Building a Shared Vision
When we partner with learning communities – which may be a single school, a district, region or state – one of the first steps we take is helping them identify their aspirations for the future and supporting their development of and commitment to a shared vision.
A shared vision is a community-created, common agreement about the preferred future that a learning community commits to realizing through its change efforts.
Based on our experiences in schools and the research we’ve done around the conditions necessary for scaling personalized, competency-based learning, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ÊÓƵ believes that an essential first step to this work is to craft, develop and sustain a community-wide vision for personalized, competency-based learning.
Community voice is key. By requesting feedback and insight from local neighbors, business owners, higher education partners, elected officials and families and caregivers, a learning community can build buy-in that extends beyond the school walls or the state house.
See how Kentucky listens and takes action »
A community’s hopes for itself and its graduates are at the heart of the vision. Each learning community is different. Building a vision with local and regional context in mind ensures that everyone sees themselves in the work – and builds a sense of shared accountability for achieving the vision.
See how Nevada created a Portrait of a Learner from the community-level up »
A learning community’s vision is central to everything they do and everything they hope to accomplish. To truly change the system, a vision must be created by and lived throughout a community. State and district leaders can’t do this work alone, and neither can teachers. The entire community needs to lift up learning, support teachers and encourage students to learn both in and outside of school.
See how a North Dakota district implements the Portrait of a Learner »
A clear, unified statewide vision for K-12 education enables schools and districts to create student-centered education approaches. States play an important role in shaping the vision and purpose of their K-12 education systems by clarifying what success looks like and making sure systems are progressing toward that vision with their own localized visions with guidance, support and accountability systems.
See how states implement a shared vision in our policy framework »
Working with you on your shared vision
No matter where you are on the journey toward personalized, competency-based learning, we can help you:
- Articulate future-facing aspirations
- Create or refine a shared vision in the context of the shifting landscape around education
- Involve community members and others in experiencing or envisioning future possibilities
- Formalize your shared vision by creating a Portrait of a Learner (sometimes Portrait of a Graduate) that outlines the essential skills, dispositions and knowledge that students need for success after graduation
- Create an instructional framework that establishes common language and shared beliefs about teaching and learning
Contact us to discuss what visioning services are right for your community.
More Resources for Developing a Shared Vision
A Portrait of a Learner: The Portrait of a Learner, sometimes called a Portrait of a Graduate, is a tool increasingly used by K-12 school districts to identify those skills, knowledges and dispositions their graduates will need to succeed in an uncertain future. Get some examples from the field. Learn more »
Reflecting on Vision: When challenges raise questions about what really matters, shared visions can help us navigate uncertainty. Here are questions for considering how your highest aspirations might ground you in times of uncertainty. Learn more »
Better Together
Common purpose, buy-in and ownership across across a community are crucial in systems transformation.
