I generate original concepts and refine |
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate information and consider ideas across different perspectives, to make decisions and solve problems. It is purposeful and reasoned thinking about what information is being presented, who is presenting it, and in what context. Learners who think critically ask thoughtful questions, and consider multiple forms of evidence when drawing an inference. Critical thinking involves many reasoning processes and cognitive skills that are important for preparing learners for their future roles as active, participating members in a society.
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Grades TK - 2 Being a critical thinker is like being a detective. Instead of just believing everything I hear or see, I stop and ask smart questions to find the truth. *I use what I already know to help me *I am able to explain how I got my |
Grades 3 - 6 I think of critical thinking as being a "truth seeker." Instead of just accepting everything *I think carefully about problems and *I explain the reason behind my answers *I use evidence and reasoning to make |
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Junior High I think of critical thinking as my “truth detector." It’s the ability to pause and evaluate information instead of just *I evaluate information and consider *I think for myself by asking thoughtful *I approach problems by evaluating |
High School Being a critical thinker is like having an intellectual filter. It’s the ability to pause and deconstruct information rather than just consume it. It moves me from being a passive recipient to an active analyst. *I examine ideas, ask questions, consider *I recognize bias and consider multiple *I reflect on my strengths and identify my |
Motivation
Motivation is the desire and energy that guides thinking and behavior. When students are motivated, they become more engaged in their learning and increase their ability to problem-solve and reason. Aspects of motivation include having social and academic goals, expectations of success, and desire for mastery, learning skills for the sake of competence.
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Grades TK - 2 Motivation is the feeling and energy inside me that makes me want to do things. *I treat mistakes as a chance to try again. *I keep trying and learning, even when *I come to school ready to listen and |
Grades 3-6 Motivation as the "power source" of my brain. It is the spark of energy that helps me decide what to do and how hard to try. *I do my best every day, try new things, *I remain engaged and continue to try, *I set realistic goals and persevere |
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Junior High Motivation is the psychological “engine” that drives my focus and actions. It’s the combination of the desire to achieve something and the energy I put into *I stay engaged in my learning by setting *I remain engaged and continue to try, *I have the desire and energy that guides |
High School Motivation is the psychological framework that drives my cognitive energy and behavior. It influences how much effort I invest in a task and how long I persist *I proactively identify and leverage key *I notice my patterns of thinking and get *I display a sense of accomplishment and |
Social Awareness & Relationships
Social Awareness and Relationship Skills are essential for forming and maintaining positive interactions so that peers and educators can become learning partners. When each student feels supported by their peers, and sees how they can use their strengths and work with others to contribute to the success of a group, they can better engage in their learning.
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Grades TK - 2 Learning is better when I do it with friends. *I think about how my words and actions *I understand that people may have *I can use my words if I am feeling |
Grades 3 - 6 By using social awareness and relationship skills such as compassion and empathy, I find that I am easily able to work with others and I learn so much. By understanding how people feel and knowing how to get along with them, my classmates and teachers become my teammates. *I contribute positively to the classroom *I pay attention to how others feel and I *I am aware of who I am and what I |
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Junior High Learning is better when I show and receive compassion and empathy. When I feel comfortable with others, I am able to work as a productive teammate. *I treat others with kindness, respect, and *I use my strengths to contribute to the *I am aware of my strengths and how I
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High School To be successful, I need to have high-level interpersonal skills such as empathy and compassion to feel a part of a genuine team with classmates and teachers. When I support others and feel supported myself, it is easy to stay motivated and to invest in what I am learning. *I listen to others, value their ideas, and *I seek to understand how others feel, *I am a mindful teammate who stays |
FAQs
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A Portrait of a Learner (PoL) is a community-informed model that defines the skills, knowledge, and mindsets students need to succeed in a changing world.
It moves beyond basic academic achievement to focus on broader competencies essential for future success in college, career, and civic life.
Model
A collective, community-led model for what a successful student looks like
Competencies
Outlines the essential factors or competencies needed for the 21st century
Holistic View
Moves beyond traditional measures to a more holistic view of student readiness in the 21st Century
North Star
Provides a "north star" for the entire school community, guiding decisions and practices
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OUSD Strategic Framework
- Mission
- Vision
- Pillars & Long Term Goals
- Operating Values
- Strategic Plan 2024-2029
- Priorities
Defines How Students Learn
Defines How Teachers Teach
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Fosters Future-Ready Competencies
Academic mastery alone is not enough for today's rapidly changing world
Specifies Teaching Strategies and Learning Outcomes
Guides student development of skills for the 21st Century, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability
Aligns the Community
Creates a shared understanding among students, parents, educators, and community members about what matters most for student success
Informs District Next Steps
Serves as a foundational framework for reviewing and updating curriculum, instruction, and assessment -
Locally Developed
Unique to our communityCommunity Informed
Created with input from diverse groups of stakeholdersCompetency-based
Organized around broad factorsActionable
Provides clear guidance for educational practicesTransdisciplinary
Fosters student development across different subjects and real world contexts