Bring the Portrait to Life as a School Design Team
Piloting the portrait in schools with educator voices and practitioner expertise.
To ensure that those closest to the work could contribute to shaping the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, the Nevada Department of Education brought educators' voices and practitioner expertise into the process in October 2022.
13 school teams across Nevada, including 50 + educators, piloted the implementation of the Portrait of a Nevada Learner to explore its effects on relationships, experiences, and the environment of school. This initial process engaged schools of diverse communities to help us understand the value of the portrait in driving coherent learning experiences. The case studies created by each school team (listed below) will inform the long-term strategy of a growing network for ongoing educator collaboration statewide.
At schools representing learners of all ages and grade levels, PK-12, Pilot Portrait Teams focus on an innovation priority that would illuminate what it means to align with the elements of the evolving Portrait of a Nevada Learner.
The projects and case studies of School Design Teams not only shape their next steps in equipping learners with what they need to thrive, but their action research also helped capture the essential elements that would become part of the final Portrait of a Nevada Learner.
Significantly, these educators also are shaping the pathways for professional learning inside the Nevada Future of Learning Network that will support statewide implementation of the Portrait. Will you join them?
Case Studies
See how School Design Teams are integrating innovative, portrait-aligned practices into the learning experience.
Churchill County Middle School
“The connection of portrait traits to classroom instruction will provide relevance to the student, so that they know why they are learning it."
Lied STEM Academy
“What do students learn through STEM?” This list consisted of words like “collaboration, failing forward, problem-solving, reading for understanding, critical thinking, exploration, communicating ideas..”
Meadow Valley Middle School
“A grandmother reached out to say that her granddaughter learned more this week than she had all year. Several students expressed the hands on experiences were great and they loved Medical School Week."
Mineral County School District
“We are partnering with TNTP to develop a new vision and strategic plan to guide the district. We took the district's motto and used it with students at each school to incorporate learning values."
Lahontan Elementary School
“The characteristics of a learner are intended to help build student agency to empower students with the skills to collaborate."
Lincoln Elementary School
“Our innovation project focused on how we can encourage student reflection to connect what they are learning in the classroom with their future goals and the world around them."
Liberty Peak Elementary School
“Many students are realizing that they can be interested in more than one career field or path. They are excited to explore and learn about careers they might not have previously thought about."
Spring Valley High School
“The project's purpose is to address the lack of academic and soft skills among graduates. It demands critical thinking, research, collaboration, writing, and public speaking skills."
Jerome Mack Middle School
"The values and skills the students
should practice: Accountability, Self-Advocacy, Self-Control,
Self-Reflection, Responsibility, Resilient, Integrity, and Gratitude."
Northeast Career & Technical Academy
“[We] are piloting a school model where all students are put in control of their learning path to shorten the timeline from freshman orientation to revenue generation."
Natchez Elementary School
“Our small school community serves a population of over 98% Native Americans from tribal affiliations. Building a culturally inclusive curriculum that allows students to research and engage in their culture can help improve student identity. "
Southside Elementary School
“Our project was designed to open up conversations between teachers and students, teachers and teachers, and students to students."
Regional Professional Development Program
“The RPDPs innovation project was designed to capture Nevada educators’ perceptions of teacher agency through a statewide survey, seeking feedback about how educators viewed their capacity for agency in curriculum and instructional decision making."
Will you join us?
School Teams (3-7 members) engage in learning cycles guided by in-person and virtual coaching. School Teams focus on pursuing school-specific innovation projects aligned to the Portrait of a Nevada Learner. The Teams will also identify opportunities to implement personalized, competency-based learning practices.
Who will bring the Nevada Portrait to their district next?
What to Expect as a School Design Team:
Receive individual stipend for participation and completion of innovation projects
Attend three in-person convenings across Nevada between September ‘23 and June ‘24, and receive travel support to offset costs
Access to a team mini-grant to support implementation of your project
Individual and team coaching to design, build, and test your learning aligned to the Portrait of a Nevada Learner
Opportunities to network with other educators and community members inside the NV Future of Learning Network
Portrait Process Overview
