Holding Both: How To Operationalize Portrait of a Graduate Without Sacrificing Traditional Outcomes

If your district has adopted a Portrait of a Graduate framework, you've likely encountered a common challenge.

Districts want students to graduate with skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and adaptability. These competencies are often at the heart of a Portrait of a Graduate framework and help prepare students for success beyond the classroom.

At the same time, schools are still measured by more traditional outcomes. State assessments, accountability ratings, standardized test scores, and college readiness outcomes continue to play an important role in measuring success.

The challenge isn't choosing between these priorities; it's finding practical ways to support both.

This balancing act is becoming increasingly common. The National Association of State Boards (NASBE) notes that many states have adopted POG frameworks to more holistically define what students should know and be able to do by graduation while continuing to operate within existing accountability systems.¹ Twenty states have formally adopted a POG framework, and 100s of districts have implemented their own versions.²

Many districts are finding out that Portrait of a Graduate competencies and traditional outcomes don't have to compete. In fact, some of the most successful implementation efforts are happening in schools that intentionally connect both.

What Is a Portrait of a Graduate?

According to The School Superintendents Association (AASA), a Portrait of a Graduate is a collective vision that defines the knowledge, skills, and dispositions a community wants students to develop before graduation.³

While every district approaches it differently, most Portrait of a Graduate (POG) frameworks focus on competencies that extend beyond just academics and test scores.

Many districts use these frameworks to create a shared vision for student success and guide decisions around curriculum, instruction, and learning experiences.

At its core, POG is about preparing students for success in college, careers, and life beyond the classroom.

Competencies Most Districts Prioritize

While every Portrait of a Graduate framework is unique, most are built around a common set of competencies. Some of these are:

Although these competencies help lay out a broader framework for student success, they don't replace the traditional measures districts are responsible for reporting and improving. That reality is where many district leaders find themselves balancing two important priorities at once.

Where Traditional Measures Still Hold Weight

POG frameworks may expand how districts define student success, but they don't replace the accountability systems schools continue to operate within.

The goal shouldn't be to choose between traditional outcomes and POG competencies, but to find ways to support both. Below are a few of the traditional measures that districts continue to emphasize.

Federal Accountability Under ESSA

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continues to require states to measure and report student performance through standardized assessments and accountability systems. While states have some flexibility in how they design their accountability models or academic achievement standards, they remain key pieces of school and district evaluation.

College Admissions and Scholarship Thresholds

Even though some colleges have adopted test-optional admissions policies, traditional academic measures such as AP® exam scores, SAT® and ACT® results, GPA, and course rigor still influence admissions decisions, scholarship eligibility, and college placement opportunities.

State Report Cards and Accountability Ratings

State accountability systems continue to influence how schools are evaluated and how performance is communicated to families and communities. Whether through letter grades or performance ratings, districts are expected to demonstrate measurable academic growth and achievement.

How Districts Are Making Both Priorities Work

While every district approaches implementation differently, a few common patterns are emerging among schools that are balancing POG competencies and traditional student outcomes.

Pattern 1: Embedding Test Prep into Core Instruction

Many school districts are finding that college readiness and POG competencies don't need to exist as separate initiatives. In districts such as Coppell ISD in Texas, student success is embedded throughout curriculum, instruction, and learning experiences rather than isolated in standalone programs.⁴

The same approach can apply to standardized testing prep. Skills taught for test prep, like reading complex texts, solving problems, and applying knowledge in unfamiliar situations, can be reinforced through everyday instruction rather than reserved for dedicated test-prep periods.

Pattern 2: Using AP® Capstone as a POG Bridge

The AP Capstone program supports both traditional outcomes and POG competencies. Through AP Seminar and AP Research, students learn to evaluate sources, conduct research, and communicate their findings through written and oral presentations, which closely aligns with priorities that many districts identify within their Portrait of a Graduate.⁵

Rather than treating competency development and academic achievement as separate goals, AP Capstone can help districts support both through a single instructional experience.

Pattern 3: Reclaiming Teacher Capacity Through Efficient Practice Tools

Many Portrait of a Graduate frameworks ask teachers to facilitate collaboration, provide meaningful feedback, support research projects, and create learning experiences that extend beyond traditional assessments. To do this, educators need time.

Meanwhile, educators have to support AP, SAT, and ACT prep. Districts that are making progress in both areas are often looking for ways to make each part of the test-prep process more efficient. Every hour spent managing inefficient test prep is an hour unavailable for the kinds of projects, discussions, and experiences POG frameworks are built around.

When routine preparation becomes easier to manage, teachers can spend more time focusing on the deeper learning experiences that many POG frameworks are designed for.

"Holding Both" Matrix: A Practical Alignment Tool

One way to think about Portrait of a Graduate implementation is through alignment. Some competencies naturally overlap with traditional measures, while others remain equally important but often require districts to create intentional learning experiences outside what is measured on a test or score report.

What the Matrix Tells Us

Some POG skills naturally align with traditional measures, while others may require districts to intentionally create learning experiences that let students develop and demonstrate these skills.

This is often where implementation becomes challenging. The competencies that districts value most aren't always the ones measured by traditional accountability systems. As a result, many school leaders are looking for ways to support both.

Where UWorld Fits

POG frameworks aren't designed to replace academic outcomes, and academic outcomes aren't designed to capture every competency districts value. Schools need both, which is where efficiency comes in.

UWorld's College Readiness resources are designed to help make SAT, ACT, and AP preparation more efficient through targeted practice, actionable data, and instructional support.

The goal isn't to replace a district's POG framework. Instead, UWorld helps educators spend less time managing test prep and more time creating meaningful POG-aligned learning experiences.

Learn More

Portrait of a Graduate frameworks and traditional measures of student success are often presented as competing priorities. In reality, they both play an important role in preparing students for the future.

The goal is not to choose one approach over the other but to find ways to support both. When implemented thoughtfully, POG initiatives and traditional outcomes can work together to create a more complete picture of student success and better prepare students for whatever is ahead after graduation.

Learn how UWorld's College Readiness solutions help districts support college readiness goals while creating more time for meaningful instruction.

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