Park County School District 1 has its eye on the future as it enters the next couple of years, aligning with a State Department of Education initiative that aims to prepare graduates for future success.

Under the Profile of a Graduate, which has been in the works at the state level for several years, are four ideal student characteristics pertaining to learning, working, contributing and thriving. This comes out of input from leaders in businesses and communities, parents and educators, said Jason Sleep, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, during an April 8 board meeting. 

The profile contains “all kinds of skills that are smattered underneath each one of those categories, those are attributes from some of our best employees,” Sleep said. 

Adding that if members of the district can reflect these attributes, students can pick up the behaviors from them.

“So it's not only just an educational approach, it's a mental approach, and how we approach education, and how we carry ourselves,” Sleep said. 

This comes out of the attorney general’s opinion that education in the state was not equitable because each district prioritized what they felt were important standards in the district. Under the Constitution everyone should have the same standards and this is a good move for Wyoming and “brings about better cohesion,” Sleep said.

Next year, PCSD1 will begin discussing what teaching these skills to students will look like in the classroom.

This will be coupled with new graduation standards, which have not yet been signed off on by the state department. The way it’s written, there are seven competencies for students. The first standard is required by the state while the other standards are based on what the district decides. 

They must be able to master and use “foundational knowledge and skills, think critically to solve problems, communicate effectively, identify and use credible sources, demonstrate strong collaboration, cultivate curiosity and a growth mindset and practice effective work habits. 

“Our kids, I think, can have a big voice in this, and we just have to have the courage to say we're going to do something a little different,” Sleep said. “So I'm excited about the possibilities, we all need to grow and learn a little bit more about these things but our state’s heading in a good direction.”