Des Moines Public Schools has nearly 30,000 students. Here's what else to know about Iowa's biggest school district.
The Des Moines Public Schools community has received its first look at the district's new five-year strategic plan for improving education.
The Cultivating Success: A Strategic Plan for Des Moines Public Schools -- unveiled Tuesday during a board work session -- focuses on district goals for student educational outcomes; the well-being of students and staff, staff retention and recruitment; and building partnerships with the businesses and the school community.
"This strategic plan represents a bold step forward for Des Moines Public Schools," said Superintendent Ian Roberts in a district news release. "It is a reflection of our commitment to providing every student with the resources, opportunities and support they need to thrive."
How did the plan come together?
A committee has been working on the report, and gathering information and feedback since last school year, officials said during Tuesday's meeting. A focus group made up of board members, families, teachers and school leaders assisted with the work.
The strategic plan is also meant to complement the district's coming Reimagining Education initiative, said Robert Lundin, chief academic officer at Des Moines Public Schools and a member of the committee. Both aim to improve academic outcomes for students, and better utilize school and community resources.
"This plan is intended to set up the future of Des Moines Public Schools," Lundin said.
The plan comes as Iowa's largest and most diverse school district deals with chronic absenteeism, ongoing budget shortfalls and declining student enrollment.
Here is what to know about the new strategic plan:
Priority No. 1: Cultivating equity and excellence through high-quality teaching and learning
At the top of district officials' priorities is ensuring 100% of students graduate with the skills to go to college, enter the workforce or join the military.
Steps toward this goal include more training for staff, expanding course offerings for students and making students aware of programs such as Diploma+ -- which allows students to earn dual credits and explore possible job opportunities.
Officials will continue to use the 9th Grade on Track program to keep freshmen on track to graduate in four years, according to the report.
The priority also sets a goal of having 90% of students meet "grade level proficiency on literary outcomes," according to the plan. This includes making sure staff are using the science of reading.
Priority No. 2: Cultivating well-being
The priority aims for 100% of students and staff to feel safe, according to the plan.
Meeting this goal includes making sure 100% of staff are trained in "culturally responsive, trauma informed, restorative practices" and ensuring that staff learns how to identify implicit bias.
Officials also want 100% of students to feel they belong in their schools.
Experts say that students are more likely to attend class if they feel connected to the staff and what they are learning in school.
Officials would also like to boost average daily attendance to 95% by 2030, the plan states.
Priority No. 3: Cultivating transformative talent
This priority aims to bring the number of district teachers and leaders of color to 40% by spring 2030 by creating "an equitable staff recruitment and selection process."
"The percentage of teachers and school building administrators who are persons of color is 8.4%; that's been trending upward," said Phil Roeder, Des Moines schools' spokesperson, in a text message. "For example it was 6.4% in the spring of 2021, 6.7% in the spring of 2022, and 7.3% in the spring of 2023."
Priority three also calls for designing a plan for retaining these new hires.
Additionally, the plan aims for 90% of staff to be able to report a "sense of well-being" by 2030.
Priority No. 4: Cultivating organizational effectiveness
The next priority focuses on ensuring the number of students who are open enrolling out of the district will not exceed the number of kids open enrolling into DMPS by 2030.
To reach this goal, officials want to help students in all grades create a plan for life after high school.
The strategic plan also calls for reviewing current district building use, enhance safety and technology infrastructure, and improve students' participation in athletics and/or activities.
Priority No. 5: Cultivating community and collaboration
This priority aims to have 100% of students have a "meaningful connection to the community through life, college and career opportunities."
Officials hope to achieve this by building relationships between families and students and community organizations and local businesses.
Officials also want to involve families and community members more in students' education.
How will officials track progress?
Each priority has a different suggestion for tracking results including surveys, establishing committees and tracking students' state assessment scores.
Why are the goals so high?
Officials knew "that unless we set the goals high, that it becomes an excuse to settle for something less," Lundin said in an interview after the meeting. "And ... it's really hard to look a group of kids in the eye and say 'Which 20% are we going to leave behind?' We won't do that. And it was the consensus of our committee and its members that we be bold and direct in setting the standards high for what our performance is going to look like."
How can I learn more about the plan?
Those wanting to learn more about Cultivating Success: A Strategic Plan for Des Moines Public Schools can go to strategicplan.dmschools.org.