Beyond the Poster: Building Learner Agency & Impact with Digital Portfolios for Portrait of a Graduate
Unlock the Full Potential of Your District’s Portrait of a Graduate
Join Paul Smith, Superintendent at RSD17, and Sierra Holtzheuser, VP of Growth & Partnerships at SpacesEDU, for an on-demand session that shows how to move your district’s Portrait of a Graduate from vision to action.
Discover how digital portfolios can transform static displays into dynamic tools that empower student agency, capture authentic growth, and encourage ongoing reflection.
Whether your district is just defining competencies or seeking deeper ways to showcase authentic learning, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to bring your Portrait of a Graduate to life across all K-12 settings.
Watch the Session
The step-by-step process for operationalizing your Portrait of a Graduate with digital portfolios.
Proven practices to take your Portrait of a Graduate from a poster into a living part of your school's culture.
Practical resources, including templates, tech solutions, and reflection prompts, to build and document learner competencies.
- Real-world district and learner examples highlighting successes, common roadblocks, and creative solutions.
This is your next step to fostering meaningful graduate outcomes, measuring competencies, and igniting student agency across all K-12 settings.
Our Panelists
Paul Smith
Paul Smith holds degrees from Boston University College, the University of Rochester (NY), and the University of Connecticut. For 16 years, Smith has served as a Superintendent of Schools in Connecticut, where he has been committed to focusing on a culture of compassion as the cornerstone to an ambitious vision of excellence for all children. A presenter at the annual New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Annual Conference and the Showcase of Model Programs, Paul was the recipient of the NEASC 2020 and 2023 Service Award and the NEASC Jacob Ludes III Leadership Award. He regularly leads accreditation visits of high schools in New England and has served on the Connecticut Association of Public Schools Superintendents Board of Directors, as well as serving as Chairperson of the CT Middlesex/Shoreline Superintendents’ Association. Honors for Smith have included the Governor’s Award for volunteer work with the Connecticut American Red Cross, the CT Middlesex United Way Leadership Award, and the Danielson Lions Club Youth Service Award.
Smith is currently active with SchoolWorks Consulting, working with school districts as they develop visions of the graduate, as well as visions of the educators, Board of Education members, and school leaders.
Sierra Holtzheuser
Sierra Holtzheuser holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Child Development from Brock University and a B.Ed. from Ontario Tech University. For the past 15 years, Holtzheuser has taught in K-6 classrooms and served in various roles in educational technology. Holtzheuser's passion lies in advancing personalized, competency-based education and ensuring the success and future readiness of all K-12 learners. She is deeply committed to fostering impactful change in education, focusing on placing learners at the forefront of decisions and strategic plans. Sierra's strength lies in her ability to actively listen to the challenges faced by district leaders and collaboratively construct solutions that resonate with their vision and their unique community of educators, students, and families.
Holtzheuser currently serves as Vice President of Partnerships at SpacesEDU by myBlueprint, working collaboratively with district leaders to bring their vision for student success to life.
