From Vision to Reality: The Easiest Way to Bring NY’s Portrait of a Graduate to Life

In July 2025, the New York Board of Regents adopted the Portrait of a Graduate, a bold, statewide vision for what every student should know and be able to do by the time they graduate.

It is built on six attributes that will define the future of teaching and learning:

• Academically Prepared
• Creative Innovator
• Critical Thinker
• Effective Communicator
• Global Citizen
• Reflective & Future-Focused

By 2027, these attributes will be embedded into graduation requirements. Districts that act now will have the proof, community support, and measurable results others will be trying to match.

The question for every district is: How do you intentionally build and measure these skills, starting in Kindergarten?

That is where QUEST comes in.

One Program. Six Attributes. Measurable Results.

QUEST is a K–5 human skills and social-emotional learning curriculum that turns the six Portrait attributes into consistent classroom practice. Students do not just learn about these skills; they apply them every day through a structured sequence of lessons, collaborative challenges, and real-world problem solving.

Each QUEST learning experience is designed to connect with students’ lives, interests, and communities, ensuring learning feels relevant and empowering.

Aligned to SEL, ELA, Math, and NGSS standards, QUEST gives students the opportunity to develop the Portrait skills while also strengthening academic performance.

Academically Prepared

Every QUEST lesson integrates literacy, math, and science in meaningful, real-world contexts. Students practice applying academic knowledge to solve problems that mirror challenges they might encounter in their communities, strengthening core skills and building the confidence to use them in new and complex situations.

Creative Innovator

QUEST lessons encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and persistence. Students learn that innovation is a process that requires trying, refining, and trying again. They develop the ability to design original solutions that make a meaningful difference for themselves and others.

Critical Thinker

In QUEST, students analyze information, weigh evidence, and make thoughtful decisions as a team. Each lesson challenges them to consider cause and effect, compare potential strategies, and anticipate outcomes, building the type of thinking the Portrait envisions.

Effective Communicator

Collaboration is at the heart of QUEST. Students practice active listening, share ideas clearly, and adapt their communication style for different audiences and settings. By working in varied groups and roles, they learn how to connect with people who think, work, and express themselves in different ways.

Global Citizen

QUEST immerses students in situations that require empathy, perspective-taking, and responsible decision-making. Students learn to value different viewpoints, work toward shared goals, and understand how their choices can affect others locally and globally.

Reflective & Future-Focused

Reflection is built into every QUEST lesson. Students assess their performance, identify strengths and growth areas, and set goals for improvement. By connecting today’s learning to future aspirations, they develop the mindset to plan, adapt, and take ownership of their growth.

From Mandate to Measurable Impact: 

The Portrait of a Graduate sets the vision. QUEST provides both the plan and the proof.

With QUEST, districts can:

• Embed all six attributes into daily instruction beginning in Kindergarten
• Collect precise, skill-specific growth data to inform instruction and target supports for individual students
• Generate ready-to-use reports for boards, state accountability requirements, and family communication
• Engage students in meaningful, hands-on skill-building without adding to teacher workload
• Create learning environments where all students see their ideas, perspectives, and experiences valued

Across the country, districts are using QUEST to engage students, strengthen collaboration, and demonstrate measurable growth within a single semester, all backed by ESSA-aligned evidence.