Additional settings for Safari Browser.
Portrait of a Graduate
Portrait of a Graduate
New York State
The NYS Portrait of a Graduate provides a unifying vision of what it means to be a graduate in New York State and describes the essential skills and attributes that all students should develop to be successful in college, careers, and civic life.
While changes to the current diploma requirements are forthcoming, this adoption does not change the current graduation requirements. According to the Department’s implementation plan, NY Inspires, the Department plans to release additional guidance to support local implementation of the Portrait by summer 2027.
Spencerport Central School District
Spencerport’s Portrait of a Graduate is important because it defines a shared vision of what every student should know and be able to do by the time they graduate.
The portrait emphasizes not just academic readiness, but also essential life skills like critical thinking, adaptability, communication, global awareness, and resilience.
These attributes help ensure students are prepared to thrive in a complex, rapidly changing world—academically, socially, and professionally.
Portrait of a 5th Grader
Adaptable: I can adjust to changes and stay focused on my goals while being persistent and ready to learn.
Critical Thinker: I can be open-minded and collaborative while considering different ideas.
Effective Communicator: I can share my ideas clearly, listen carefully to others, and be respectful of their opinions. I can understand different points of view and work well with others.
 |
Globally Aware: I can be respectful and inclusive while valuing different cultures and viewpoints. I understand that equity for all is always the goal. |  |
Demonstrates Integrity: I can be responsible and do the right thing, even when no one is watching. |
Literate: I can read, write, communicate, and think critically as I work toward academic excellence.
Resilient: I know that challenges are a part of learning, and I can be persistent and proud as I use feedback to grow.
Emotionally Competent: I can understand and manage my feelings, show empathy for others, and act with integrity.
Portrait of an 8th Grader
Adaptable: I can handle new or changing situations, be persistent and ready to learn, and respond to different people and places quickly and with a clear goal in mind.
Critical Thinker: I can keep an open mind and be collaborative and listen to different opinions so I can find the best way to solve a problem.
Effective Communicator: I can share my ideas clearly, listen carefully, and be respectful of what others have to say. I can understand different points of view and work well with others.
|
Globally Aware: I can be respectful and inclusive when seeing how people are connected. I understand that equity is the goal, and respect different cultures, ideas, and global challenges | |
Demonstrates Integrity: I can be responsible and make good choices, even when no one is watching. I can stick to my values and meet school expectations. |
Literate: I can read, write, speak, and think carefully about information in different school subjects and strive for academic excellence.
Resilient: I can be persistent and proud and recognize that challenges help me learn. I can use feedback to improve.
Emotionally Competent: I can understand and manage my own feelings, talk about them in a healthy way, and show empathy to others. I can act with integrity and use smart strategies to work well and connect with others.
Portrait of a Graduate
Adaptable: I can acclimate to situations. I can be flexible, persistent, ready to learn, and navigate ever-changing settings, people, and landscapes with urgency and purpose.
Critical Thinker: I can approach situations with an open mind. I can collaborate and take into consideration multiple perspectives to lead to solution-oriented outcomes.
Effective Communicator: I can share ideas clearly, listen actively, and be respectful of others’ opinions. I can understand different perspectives and work well with others.
|
Globally Aware: I can be respectful, understand the interconnectedness of the world, be inclusive of others, and appreciate the importance of equity among different cultures, perspectives, and global issues. | |
Demonstrates Integrity: I can be responsible and do the right thing even when no one is watching. I can uphold my values and commitments as well as the school’s. |
Literate: I can read, write, communicate and critically analyze information effectively across a wide range of subjects striving toward academic excellence.
Resilient: I can recognize that facing challenges is a part of learning. I can be persistent and proud and use feedback to grow.
Emotionally Competent: I can understand and communicate my emotions, demonstrate empathy, act with integrity, and use strategies to engage with others.
Glossary of Terms
| Collaborative - produced or conducted by two or more parties working together. | ||
| Delimiters - character or sequence of characters that separates or marks the beginning and end of data units in a string or data stream (divide text or data into smaller, manageable pieces). | ||
| Empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. | ||
| Equity - Equitable access and personalized opportunities to every stakeholder in the Spencerport learning community. | ||
| Excellence - the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. | ||
| Inclusive - every Spencerport student and family feels valued, welcomed, and accepted throughout the learning community. |
| Integrity - the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. | ||
|
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) - an educational framework that provides tiered levels of academic and behavioral support to all students, aiming to ensure their success. This framework focuses on prevention and early intervention, offering increasingly intensive supports as needed.
|
| Open-Minded - the willingness to consider and accept new ideas, perspectives, and information that differ from one's own beliefs and experiences. | ||
| Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) - a framework used to improve student behavior and academic outcomes by creating positive, predictable, and safe learning environments. | ||
| Persistent - a persistent person faces challenges and setbacks but doesn't let them deter them from their objective. | ||
| Proud - very happy and pleased because of something that one has accomplished. |
| Ready to Learn - prepared to learn new skills, try things out and demonstrate the necessary coping skills with challenges that school life brings. | ||
| Respectful - treats others with consideration, valuing their feelings, opinions, and perspectives, even when they differ from their own. | ||
| Responsible - being dependable, accountable, and acting with good judgment, especially in fulfilling duties and obligations. | ||
| Social Emotional Learning (SEL) - the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are essential for success in school, work, and life. |