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Coming to a School District Near You: ‘Portrait of a Graduate’

Advocates say academic achievement alone won’t prepare young people to keep up with the changing society and technology.
Coming to a School District Near You: ‘Portrait of a Graduate’
Caps and gowns during a graduation ceremony in a file photo. Jon Cherry/Getty Images
Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
3/7/2026|Updated: 3/7/2026
0:00

In the months and years ahead, public school communities across the nation might be buzzing about the “Five Cs.”

Those Cs are not letter grades in a handful of core subject areas, although critics of this growing initiative say that less academic rigor would reflect such mediocrity. The concept—also referred to as the new North Star for academic achievement—prioritizes Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Citizenship.

Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
Author
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.
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