In our rapidly changing world, education needs to evolve to fulfill our mission of supporting student success in school and in life. In 2022, the Massachusetts Connections Academy school board, along with parents, families, community members, educators, students, and other Massachusetts Connections Academy school leaders, developed the Portrait of a Graduate (POG).
The POG outlines the qualities we hope to instill in each Massachusetts Connections Academy student before they graduate, including the knowledge and skills they need to be productive citizens of a global community and successful in the workforce of the future.
A Massachusetts Connections Academy graduate:
- Thinks Critically - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates demonstrate a genuine curiosity, an ability to make observations, identify problems or challenges, develop higher-order questions, determine which support, resources, and stakeholder collaboration might be needed to solve a problem. They will also be capable of applying multiple perspectives while making real-world applications of the problem.
- Has Growth Mindset - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates view challenges and mistakes as opportunities for learning. They also embrace the belief that growth is always possible when they are able to reflect on their past behavior, decisions, or results in order to set future goals. Graduates know that talents are cultivated as opposed to fixed, and will successfully articulate new areas of growth.
- Respects Others - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates demonstrate concern for the feelings of others, listen for understanding, view differences as opportunities for learning, and are open to learning and celebrating cultures, values, and opinions different from their own.
- Can Apply Their Knowledge - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates recognize what they have learned and can identify the appropriate opportunities to apply their acquired knowledge from one circumstance, situation, or context to another. Graduates are able to make connections to what they’ve learned to solve complex, real-world problems.
- Have Communication Skills - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates practice active listening and can successfully able to express their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and beliefs to others using the appropriate oral, written, and nonverbal communication strategies for a given context or audience.
- Has Real-World Skills - Massachusetts Connections Academy graduates can apply what they’ve learned in school to variety of contexts, including in professional, personal, and social settings. These include organizational skills, financial management, communication skills, decision-making and problem-solving skills, self-awareness, time management, navigating and managing conflict, self-regulation, resilience, self-advocacy, empathy for others, and perseverance.