Molloy University presents Great Neck ‘Portrait of a Graduate’; communication, integrity, adaptability top priorities

Molloy University presented the final findings of Great Neck’s yearlong Portrait of a Graduate project and recommended seven attributes the community prioritized for students’ long‑term success.

“Communication skills, positivity, integrity, and adaptability” emerged as common ground across the district’s constituent groups, Gina Florio, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Molloy University, told the board. The study combined a qualitative ThoughtExchange with nearly 800 participants and a quantitative follow‑up survey with almost 1,100 respondents.

Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Dr. Holtzman introduced the work, saying district leaders had solicited community feedback to identify “the important attributes, skill sets, [and] characteristics that a graduate from the Great Neck Public Schools should have.” Molloy’s team then distilled the feedback into a visual portrait and seven recommended competencies that the district can use to guide curriculum, instruction and professional development.

Molloy’s presentation described the project’s two‑step research design: a qualitative phase where community members proposed and commented on desired skills, and a quantitative ranking phase that prioritized those skills across stakeholder groups. The top skills cited included critical thinking, leadership, communication and collaboration; top mindsets included growth, positivity and resilience. Molloy said students emphasized time management while staff prioritized empathy and compassion in their separate responses.

The recommended visual and narrative portray seven attributes: critical thinker/problem solver; effective communicator/collaborator; adaptable lifelong learner; digitally and financially literate; emotionally intelligent and empathetic; confident and resilient; and ethically aware and responsible leaders. Presenters noted community concern about artificial intelligence and urged that AI stewardship be integrated into curricular planning.

Superintendent Kenneth Bossert and board members described the report as a starting point. “This is the beginning of the journey,” a Molloy presenter said; Bossert said the district will work with building‑level teams to align K–12 curriculum and professional development to the portrait.

Molloy said the full report with detailed charts and community comments will be posted on the district website. The board and administration will discuss how to incorporate the portrait into board goals, teacher professional development and curriculum alignment in coming months.