Kentucky is redefining what it means to be a successful learner. Enter the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner, a framework that defines the essential skills, mindsets, and competencies students need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This statewide effort is a response to the evolving demands of the workforce and the recognition that traditional educational models must adapt to prepare students for lifelong success.
TLDR: Kentucky created a Portrait of a Learner to ensure that all students graduate with the skills needed to succeed. They did so by taking multiple stakeholder voices into consideration. School districts across Kentucky are creating their own Portrait of a Learner aligned to their local context, including Muhlenberg County Schools and Carter County Schools.
Why Did Kentucky Create a Portrait of a Learner?
Kentucky wanted to do more than just improve test scores. Education leaders, businesses, and families across the state agreed: schools should develop the whole child. That means equipping students with durable, transferable skills that move beyond just academic content and achievement.
Kentucky wanted to do more than just improve test scores. Education leaders, businesses, and families across the state agreed: schools should develop the whole child. That means equipping students with durable, transferable skills that move beyond just academic content and achievement.
What is the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner?
The Kentucky Portrait of a Learner is a shared state-wide vision of student success. It’s designed to ensure that students graduate with a well-rounded set of durable skills, including:
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Adaptability
In an age of automation and rapid technological change, these competencies are essential. Students need to know how to think, adapt, and lead so that they can navigate these changes.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) worked closely with educators, administrators, parents, students, and community stakeholders across the state to define what Kentucky learners should know and be able to do by the time they graduate. This wasn’t a top-down directive. It was a grassroots, community effort to build a shared vision of the future of education in Kentucky.
KDE continues to support districts with guidance and resources to help them develop a local Portrait of a Learner, tailored to their own communities.
How Have Districts Brought the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner to Life?
Muhlenberg County Schools
Muhlenberg County Schools created its own Profile of a Learner to help students graduate with five key attributes:
- Engaged Citizen
- Effective Collaborator
- Creative Problem Solver
- Skilled Communicator
- Empowered Learner
The district highlights a K-12 approach, with learning progressions that outline what each competency looks like at various grade bands: K12, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each month, schools highlight a specific attribute, helping students build these skills intentionally throughout the year.
Looking ahead, the district plans to deepen its Portrait of a Learner work. Local businesses will play a bigger role by providing mentorships and taking part in students’ defenses of learning.
Christian County Schools
Christian County Schools has created a Profile of a Graduate that defines what it means to be future-ready. The profile outlines six competencies:
- Accountable Self-Starter
- Adaptable Learner
- Career and/or Work-Ready Professional
- Collaborative Problem Solver
- Empathetic Communicator
- Innovative Critical Thinker
These competencies guide everything from curriculum to classroom instruction and assessment. Students demonstrate mastery through performance-based assessments, using student portfolios and defenses of learning to showcase their growth over time.
The goal? Prepare every student for the changing world and ensure they have the skills needed to succeed and make an impact in their community.
Expert Recap: Kentucky’s Portrait of a Learner
Kentucky's statewide shift to the Portrait of a Learner marks a significant transformation in public education. Instead of measuring success by academic achievement alone, schools now prioritize the development of essential future-ready skills and competencies.
Districts like Muhlenberg County Schools and Christian County Schools prove that when communities come together to define what success looks like, powerful change follows. Through this shared vision, Kentucky is building a generation of learners who are not only ready for college or careers, but ready for anything that comes their way.
