In the Maple Heights City School District, a committee comprised of community members, alumni, parents, students, and school personnel developed the Portrait of a Maple Heights Graduate. The Portrait states that a Maple graduate will embody the following six attributes: Emotionally Intelligent, Critical Thinker, Advocate, Communicator, Innovator, and Collaborator. This work led to the development of Models of Excellence which include strategies, educational activities, and experiences that begin in preschool and build each year so that our students enter the world upon graduation equipped with the characteristics they need to succeed.

Emotionally Intelligent
Our students are learning to understand and respect their emotions and those of others. We hired a Student Wellness Coordinator; we have revised the student code of conduct; and are working on training our staff in restorative and trauma-informed practices.

Advocate
We are working with our students to support their rights as well as the rights of others. We empower our students to advocate for themselves and others around them. This is seen in our students who sit on our Superintendent's Advisory Committee, Principal Student Advisory teams, and building and District PBIS teams.

Innovator
We are working to develop our students into problem solvers who look for multiple ways of accomplishing tasks. This is shown when our students have opportunities like the summer program with Central State University, where students can design and build their apps.

Critical Thinker
We teach our students to use factual information and reasoning skills to make responsible decisions. We push our students to be critical thinkers. An example is our C.T.E. program, where students learn to fix cars, build houses, and learn electrical skills. These skills prepare our students to think critically about their plans after high school.

Collaborator
We are building our students’ skills in working effectively with others to support the work of all. This is seen through the District's collaboration with Stay In the Game Network, Cleveland Browns, Cuyahoga Community College, JOGs, Y.O.U., and the E.S.C. These collaborations allow our students to collaborate with different people and organizations that broaden the scope of their opportunities.

Communicator
Our students are developing multiple ways of expressing their thoughts effectively. This is shown when our students are invited to sit with their teachers, community members, and sometimes the superintendent. They communicate the needs of their peers and themselves. It was also seen at last year's job fair, and JOGs student Evvie Chisler won first place after giving a speech about her experiences in the Jobs for Ohio Graduates program to a room of more than 500 JOG peers and members of the Cleveland business community.