The world is more connected than ever before in history. Robots and artificial intelligence are so commonplace that we aren’t even aware sometimes if it is a human or a chatbot answering our questions. What does the future hold? Do our values of independence and hard work still have an essential place in our world?  What does it mean to be a Wyoming high school graduate nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century?  

The Wyoming State Board of Education (SBE) is wrestling with these questions as it works to create a vision for Wyoming education. To meet the board’s responsibility of setting graduation standards, the SBE is working to define what it means to be a graduate by creating the Wyoming Profile of a Graduate; an ideal vision of a Wyoming graduate that can guide the board and the state in matters of education policy. 

The SBE realizes these questions are too important and too big to arrive at a clear profile on its own, so it is turning toward all interested citizens of the state to contribute to the conversation.  The goal is to work in collaboration with Wyoming residents, school districts, parents, students, teachers, communities, business leaders, technical schools, and higher education to determine the ideals of our education system.

“The purpose of the project is to take a step back and gather the wisdom and perspectives of all of the education stakeholders in determining what an ideal K-12 system should produce in terms of a Wyoming graduate. We, as the state board, want to make sure that our work and decisions align with the ideals of our state and the needs of our students for future success.” 

– Ryan Fuhrman, Chairman, Wyoming State Board of Education 

 

Videos

  • Evanston High School worked with its stakeholders to create a Profile of a Graduate in 2008. Since that time, seniors at Evanston High School have participated in creating a Senior Project as part of the requirements for graduation. Students may select a project based on an interest or career field. Students complete projects outside of the classroom and in partnership with community partners. Over the years, students have chosen a variety of creative topics for their senior projects. Evanston HS Senior Capstone graduation requirement
  • Recapturing the Senior Year – This senior capstone course is an approach to bring meaning back to the senior year for students at Wind River High School. The course is aligned to state English Language Arts standards and provides credit for a student’s fourth year of required English. Students research a current problem of practice within their career field of interest. Students conduct interviews with primary sources, participate in a career internship, and attend the Voices from the Field conference. The experience culminates with a presentation and defense of the students’ intensive studies in their career field. Wind River High School Senior English Capstone Course.
  • Next Level Internships at Sheridan High School are capstone experiences for senior students that involve further study in the field or career path where the student has a career interest. This program connects senior students with workplace experience and a mentor in the Sheridan community with the ultimate goal of helping students see the relevance and value of their high school education beyond school walls in a real-world setting. Students have a two- period block set up during the school day to attend the internship. Goals are set cooperatively by the student, mentor and Next Level coordinator to maximize this learning experience. In order to participate, students must complete an application, supply two letters of recommendation, and a high school transcript. In some situations, the student will be required to interview with a potential mentor. Level Up Internship Program – Sheridan.

Download a copy of the Profile of a Graduate graphic here.

Resources and Supporting Documents

For more information, contact SBE Coordinator Dr. Diana Clapp, at diana.clapp@wyo.gov.