As a district, we continue to expand opportunities for students to develop the Authentic Innovator competency through curriculum based engineering tasks, interdisciplinary learning experiences, and extracurricular opportunities across all grade levels.

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 11 participate in engineering and design performance tasks aligned to the curriculum. This year, teachers worked collaboratively with the K-12 science specialist to align existing Next Generation Science Standards Assessment (NGSS) Engineering Performance Task rubrics with the district’s Authentic Innovator Rubric. Through this work, educators identified the specific attributes and skills demonstrated within each engineering task and can now use students’ performance on these tasks to determine a corresponding Authentic Innovator rating. This alignment strengthens vertical coherence and ensures that innovation skills such as problem solving, design thinking, creativity, and perseverance are consistently measured across grade levels.

Students are also applying these skills through real world learning opportunities such as the UConn Air Quality Initiative. Students in Grade 7 science, Biology, AP/ECE Environmental Science, Challenge and Enrichment at G.H. Robertson School, and Grade 1 engineering units have engaged in lessons focused on air quality. Students have studied fan design, assembled air purifying fans, and analyzed both national and local air quality data. Through these experiences, students apply design thinking, analyze real world challenges, and develop innovative solutions.

The Coventry Grammar School (CGS) has made significant progress in integrating the Authentic Innovator Rubric into learning tasks across content areas. This work was completed in collaboration with the K-12 science specialist to ensure vertical alignment and coherence across grade levels.

At the G.H. Robertson School (GHR), the Authentic Innovator rubric has been integrated into science engineering tasks at each grade level. Examples include the Grade 3 Underwater Keys project, the Grade 4 earthquake resistant building design challenge, and the Grade 5 supply drop parachute task, all of which require students to define problems, design solutions, test prototypes, and analyze results.

Students also practice innovation skills through a variety of enrichment opportunities. At GHR, the Tech Wizards program allows Grade 5 students to dismantle and rebuild Chromebook components while applying creativity and adaptability to technical challenges. Students in Grades 4 and 5 also participate in the UConn Air Quality partnership, constructing and evaluating air purification fans and analyzing collected data throughout the year. Additionally, the Invention

Convention engaged twenty-two students in designing and presenting original inventions, with finalists advancing to the State competition at UConn. A new Gardening Club, supported by the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant, provides students with hands-on learning experiences in plant growth, data tracking, and environmental observation.

At the Capt. Nathan Hale School, teachers in science, technology education, and art have designed lessons and assessments aligned with the Authentic Innovator rubric. Teachers have mapped key NGSS engineering practices, such as defining problems and testing solutions, to the rubric’s design process criteria to ensure that classroom learning activities promote innovation and creative problem solving.

At Coventry High School, the Authentic Innovator rubric was implemented in the Fall of 2024 and is now used in courses such as art, technology education, business, and music, with results tracked in PowerSchool. In addition, all Portrait of the Graduate rubrics, including Authentic Innovator, are integrated into major culminating experiences such as the Grade 10 Interdisciplinary Project and the Senior Portfolio Project.

Collectively, these efforts ensure that students across the district engage in authentic, hands-on learning experiences that develop creativity, design thinking, and innovative problem solving, which are key competencies outlined in the district’s Portrait of the Graduate.