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Skills for the Future initiative launches with professional development events

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The Portrait of a Graduate was unveiled Oct. 18, 2022 at the Education Building in Downtown Raleigh. Alex Granados/EdNC

Four North Carolina school districts are participating in professional development events this month as part of the official launch of Skills for the Future, a federally funded project to modernize the state’s assessment of student learning, according to a Sept. 15 press release from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

The project aims to create a “Skills Suite” platform to document student learning through performance-based tasks, live feedback, and a skills-focused transcript. The project is expected to produce skills transcript for 6,000 students and provide professional development for 400 educators statewide.

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The project began as a pilot along with four other states — Indiana, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Nevada — partnering with the assessment nonprofit ETS, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Battelle for Kids/AASA, and the University of North Carolina, funded by a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education last fall. 

“The ultimate goal is to increase college and career readiness by modernizing the way student learning is assessed, in alignment with NCDPI’s recently released strategic plan,” the DPI press release said.

The events have offered educators, district leaders, and community stakeholders “hands-on experiences with tools and strategies that support collaboration” — one of the seven skills included in the state’s Portrait of a Graduate.

Mooresville Graded School District and Iredell-Statesville Schools participated in these events on Sept. 9 and 10, Edgecombe County Public Schools on Sept. 22, and Caldwell County Schools on Sept. 26.

During the events, participants explored the value of collaboration for students through videos, case studies, feedback sessions, AI-supported design time, and dialogues with school communities about their work.    

Mooresville Graded School District Superintendent Dr. Jason Gardner expressed his excitement over the opportunity to measure students beyond traditional assessments.

“We know that durable skills are essential to the future success of our students in the workplace, and we believe this work will be a key element of the transformation of the high school experience,” he said in the press release. “The teachers and leaders at Mooresville Graded School District have a long history of innovative practices, and we see this as the next step in our journey to provide the best possible experience for all students, so they are prepared to grow, thrive and succeed.”

State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said that the project is preparing students for life after high school and “leading transformational change,” according to the press release.

“This is a transformative opportunity for North Carolina to lead the nation in measuring the skills students need to thrive after high school graduation,” Green said. “We are not only expanding how we define achievement — we’re empowering educators and communities to co-create the future of learning.”

The project is anchored in the state’s Portrait of a Graduate effort to prepare students with the skills needed to succeed after high school. These seven skills, as identified by DPI, are adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, learner’s mindset, and personal responsibility.

“This initiative is about ensuring that every student in North Carolina has the opportunity to develop and demonstrate the skills they need for success, not only academically, but in their careers and communities,” said Shaun Kellogg, senior director of the Office of Research and Promising Practices at DPI in the press release. “We are excited to partner with educators, families, and local leaders to make the Portrait of a Graduate a reality in every classroom.”