GUHSD invites students, families, staff and community to participate in Portrait of a Graduate Survey

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Source:  Grossmont Union High School District

January 9, 2026 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) is inviting East County students, families, educators, school staff, and community members to participate in shaping its Portrait of a Graduate (POG) – a long-term, community-created vision that defines the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and mindsets every student needs to thrive in the future–by participating in the POG community survey which is open until January 13 at 11:59 p.m. 

About Portrait of a Graduate

POG is a three-phase process that centers on identifying what an East County student who will graduate in 2040 – a student currently in Transitional Kindergarten – will need to thrive in the future. It aims to identify the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and mindsets East County students will need to succeed in college, careers, and life, while also defining the support educators, staff, and the system need to make that vision possible.

The process creates three interrelated portraits:

  • ​​Portrait of a Graduate: What students need to thrive.
  • Portrait of an Adult: What educators and staff need to make that vision a reality.
  • Portrait of a System: What structures and resources are required to make these outcomes possible

 

Together, these portraits form a shared vision for the district and will serve as a roadmap for aligning resources, budgets, staff, priorities, and decisions with the East County community’s shared vision of student success. By contributing, community members will play a key role in shaping the future of education for decades to come. 
 
The Three Phases of POG\Phase 1 (Spring 2025–Spring 2026): Collecting input from community members to draft the Portraits. Over 200,000 data points have been collected already. Board approval of the final portraits is expected in June 2026.
 

Phase 2 (2026–2027): Developing a strategic plan to bring the vision to life.

Phase 3 (2027 and beyond): Implementation and continuous improvement

“Portrait of a Graduate is our District’s most important work this year, and we need input from our entire community,” said Rob Shield, GUHSD Governing Board President. “This survey gives East County families and community members the chance to help define the skills and knowledge our graduates need to thrive in college, careers, and life—and to shape education in East County for decades to come.”

Survey Participation

Community members can scan the QR code or click this link to take the survey. 

Discover more about the Portrait of a Graduate process by watching this short video. 

 

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