Using a Portrait of a Graduate to Build Common Vision and Increase Coherence in a Public-School System

Abstract

The American public education system is by design decentralized and lacking coherence. Yet, research within and outside of education indicates that increased coherence and common vision can lead to improved outcomes. Individual educators feeling agency over their own work is important to job satisfaction, school culture, and ultimately to student achievement. Tension often exists between a desire for school and individual teacher empowerment and efforts for increased coherence. This capstone explores a school district effort to increase coherence through the creation of a system-wide Portrait of a Graduate. The goal of the project was to build commonality of expectation and vision while allowing teachers, principals and schools to maintain autonomy. It was hoped that if teachers and principals were central to the creation of the Portrait, shared vision would develop while individual autonomy was maintained. My analysis suggests that this type of undertaking can be effective in building shared vision amongst individual teachers and school leaders. However, structural change in the relationship between the central office and schools is also necessary for a common vision and true coherence to be developed and maintained system-wide.