Turning Vision into Systemwide Change

VaLIN 6.0 builds on the network’s first five cohorts by supporting school division teams as they move from ideas and individual initiatives toward sustained, system-level transformation. Participating design teams are working to accelerate progress toward their local Portrait of a Graduate, expand personalized and competency-based learning, and create stronger personalized pathways for college, career, and life.

The cohort is organized around three interconnected areas of transformation: Extraordinary Experiences, focused on shifting the learning model and creating richer experiences for students; Broader Outcomes, focused on portraits, pathways, portfolios, progressions, and the durable skills students need for their futures; and Making Change Real, focused on the strategy, leadership, culture, and community engagement necessary to move promising ideas into sustainable practice.

A defining feature of Cohort 6 is the network itself. Division teams have dedicated time to work on their own transformation priorities while also learning from other divisions, sharing practices, collaborating across teams, and receiving individualized coaching. Convenings are designed as working sessions rather than traditional conferences, giving teams space to plan, problem-solve, examine their progress, connect with peers facing similar challenges, and leave with concrete next steps.

As Cohort 6 continues, the emphasis is increasingly on implementation: taking the vision for transformed learning and building the structures, practices, leadership capacity, and community support needed to make that vision part of the everyday student experience.

Cohort 6 is currently underway — a summary report will be published here once the cohort concludes.