College, Career, Life & Readiness

Our Vision of a Graduate

All Boston students should graduate high school fully prepared to continue their education and achieve success in life as they define it. To do this, they will need to gain new skills, build knowledge and learn how to navigate obstacles with the help of teachers, counselors, out-of-school leaders, and caregivers alongside them. These are the elements that reflect the vision of a Boston graduate.

Build Knowledge To Be Ready For College, Career & Life

Bostonʼs graduates have the academic knowledge to understand our world. They can do challenging academic work and see how it applies both within and beyond the classroom. They have an understanding of and access to college and career pathways and options, and the academic and applied skills necessary to pursue them. They connect their learning to topics and problems that matter to them and their communities. They use practical financial, technology, linguistic and media skills to navigate systems.

Graduates have:

• A command of academic content across subjects, such as multiple languages, critical reading, Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), social sciences, and humanities
• Academic skills to engage in rigorous intellectual work and the ability to demonstrate these skills in multiple ways, including writing and speaking
• Applied and technical skills that relate to classroom learning and beyond
• Knowledge of and access to college, career, and technical pathways and the competencies required for them 
• Financial, media, and technology literacy skills

Understand Self And Others To Nurture Relationships

Bostonʼs graduates know they need a variety of healthy relationships. They can figure out who is in their corner and build their network of mentors, supporters and friends. They understand themselves and how people impact each other and their communities. They see relationships as a give and take; they can advocate for their needs and also be accountable to others to work through challenging situations.

Graduates are skilled in:

• Collaboration
• Communication and conflict resolution
• Advocacy Accountability to self, others and community
• Understanding, embracing and managing emotions

Adapt Through Changes and Challenges to Thrive

Bostonʼs graduates know that progress isnʼt usually a straight line. They see that skill and confidence come with practice, patience and persistence. Their sense of purpose gives them the flexibility to persist or adjust when change happens. They know that strength is needed to work through set-backs. They can develop and adapt a plan on their own, sifting through feedback and reflecting on personal goals to decide how to proceed.

Graduates are skilled in:

• Self-direction and self-belief
• Discerning what matters
• Knowing how to pivot
• Understanding that change is expected

Value Diversity to Harness the Strengths of Cultures and Communities

Bostonʼs graduates value the diversity of our communities, languages and cultures. They have strength in their own identities and value what others bring. They know that differences in race, ethnicity, language, gender, ability and culture are assets. These skills and attitudes help graduates to navigate complex systems. They see how systems are set up to help some succeed and hold others back; they also see how collective strengths, including their own, can challenge these inequities.

Graduates are skilled in:

• Critically assessing situations
• Respecting and valuing differences
• Understanding and appreciating their own and othersʼ languages and cultures
• Engaging with the wider world

Continue to Grow and Explore as Lifelong Learners

Bostonʼs graduates have a set of flexible skills to serve them in a range of career and community roles. They know how and why to continue to learn. They reflect on their own strengths, experiences and strategies to make sense of issues and spark new ideas. Their curiosity and creativity push them to question facts and feelings. They continue to grow by connecting ideas and sources.

Graduates are skilled in:

• Engaging with learning
• Analyzing information
• Finding solutions to problems
• Creativity