Students graduating from Natrona County School District in 2025 will need a different set of skills than the Class of 2009, which is why the district has created a draft "profile" of the skills future students should have.

District officials presented the draft at Monday night's board work session. The profile, drawn from two separate frameworks, focuses on the need for 21st century learning skills.

"We have students already in the system who will need to demonstrate different skills," said Vicki Foster, the district's director for content and delivery.

In the draft, graduates are expected to exhibit independent lifelong learning, digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, high productivity, healthful living and stewardship. Academic achievement is considered the rope tying the skills together.

At one point during Monday's meeting, board members expressed concern over the profile. Chairman Shannon Jackett said the district has to be careful in how it teaches skills such as personal and civic responsibility.

"I'm just worried about how you'd score those kids," Jackett said.

Trustee Donn McCall noted that the organizational assessment found teachers were overwhelmed by the number of initiatives coming from the district's main office.

"I understand the importance of what's behind the profile, and that it's critical to begin to think that way," he said. "Teacher involvement is critical."

Roosevelt High School principal Mike Pickett, also a member of the committee creating the profile, said the project is really just starting.

"We have to spend a lot more time fleshing out the data we need," he said.

The committee will also look at curriculum - from kindergarten through 12th grade - and align it with future careers, Pickett said. This would include benchmarks for students and some style of standardized testing to measure progress.

"You have to think beyond, outside of the bun. What's this world going to look like in 25 years?" Pickett said. "We don't know what it looks like, but we have to start looking in that direction. The whole key is just preparing kids for the 21st century."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Read her blog at my.trib.com/jasasantos.