May 22, 2025
Grades alone don’t tell the whole story.
That’s the thinking behind Kentucky’s statewide push for Portrait of a Learner (PoL), a locally developed, community-driven vision of the skills and mindsets every student should have when they graduate.
More than 140 Kentucky districts have already created their own portraits. Each one is unique, reflecting local values and priorities, but all aim for the same outcome: students ready to thrive in college, careers, and civic life.
And this shift is only gaining momentum.
Rethinking how we measure success
For decades, success in school was defined almost entirely by letter grades and test scores.
That approach had its strengths: it was simple, fast, and easy to communicate. But it often left critical skills underdeveloped. A student might ace a history test but struggle to present ideas clearly. Another might excel at solving problems but fall behind because they couldn’t manage their time or collaborate effectively.
Put simply, the world students are entering demands more. Employers, colleges, and communities need graduates who can adapt, think critically, communicate effectively, and work with others to solve complex problems.
That’s where the Portrait of a Learner comes in, giving schools a framework to build and measure these competencies alongside academic mastery, so students are ready for whatever comes next.
What exactly is Portrait of a Learner?
The Portrait of a Learner is a shared vision, developed by each Kentucky district in collaboration with students, families, educators, and community partners. It outlines the skills, knowledge, and mindsets every student should have when they leave school.
While each district’s portrait is unique, many highlight similar core competencies:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving: tackling complex challenges with creativity and logic
- Collaboration and communication: working effectively with diverse teams and sharing ideas clearly
- Adaptability and resilience: thriving amid change and overcoming setbacks
- Citizenship and leadership: contributing positively to the community and taking initiative
And those words carry weight. Districts use their portraits to guide instruction, shape learning experiences, and align assessment strategies. In Pike County, for example, community workshops brought together parents, business leaders, and students to identify what mattered most, from adaptability to strong communication skills.
Beyond tests: Defenses of learning
One way Kentucky districts are bringing their Portrait of a Learner to life is through defenses of learning – performance-based assessments where students present their work to a real audience.
These real-world checkpoints might look like:
- A student pitching a business plan to local entrepreneurs
- A team designing and building a community garden
- A senior presenting a portfolio of projects to a panel of educators and community members
The result is that students don’t just know the material; they can apply it in authentic, high-stakes settings.
Case study: JCPS’ Journey to Success
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) calls its Portrait of a Learner the “Journey to Success.” It’s designed to give every student, from kindergarten through graduation, clear, measurable checkpoints for developing five essential success skills: prepared and resilient learner, productive collaborator, emerging innovator, effective communicator, and globally and culturally competent citizen.
Students collect evidence of their learning in a digital portfolio known as the "Gallery of Skills" and present it at milestone years. In grades K-4, 6-7, and 9-11, they complete a Mini-Defense, Student-Led Conference, or Exhibition of Learning, showcasing their growth to a trained panel using artifacts that demonstrate each success skill.
To bring this vision to life, JCPS partnered with Otus to co-design and customize a flexible, skills-focused portfolio tool. Building on the district’s groundwork, Otus worked alongside JCPS leaders, instructional coaches, and classroom teachers over several months to facilitate live workshops, interviews, and iterative testing. This thoughtful development process, recognized by Digital Promise’s Practitioner-Informed Design certification, ensured that the tool directly aligned with JCPS’ Journey to Success framework and reflected the authentic needs of educators and students.
This approach makes progress visible year after year, connects learning across grade levels, and ensures students graduate not just with a diploma, but with documented, real-world skills they can apply anywhere.
A tool to bring the portrait to life
Otus gives districts a central platform to make their Portrait of a Learner measurable, actionable, and visible.
Here are four ways Otus supports Kentucky schools’ Portrait of a Learner initiatives:
- Measure academic and non-academic growth using standards-based grading and custom rubrics.
- Visualize progress with learner profiles that combine academics, behavior, SEL, and attendance in one view.
- Track performance-based tasks like defense of learning, ensuring PoL competencies are consistently monitored.
- Unify MTSS, SEL, and skill-tracking so intervention and growth goals align with the district’s portrait.
Instead of juggling multiple tools and disconnected spreadsheets, school leaders and educators can see everything that contributes to a student’s readiness and act on it in real time.
From vision to measurable progress
The Portrait of a Learner turns big-picture goals into daily learning experiences that prepare students for what’s next in life.
Want to see what Portrait of a Learner looks like in action? Watch our short video to see how districts are making their vision measurable.
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See exactly how Otus can help your school accelerate student growth and improve student outcomes – all while saving educators time.
