Activating Bold Change

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Through community interviews, strategic task forces, feedback surveys, and collaboration with business partners and universities, we created a vision for how we will transform our district.

Core Values: Values that demonstrate how we show up to school and work every day.
Traits of a Hopkins Scholar: Traits our students embody during their time at and when they graduate Hopkins Public Schools.
Success Indicators: How we define success and distinguish ourselves from other school districts.
Graduate Actions: Qualities and actions that we guide our graduates to take throughout their lives.
Transforming School: Innovations that fuel success throughout our district.
Innovation Drivers: How we are supporting our transformation on a districtwide level.

The Traits of the Hopkins Scholar were developed through a collaboration with community and staff and positioned us to produce citizens fully prepared for the future. The traits outline the competencies that our students will have when they graduate and reflect Hopkins' vision for student success. Defining the Traits of the Hopkins Scholar aligns our educational goals with the demands of a rapidly changing workforce by emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, empathy, adaptability, and multiple literacies. These traits also encourage Hopkins students to see themselves as positive change-makers in the world.

Download the Traits of the Hopkins Scholar Handout

Critical Thinker

Critical thinking means analyzing and evaluating an issue in order to form a judgment. Critical thinkers learn through interdisciplinary inquiry. Hopkins scholars who think critically are prepared to innovate to shape a better world.

Critical thinkers are:

Reflective
Able to challenge biases & assumptions
Informationally literate
Cognitively flexible

Global and Well Traveled

Global and well-traveled means appreciating the complexity of the world and our interconnectedness within it. Global learners travel outside their schools to learn. Hopkins scholars who are global believe in their capacity to influence change and advocate for the dignity and well-being of individuals, communities, and the Earth.

Global learners are:

Multilingual
Culturally agile
Change-makers
Engaged with local and global communities

Confident

Confidence means willingness to approach uncertainty by activating strengths and drawing on collective resources. Confident learners are agents in designing their learning. Hopkins scholars who are confident learn from successes and failures, can take and give feedback, and question their internal and external critics.

Confident learners are:

Able to generate and articulate ideas
Aware of strengths and areas of growth
Resilient
Honest

Have a Voice

Having a voice means learners can express themselves in their most authentic way and make choices in how they express themselves. Having a voice empowers students to participate in creating their learning environment and the goals, policies, and procedures which inform it. Hopkins scholars contribute their voices to strengthen communities and create conditions for all voices to be heard.

Vocal learners are:

Expressing their thoughts and ideas in various mediums
Listeners as well as contributors
Aware of how they can make a difference
Restorative community members

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Holistic

Holistic means learning through the whole self: mind, body, spirit, emotions, identities, and community memberships. Holistic learners develop emotional skills and intelligence integrated with academic skills and knowledge. Hopkins scholars who are holistic understand themselves in relation to others and have a bravely optimistic sense of self.

Holistic thinkers are:

Emotionally intelligent
Balanced socially, academically, mentally, and physically
Able to set healthy goals and limits
Mindful

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Empathetic

Empathetic means responding to others from a position of understanding their feelings, needs, and points of view. Empathetic learners collaborate, growing through dialogue and interactions with others. Hopkins scholars who are empathetic have a sense of shared responsibility — building relationships, shifting perspectives, and valuing each person’s contribution.

Empathetic learners are:

Open-minded
An active part of a collective
Inclusive
Kind

Success Indicators

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First choice. We will be known as a destination district for the state of Minnesota and beyond — the number one choice of students for their education — from birth to age 21. A Hopkins education will help students understand, support, and prepare for the demands of life after school.

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Beacon of innovation. Our district will be seen as a beacon of innovation. Flexibility in education will be important so we can accommodate students' choice of what to study and the method of study that works best for them. We will expand our curriculum beyond traditional subjects like math, science, and history; and emphasize mental, social, and emotional health using a holistic approach.

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Renowned students. We'll help students become exposed to cultures outside their own as we aim for Hopkins students to learn two languages and visit five different countries before the age of 15.

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Higher Education Placement. We will prepare students for success in obtaining their goals once they graduate from Hopkins — whether that is in higher education, trade positions, entrepreneurship, and beyond.

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Eradication of racial and income outcomes. Hopkins will erase racial and income predictability outcomes because every one of our students deserves a brilliant future.

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Employers' first choice. Employers will seek out Hopkins students for their reputation as being global scholars and outside-the-box thinkers who are able to work collaboratively to solve complex problems.

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Teachers' first choice. We will be an employer for the best, brightest, and most passionate teachers who reflect our student demographics.

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Demographics. Our staff demographics will reflect our student demographics.

Graduate Actions

College and career planning is thoughtfully embedded into each student’s high school experience so all Hopkins students can develop the skills needed to attain their postsecondary dreams and goals. We cultivate well-rounded and critical thinkers who are ready for the future. Some of the actions we help our graduates exhibit are:

Dream
Define
Solve
Collaborate
Thrive
Dare
Invent
Lead

Transforming School

Innovation Drivers

Hopkins' innovation drivers are the driving factors for how we will achieve Vision 2031. The more we are able to activate and engage these areas, the more successful we will be able to innovate and reimagine our school system.

Fearless teams who are not afraid to fail
Strategic partnerships
Idea crowdsourcing
Reimagining what school can be
Digital tools to help students and educators
Mindsets that are open to innovation