DPS Superintendent's Entry Plan

Superintendent Entry Plan

Developing a Community-Centered Strategic Plan

Interactive

Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................ 1 First 100 Days..................................................................................... 2 Phase 1............................................................................................ 3 Phase 2............................................................................................ 4 Phase 3............................................................................................ 6

The Strategic Roadmap.................................................................. 8 Appendix.............................................................................................. 13 Listening and Learning Tour.......................................................... 14 Priority Statements........................................................................ 23

Introduction In the spring of 2021, the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education embarked on a search for a new superintendent. At that time, DPS served approximately 90,000 students, had experienced a teacher strike in 2019, was in the midst of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and was concluding the Denver 2020 plan. The Denver Public Schools Superintendent selection process was a critical decision that would change the culture and trajectory for the district. Moreover, with social unrest during the height of the pandemic, DPS students, teachers, and leaders’ awareness and activism toward dismantling the oppressive systems rooted in racism and classism became heightened. Acknowledging these challenges, Dr. Alex Marrero was selected as Denver Public Schools new superintendent on July 6, 2021.

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First 100 Days The following pages will delve into Dr. Marrero’s first 100 days, or entry plan. Dr. Marrero’s first 100 days as superintendent reflected his passion for leading a city-based district alongside a dedicated community. His entry plan was grounded in three phases: • Phase 1: Superintendent’s Listening and Learning Tour July 7, 2021 - Oct. 15, 2021 • Phase 2: Superintendent’s Transition Advisory Team Nov. 3, 2021 - Dec. 15, 2021 • Phase 3: The Strategic Plan Advisory Team: Mapping the Future of DPS Jan. 2022 - May 2022 The purpose of the entry plan was to hear directly from the DPS community to better establish clear goals and priorities for the future. Furthermore, the phases of the entry plan would illuminate what the broader community believed about the district’s strengths, challenges and opportunities.

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Phase 1: Listening and Learning Tour PHASE 1

Dr. Marrero began his tenure as superintendent with a deliberate plan to meet with as many family, community members, students and team members as possible in his first 100 days. During that time, the superintendent visited 68 DPS schools and held over 100 meetings, both virtually and in person, in every region of the city. Dr. Marrero asked three questions: • What is going well in Denver Public Schools?

• What needs improvement in Denver Public Schools?

• What advice do you have for me?

Listening and Learning meetings captured feedback from over 2,000 individual community and family members, students and team members. In addition, families, students and team members were invited to submit responses to the questions via survey.

Over 10,000 individuals participated in the Listening and Learning Tour by sharing ideas, providing specific contexts, and uplifting questions. The full Listening and Learning Tour Report covers the aggregated feedback from both the Listening and Learning meetings and the survey responses.

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PHASE 2

Phase 2: Superintendent’s Transition Advisory Team The second phase of the transition began with the Superintendent’s Transition Advisory Team, a diverse group of community members and DPS team members met weekly between Nov. 3, 2021 to Dec. 15, 2021, to create recommendations that would guide the development of the next DPS multi-year strategic plan, later titled DPS Thrives: A Strategic Roadmap to the Denver Public Schools Experience. The Transition Advisory Team analyzed data from the district, including the findings from the Superintendent’s Listening and Learning Tour to identify areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the district. The work of the Transition Advisory Team culminated in the development of recommendations from each of three subcommittees: • Student Experience and Achievement • Equity and Excellence • Operational Effectiveness The following priority statements were developed. These statements built the foundation for the next phase of work, the Superintendent’s New Strategic Plan Advisory Team, which directly supported the development of a new multiyear Strategic Roadmap.

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Transition Advisory Team Priority Statements Student Experience and Achievement 1. Create conditions for students to learn and thrive through whole-child support.

2. Cultivate students’ academic growth and development.

3. Honor and amplify student voice, advocacy, leadership and development.

Equity and Excellence 1. Use equity-oriented information to develop the strategic plan.

2. Infuse equity throughout the employment lifecycle (from recruitment through separation) for all DPS team members.

3. Cultivate proactive partnerships for equity-based engagement between DPS team members and families.

Operational Effectiveness 1. Transportation 2. Culture and Climate 3. Enrollment and SchoolChoice 4. Budget and Finance For more information, please see the Transition Advisory Team Priority Statement report.

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Phase 3: The Strategic Plan Advisory Team Mapping the Future of DPS Phase 3 included the creation of the Strategic Plan Steering Team and the Core Design Team. The Strategic Plan Steering Team was composed of leaders from across DPS and the community. Their role was to provide guidance and make decisions that supported the finalization of the Strategic Roadmap. The Strategic Plan Core Design Team was composed of leaders from members of DPS representing the Academics, Equity and Engagement, Schools, and Strategy offices. Their role was to utilize the 10 Priority Statements created by the Transition Advisory Team to draft the new Strategic Plan. Together, these two teams were called the Strategic Plan Advisory Team, and their task was to create a community-led and district supported Strategic Roadmap.

Core Design Team • Dr. Anthony Smith, current Deputy Superintendent • Deborah Staten, Deputy Chief of Staff • Mike Ramirez, former Deputy Superintendent of Schools • Hannah Riviere-Platt, former Director of Strategy and • Tamara Acevedo, former Deputy Superintendent of Development Academics • Dr. Brenda Allen, Equity and Excellence Subcommittee • Jim Carpenter, former Deputy Superintendent of Chair, Transition Advisory Team Operations • Dr. Ron Cabrera, Operational Effectiveness Subcommittee • Grant Guyer, Associate Chief of Strategic Operations Chair, Transition Advisory Team • Dr. Elizabeth Stock, former Executive Director of • Dr. Maria Salazar, Student Experience and Achievement Research, Analytics, and Data Subcommittee Chair, Transition Advisory Team • Sandy Lochhead-Price, current K-8 Collaborative Director • Kevin King, Transformation Point • Dr. Ken Turner, current Deputy Commissioner of Education, Colorado • Laney Shaler, current Senior Advisor, Office of Schools

PHASE 3

Steering Team • Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent

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Research Informing the Strategic Roadmap DPS commissioned an external consultant to conduct a study designed to help imagine how DPS resources could be utilized to maximize the benefit to student and team member success and well-being. The resource management study specifically helped create an updated organization structure designed to maximize resources at the schoollevel.

The external consultant study informed the Strategic Plan with the following guiding questions: • How can DPS evolve central office supports (and spending) to strengthen, increase coherence, and streamline supports to better address schools’ most important needs while being fiscally responsible?

• In what ways are/aren’t system resources, processes, policies and practices organized to accomplish DPS’s goals around equitable outcomes for students?

• How is the system set up to respond to declining enrollment, both at the central office, and at smaller schools?

The external consultant report shined a light on the following areas: • Bright spots to build on.

• School-centered support.

• Equity and student experiences.

• Aligning spending to strategy.

The external consultant report identified redundancies in some central office positions. Based on the findings of the report and under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero, central support roles were reorganized in alignment to our values of Accountability, Collaboration and Equity, and to operationalize what is needed for the Strategic Plan.

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The Strategic Roadmap

ROADMAP

In the new DPS Thrives: A Strategic Roadmap to the Denver Public Schools Experience, DPS is beginning a new era that allows everyone to get better at getting better. The roadmap centers the student experience, while also elevating the experience of adults. Finally, the roadmap focuses on transforming the education system through equitable systems building and partnerships to ensure Every Learner Thrives.

The Student Experience At the center of the DPS experience is our learners. We know that a prescriptive pathway to success limits opportunities for our learners to truly thrive based on who has access and the nature of the learners’ experience along the way.

For every learner to truly thrive, we must shift focus, resources and opportunities to accelerate the trajectory of our marginalized students because we know opportunity without added support is a hollow promise. We will, therefore, create learning environments, pathways and opportunities that expand students’ experience of learning in and out of the classroom, facilitate the pursuits of their passions, and give space for them to flourish as young people ready for a global, post-pandemic society.

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The Adult Experience Surrounding the student experience is the adult experience. The adults in our community – our team members, families and members of the Denver community – who guide and facilitate learning for our students, care deeply about our youth and their education. Yet, we haven’t always agreed about how to achieve what is best for our students, leading to a disjointed, inequitable experience. Furthermore, we have perpetuated systems that maintain power imbalances in our workforce and community, further compromising the experience of our students.

As adults, we must come together and unite both for one another and for our students. By partnering together, we cultivate opportunities to be more impactful, we build a more supportive environment for one another, and we create the student experience we know they deserve. We do this by fostering opportunities for intentional collaboration across our schools and team members; by developing and cherishing asset-based mindsets that recognize the importance of equity not only in intent, but also in impact; by recruiting and retaining a high-quality workforce and prioritizing diversity in that workforce; and by listening and building from those who know our students best – our families.

The System Experience Finally, in service of the student and adult experience is the system experience. Society, and the individuals within that society – students and adults – operate within the confines of intersecting systems. Put a different way, the education system – and others that impact education – is perfectly designed to get us the results we have. It’s no surprise, then, that the gaps between socioeconomic, racial and other groups in society have not closed. It is time for us to look inward and focus in a relentless way to dismantle systems of oppression and supremacy. Through an integrated and intentional approach to equitable systems building and partnership, we will transform our systems to ensure Every Learner Thrives. We have the power to achieve the results we desire – as long as we identify and break down the systemic barriers that are in our way.

For more information on the roadmap goals and strategies, please see the DPS Thrives: Executive Summary or the full roadmap document.

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Where We Are Now As educational equity is our collective responsibility, our mission is to prepare students for career, college and life.

We create conditions and partnerships where students, families and team members belong and thrive. Dr. Marrero’s Listening Tour, the work of the taskforce, and the Education Resource Strategies report informed the Strategic Roadmap so that all DPS stakeholders collectively align to the DPS theory of action, which now serves as our “north star”. The Strategic Roadmap is founded on our DPS values of Students First, Integrity, Equity, Collaboration, Accountability, and Fun through strategies enacted so that we get better at getting better.

DPS is evolving central office support and resources to strengthen coherence to better address our schools’ most important needs. The Strategic Roadmap encourages intentional and aligned support and resource allocation based on bright spots. The Strategic Roadmap is also designed to encourage reflection regarding which programs might consolidate to provide a streamlined experience for our students. Because of the Strategic Roadmap, DPS is more intentional when conducting equity audits of operational and academic systems, including sustainability practices.

This includes, but is not limited to our transportation, enrollment, educator evaluation and resource allocation systems and practices. We share results and take action to ensure evolution as a school district in service of students and families. In addition to consistent routines for equity auditing within operations and academics systems, we partner with external organizations in a collective effort to meet community needs and complement community assets, including the launch of our Community Hubs.

Our organization grounds conversations and decision making in how system resources, processes, policies and practices are accomplishing goals toward equitable outcomes for students. For example, the number of DPS students enrolling in college the fall after high school has increased 92% since 2005. Expanding on this bright spot, we continue to offer students opportunities to explore career paths and plans for their futures by getting a headstart on paths toward meaningful careers and college credits. Free college in high school is helping put our students on a clear path to success. Last year alone, DPS students earned 54,000 college credits while enrolled in high school. Based on average college tuition rates, this equals more than $8.7 million in savings in college costs

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for DPS students and families. We design pathways that leverage funds so students who would be traditionally underrepresented in Colorado’s highest-growth industries are now accessing those same industries while in high school through programs and paid work experiences. The DPS Career and Technical Education program is now a national model.

DPS Community Hubs is a new model brought to DPS by Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. DPS Community Hubs are another example of how system resources, processes, policies and practices are accomplishing goals toward equitable outcomes for students. Denver Public Schools is working with the City of Denver and community partners to offer Community Hubs as a key part of our strategy. We understand some students find it hard to learn because they are hungry, tired, hurt, sad, or have other basic needs that are not met. The Hubs provide services to address these needs. We know families and communities work hard to care for their kids, so the Hubs will also support family and community members. DPS opened six Hubs during the fall of 2022. Every Hub opened with people ready to listen to the needs of adults and children. Local community members helped us choose which services to offer.

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In Closing As leaders in DPS, we reflect on system design. We are specifically analyzing how the system responds to declining enrollment. In order to focus on school-centered support, equitable student experiences and aligning spending to strategy, recommendations were presented by the superintendent to the school board for the 2024-25 school year.

Enrollment for K-12 is projected to decline another 3,000 students over the next five years. To ensure that small schools have the financial resources needed to broaden the experiences of students attending small schools, we allocate resources to small schools through the small school subsidy, budget assistance, tiered supports, grants, and equity funding model. Throughout the process of reflecting on system design, specifically responding to declining enrollment, DPS honors the following commitments: to ensure annual enrollment updates at every DPS school, offer employment assurances for staff, plan focused support for vulnerable students, and future board executive limitations. Community input is essential in reflecting on systems design as enrollment trends, financial and programmatic implications, options and community-offered solutions are shared. We gather feedback on potential solutions through meeting with staff, families and community partners through surveying, polling and public comment. Summarizing feedback trends are a part of Dr. Marerro’s recommendations to the Board of Education to ensure flexible system design.

The Annual Report shares specifics regarding where we are headed as a school district. For an in depth analysis, please read further here.

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Appendix APPENDIX TABLE OF CONTENTS 13

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SUPERINTENDENT DR. ALEX MARRERO’S

Listening and Learning Tour Executive Summary

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Listening and Learning Tour THE FIRST 100 DAYS

Dr. Marrero began his tenure as superintendent with a deliberate plan to meet with as many family and community members, students and staff as possible in the first 100 days.

During this time, the superintendent: Visited 68 schools Held over 100 meetings, virtually and in person, in every region of the city

34 of these meetings were official “Listening and Learning” meetings, in which Dr. Marrero asked three standard questions:

What is going well in Denver Public Schools?

What needs improvement in Denver Public Schools?

What advice do you have for me?

Listening and Learning meetings captured feedback from around 2,000 individual community and family members, students and staff.

In addition, family, students and staff were invited to submit responses to the questions via survey and over 10,000 individuals participated in the Listening and Learning Tour that way.

This report covers the aggregated feedback from both the Listening and Learning meetings and the survey responses.

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Meetings by the numbers OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN LISTENING AND LEARNING MEETINGS

34

Listening and Learning meetings

76%

of Listening and Learning events focused on historically underrepresented demographic groups

27 have individual summaries

21 racial/ethnic groups

7 had fewer than 10 people, so there are no individual summaries, but feedback is included in this report

9 youth 6 languages

50%

More than half of the events were citywide

16 events were regional, covering the Southwest, Northwest, Central, Northeast and Southeast areas of the city.

4 lower income 4 LGBTQIA+ 3 students/families with disabilities 2 experiencing homelessness, in foster care or the military, including veterans

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SURVEYS BY THE NUMBERS 11,660 RESPONSES

3,724

5,487

from students

from families

Survey responses in seven different languages

Survey responses in six languages

688 elementary school students

Families for 214 schools represented

2,449 from staff

1,218 teachers and specialized service providers (SSPs) 562 central-support staff

1,482 middle school students

218 school-based support staff

1,553 high school students

200 operational support staff 132 school leaders 119 other staff

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What is going well in DPS? The top theme that emerged across all stakeholders was a deep appreciation for the hard work and quality of Denver’s teachers and staff. In surveys, Spanish-speaking and Black families named this more frequently than other families, suggesting that teacher supports are most visible to, effective for, or appreciated by these communities.

Praise for teachers was frequently mentioned in the same sentence with another common theme across all audiences: non-academic supports.

Families, community members and students were grateful for the focus on students’ well-being (addressing physical, mental and/or social-emotional needs). These findings from the Listening and Learning events reinforce the importance that families place on schools attending to the both academic needs of students as well as supporting the whole child. This was also a common theme for school-based educators, who identified these supports as critical for students who have experienced trauma and are still recovering from the pandemic.

Across all audiences, many named DPS’ focus on equity as something going well in the district. DPS staff, as well as community and family members, expressed support for equity policies or initiatives, while students more commonly pointed to welcoming, inclusive and diverse school communities.

Families in all demographic groups were similarly likely to name the equity focus as something going well.

Students, staff and families all named the COVID precautions and the ability to be at school in person this year as something going well.

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Some themes were only common within specific subgroups: When students were asked what was going well, the most common response was the category “everything/almost everything.” This suggests that a substantial group of students are generally satisfied with their educational experience.

At the same time, a subset of both staff and students said nothing is going well (with staff were more likely than students to say this). Families could typically see something positive from their more removed vantage point; this was not a top ten theme for families.

Students and some families named learning as going well, but staff (with expertise in learning and instruction) were notably silent on this theme.

Both staff and students brought up Student Voice and Engagement as something going well, but this was not a common theme with families, who might not have as much visibility into this.

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What needs to improve in DPS? Across all meetings and surveys, the most common broad category for improvements stems from constrained resources. For families and students, school schedules (dictated by transportation constraints) are a major pain point. Families and students also call for facilities improvements, most notably, air conditioning. Staff, on the other hand, most frequently cite staffing shortages resulting in unsustainable workloads and burnout. Allocation of resources is a minor theme in this area. School-based staff call for a narrowed focus and reallocation of central office staff to schools. Families and students cite the need for equitable allocation of funds across schools.

At the Listening and Learning events, equity-related improvement areas dominated the conversations. This is not surprising given that engagement efforts targeted subgroups historically marginalized by DPS structures and systems. Additionally, the synergy created by discussions during in-person meetings prompted participants to think about their own experiences and how they felt when they heard someone share a similar traumatic experience. Family, staff and students all mentioned a need for more inclusive curricula. Staff, community and family members see an opportunity to dismantle institutional racism and create a reflective workforce through improved HR policies and mitigation of predominant culture. Students and families see the persisting segregation across schools as an area for improvement. Relatedly, they would like to see more equitable access to programs and funding.

Although families and students mentioned learning as something going well in DPS, both groups bring up specific areas of academic success as areas of improvement. Families and students both ask for improved course offerings and instruction. In addition, families and students asked for improvement in support of students with disabilities.

A fourth general area that surfaced among adults was the need for better communications. Families often wanted improved communication with their students’ schools and teachers, and staff expressed a desire for better central communication and communication between departments.

From the family and student surveys, it is important to note that one of the most frequent responses to the question about need for improvements was “nothing/everything is fine/generally content.” This may be interpreted as evidence that a substantial proportion of families and students responding to the survey are generally satisfied with their current experience in DPS.

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What advice do you have for Dr. Marrero?

The most prevalent response to this question was to continue engaging with students, community and family members and teachers. Dr. Marrero was encouraged to visit schools frequently and actively engage those with opposing viewpoints. Two notable sub-topics were understanding the experiences of teachers of color and understanding all viewpoints on school closure.

All audiences encouraged Dr. Marrero to focus on equity, though the equity emphasis varied by group. Students drew the connection between an equity focus and personal well-being. Families and community members urged Dr. Marrero to challenge White privilege, embrace Culturally Responsive Teaching and fight hate against Asians. Staff were more likely to raise policy and enrollment equity issues created by boundaries, school choice and transportation.

All audiences encouraged Dr. Marrero to keep students centered in his focus and not be distracted by political divisiveness. Specifically, they encouraged him to spend lots of time in schools and put himself in students’ shoes as often as possible.

Other notable themes, not raised by all audiences were: Personnel and structural issues: Family and Community members mentioned problems with the current leadership at all levels of the DPS system. Most of the responses included an individual’s experience with a DPS team member, organization, department, or school.

Responses mentioned the need to support teachers and address staffing shortages.

Family members and staff advised Dr. Marrero to focus on his personal communication.

Students recommend that he work to be a good role model.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTEN AND LEARNING TOUR

Day 101 and Beyond After 100 days of listening, Dr. Marrero had collected mountains of data describing needs and opportunities for his superintendency. But he’d also developed an emotional connection with stakeholders who were willing to share their stories and their hopes. This report would be incomplete without his personal reflection on the Listening and Learning Tour.

In his own words It was an amazing gift to hear from so many voices across Denver, and not just those who know how to navigate the system and get an appointment with me. Those are the voices that are always going to be heard, no matter what. With the Listening and Learning tour, I got to hear in depth from groups who aren’t often the loudest voices, like people experiencing homelessness and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities. There are still so many more I’d like to hear from, and I will by no means stop engaging just because the first 100 days are over.

I had some very profound moments during the tour. The things that have stuck most closely with me are things I never expected to hear, like painful stories of Native American students being tokenized- even incented to cut their hair! I heard about LGBTQIA+ educators leaving the district so they can have spousal benefits. These cases made me think “Where is the equity, the tolerance, the acceptance?”

There were things I expected to hear, before I arrived in Denver. I thought I’d hear a lot about charter schools and school choice.

I thought I’d hear about school safety. But these things came up in my conversations much less than I expected. The difference between what gets covered in the media and what people actually care about was frankly, quite startling.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTEN AND LEARNING TOUR

Day 101 and Beyond General Response Patterns In meetings, less time was spent discussing what is working well and more time was spent discussing what can be improved. There’s likely a participation bias in which community members who are satisfied or somewhat satisfied with DPS were less motivated to attend the sessions. Survey responses were a little more balanced, with 5-10% more responses to the improvement question from families and staff, and 10% more responses to the “what’s going well” question from students.

In that same vein, most in-person responses to the last question on what advice participants have for him were a general request for him to solve the issues identified in the sessions rather than actual advice. Surveys tended to offer more disconnected advice, like general words of encouragement.

Other Notable Takeaways Many topics that have dominated the political landscape in recent years were conspicuously absent or not rising to the top during this engagement. Some of these: • Accountability systems at the school or educator level • School choice

Some unexpected topics that came up during the tour included: • How we fund our schools • School consolidation and/or closure • Divisions between school governance types

• Autonomous schools and portfolio strategies

Transition Team Now that the Listening and Learning Tour is complete, Superintendent Marrero will begin to collaborate directly with community members and staff to plan for the future of DPS. The second phase of the transition begins with the Superintendent’s Transition Advisory Team, which is a diverse group of community members and DPS staff who are charged with creating recommendations that guide the development of our next multi-year strategic plan.

The recommendations from the Transition Team will build the foundation for the next phase of work, the Superintendent’s New Strategic Plan Advisory Team, which will directly support the development of a new multi-year strategic plan.

Continued Engagement Dr. Marrero will continue to engage deeply and frequently with the community.

He already has many school visits and community meetings on his calendar.

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SUPERINTENDENT DR. ALEX MARRERO’S

Transition Advisory Team Priority Statements

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Transition Advisory Team SUBCOMMITTEES

The Transition Advisory Team is a diverse group of community members and DPS staff who are charged with creating recommendations that guide the development of our next multi-year strategic plan. It is made up of three subcommittees who developed recommendations from that will build the foundation for the next phase of work, the Superintendent’s New Strategic Plan Advisory Team.

Student Experience & Achievement

Maria del Carmen Salazar, Ph.D

Dr. Salazar is Professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education at the University of Denver. A firstgeneration college student and Mexican immigrant, she is author of Teacher Evaluation as Culture: A Framework for Equitable and Excellent Teaching.

Her research centers on access and success for Latinx youth, equitable teaching, and humanizing pedagogy.

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Equity & Excellence

Brenda J. Allen, Ph.D.

Dr. Allen is Professor Emerita of Communication and Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver(ret.).

She is the author of Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity. Her research has chiefly focused on power dynamics and social identity.

Operational Effectiveness

Ron G. Cabrera, Ph.D.

Dr. Cabrera is the founder of an educational leadership consultancy that conducts executive coaching and executive searches. Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado Denver, he has been Interim Superintendent for Denver Public Schools and has served as a turnaround specialist for a nationallyrecognized management consultant group. His research focus has centered on the value of mentoring relationships and their impact on leadership capacity.

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Student Experience and Achievement DEFINITIONS

The student experience and student achievement are the nucleus of the Denver Public Schools.

Dr. Marrero’s Transition Advisory Team Student Experience and Achievement (SEA) Subcommittee was tasked with developing priorities. The SEA Subcommittee began by situating their work in the following definitions: Student Experience refers to:

Student Achievement refers to:

Cultural Context: Students’ interactions demonstrate value for, and inclusion of, their cultural backgrounds and lived experiences as a source of strength

Academic Growth: Students’ reach their own/family goals, and performance goals set by the DPS and the State of Colorado

Individualized Student Support: Each student develops to their full social-emotional, linguistic, cultural/ethnic, intellectual, leadership potential Sense of Belonging: Students express connections, relationships, and purpose inside and outside of classrooms/schools Conditions for Learning: Students experience supportive, affirming, safe, challenging, and responsive school/classroom environments

Life Growth: Students’ growth and progress toward own/family life goals within, and beyond, their cultural contexts Sense of Accomplishment: Students’ overall sense of competence/confidence, as guided by their culture, families, histories, abilities, interests, and goals Access to Opportunities: Students experience highlevel learning and are prepared for post-secondary education, the workforce, and community/civic engagement

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Student Experience and Achievement PRIORITY STATEMENTS

Based on an analysis of district data, including stakeholder input from the Superintendent’s Listening and Learning Tour, and extensive subcommittee participant feedback, the SEA Subcommittee developed three recommendations to support Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero in developing the next multi-year strategic plan for Denver Public Schools (DPS). The three recommendations ensure DPS students are supported, academically prepared, and empowered.

1

Create conditions for students to learn and thrive through whole-child support

2

Cultivate students’ academic growth and development

3

Honor and amplify student voice, advocacy, leadership, and empowerment

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Student Experience and Achievement PRIORITY STATEMENTS

1 Create conditions for students to learn and thrive through whole-child support

What is the priority?

Create conditions for students to learn and thrive through intentional, systematic whole-child support focused on basic needs, wellness, sense of belonging, and enrichment. This includes: •

Ensure students’ basic needs are met, including, but not limited to food, shelter/housing, safety, identity/cultural/linguistic affirmation, and love

•

Prioritize student wellness—socioemotional development, mental health (including substance abuse prevention, social/digital media safety), physical health, and crisis support— through culturally and linguistically affirming healing and trauma-informed practices that help students build self-advocacy skills

•

Nurture sense of belonging (e.g., connectedness, caring, relationships, respect, empathy)

•

Ensure accessibility of year-round enrichment in multiple languages (e.g., arts, sports, identity/ social & racial justice/activism, world languages, STEM, financial literacy, life skills)

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

For students to learn and thrive, DPS must support students holistically. We know that 62% of students in DPS receive Free or Reduced Lunch, 37% are High Poverty, and 28% are Direct Certified.1 9% of DPS students in high poverty are not accessing government assistance. In the September 2021 DPS student survey, 7% of student respondents said they went hungry for three or more days in the past week.2 Approximately 1.2% (or 1,059) of DPS students are homeless.3 According to the CDC, nearly 20% of students require social-emotional and mental health support.4 In the 20-21 school year, 24% of DPS students were identified as needing such support. 17% of students assessed with the BESS (Behavior and Emotional Screening System) were found to have “elevated risk” and 7% of students were “extremely elevated risk” for social and emotional wellness.5

How will we know we have been successful?

DPS students will (a) experience intentional school cultures that meet their needs, in connection with academic learning; (b) increasingly engage in culturally and linguistically affirming approaches to wellness and year-round enrichment opportunities in multiple languages; and (c) demonstrate improved wellbeing and readiness for learning.

DPS families will express satisfaction, engage, and receive support/resources aligned with priority. DPS teachers/leaders/educators will receive high quality training, resources, and support for implementation aligned to priority. DPS systems and structures will provide an infrastructure that supports the implementation and evaluation of the priority.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

By striving to provide each student with optimal, personalized, and culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining pre-conditions for learning, we will positively shift the student experience and support student achievement.

1 October Count 2020.

2 Student September Survey, “Last week I went hungry for three or more days.” Dashboard.

3 October Count 2020.

4 Danielson, et al. (2020) 5 Social-Emotional Screening Executive Summary 2020-21

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Student Experience and Achievement PRIORITY STATEMENTS

2 Cultivate students’ academic growth and development

What is the priority?

Cultivate students’ academic growth and development through a culturally and linguistically sustaining Profile of a DPS Graduate that will: •

Spiral across the ECE-12 continuum to prepare all students to demonstrate academic growth; college, career, life readiness; wellness and self-advocacy; cultural and linguistic capacities; and leadership (see Table 1)

•

Build on student/family hopes, dreams, aspirations (e.g., academic, life, cultural, language)

•

Lead to challenging, engaging teaching and learning (see Table 2)

•

Align to holistic measures of student assessment (e.g., academic, language, and non-academic), teacher/educator/ leader evaluation, and school performance frameworks

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

A backwards design approach is essential to cultivate students’ academic growth and development. Currently, third grade literacy, graduation, and AP enrollment rates1 lag between African American and Latinx students and the overall population. Students’ academic growth and development is a social justice imperative.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

By starting with the end in mind, DPS can take a systematic, intentional, culturally and linguistically sustaining approach to meeting the academic needs, hopes, and aspirations of P-12 DPS students.

How will we know we have been successful?

DPS students will (a) graduate with Seal of Biliteracy; (b) demonstrate growth and development through holistic measures of assessment; and (c) demonstrate increased graduation rates, and college and career readiness. DPS families will express satisfaction, engage, and receive support/resources aligned with priority. DPS teachers/leaders/educators will receive high quality training, resources, and support for implementation aligned to priority.

DPS systems and structures will provide an infrastructure that supports the implementation and evaluation of the priority. Instruction delivered through backward design.

1 BOE Focus on Achievement, 11/15/2021

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Student Experience and Achievement PRIORITY STATEMENTS

2 Cultivate students’ academic growth and development Table 1: Profile of a DPS Graduate

Academic growth

Develop strong literacy (e.g., Colorado Academic Standards; early literacy; biliteracy; financial, digital, media literacy; critical literacy), STEM, CDE Essential Skills Demonstrate strong progress toward standards/ competencies (district, state, national, social justice, graduation) and improve standardized testing performance Apply learning in real-world contexts (e.g., field trips, internships, community engagement)

College, career, life readiness

Develop creativity, critical thinking, critical consciousness Demonstrate inclusive perspectives of historically marginalized communities Build life skills (e.g., stress management, communication, collaboration, problem-solving)

Wellness & selfadvocacy Cultural and linguistic capacities

Develop knowledge and skills to improve wellness, including goal-setting and self-advocacy Nurture positive identity development (self, ethnic, linguistic, gender, LQBTQ+, abilities) Develop bilingualism/multilingualism

Table 2: Challenging, Engaging Teaching and Learning Culturally and linguistically sustaining, justiceoriented curriculum, instruction, assessment Rigorous programs (e.g., ethnic studies, Seal of Biliteracy, early literacy, AP, IB, early college/concurrent enrollment, GT programming & pedagogy, STEAM, career pathways) Real-world experiences that allow students to explore postsecondary and career pathways Bilingual/dual language programming (e.g., Seal of Biliteracy; language-learning opportunities) Targeted support for historically marginalized communities (e.g., Black Excellence Plans, consent decree, ELA Program Review/Service Plans, SB19-1192)

Demonstrate transcultural competencies Apply skills to develop voice, agency, self-empowerment

Leadership

Act for social/racial justice, anti-racism, community/civic engagement Engage as global citizens, change agents, servant leaders

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3 Honor and amplify student voice, advocacy, leadership, and empowerment

What is the priority?

Honor and amplify student voice, advocacy, leadership, and empowerment through the development of powerful voices, self/ community advocacy, leadership skills, and selfempowerment. This includes: •

Foster strong, confident, powerful voices (e.g., language, culture, identity, interests, needs)

•

Engage in self and community advocacy (e.g., academic, social, wellness, social justice)

•

Provide opportunities for students to engage and lead inside and outside of school (e.g., interests, activism, community/civic engagement)

•

Support self-empowerment through choice, a sense of purpose, agency, self-determination, and ownership of learning

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

To improve students’ experience and achievement, they must be engaged. This includes voice, choice, and opportunities to lead change. We know that 27% of students report they do not get to choose some things they learn in school and 23% of students report they do not set goals for what they learn.1 Research tells us that engaged students are more likely to report positive student experiences and high academic achievement.2

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

By including students’ voices and providing them with opportunities to lead and empower themselves and their communities, every student in DPS will be able to grow and develop to their full potential and discover their own power as they transition to postsecondary options and beyond.

How will we know we have been successful?

DPS students will (a) engage in leadership opportunities inside and outside of school; (b) apply skills aligned to priority; and (c) provide regular feedback on school/district progress toward the development of student voice, leadership, and empowerment. DPS families will express satisfaction, engage, and receive support/ resources aligned with priority. DPS teachers/ leaders/educators will receive training, resources, and support for implementation aligned to priority.

DPS systems and structures will provide an infrastructure that supports the implementation and evaluation of the priority.

1 Student September 2021 Survey. Dashboard.

2 Chen, C. H., & Yang, Y. C. (2019); Doménech-Betoret, F., Abellán-Roselló, L., & Gómez-Artiga, A. (2017); Wang, M. T., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020)

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Equity & Excellence PRIORITY STATEMENTS

Based on an analysis of district data, including stakeholder input from the Superintendent’s Listening and Learning Tour, and extensive subcommittee participant feedback, the EE Subcommittee developed three recommendations to support Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero in developing the next multi-year strategic plan for Denver Public Schools (DPS).

1

Use equity-oriented information to develop the strategic plan.

2

Infuse equity throughout the employment lifecycle (from recruitment through separation) for all DPS staff.

3

Cultivate proactive partnerships for equity-based engagement between DPS staff and families.1

1 “Family” means a parent, guardian, relative, foster parent, caretaker, individual who is responsible for the day to day care of a student. For students who are unaccompanied or emancipated, the student will serve as the decision maker, except an educational surrogate parent will be assigned for such students eligible under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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1 Use equity-oriented information to develop the strategic plan.

What is the priority?

To ensure that the strategic plan explicitly addresses racial and educational equity across DPS, the Superintendent’s Strategic Advisory Team will collect responses to equity-oriented questions at the outset of their work and refer to those responses to develop the plan.This process will focus and guide efforts to close opportunity gaps for historically marginalized groups.1 The questions align with DPS’ core values and are mapped onto a matrix that the advisory team might use.2 Equity-oriented questions: •

•

•

• •

For which historically marginalized groups does this issue matter? Why is it important based on past and current inequities for those groups within DPS? What related programs, policies, or practices exist at DPS or have been tried previously?

How might the proposed approach yield more equitable outcomes? What are best practices?

What data exists and will be needed as a baseline to attain equitable outcomes? Was data collected from historically marginalized groups? Is data disaggregated to clarify distinctions between and among groups?

What relevant resources are needed to prepare and support all staff to achieve equity-related goals, while also holding them accountable?

How will we hold schools and school leaders accountable for addressing equity to achieve

1 See Appendix (page 13) for the definition of “historically marginalized” 2 Priority 1: Guiding Questions 3 Bloomberg: Ways City Budgets Can Prioritize Equity 4 DPS Equity Statement

• • •

strategic plan goals?

How will we know the proposed action is having its intended outcome for historically marginalized groups?

What needs to be applied universally across DPS in order to advance equity?

What’s the history of budget allocation in regards to historically marginalized groups?

How can we ensure that budgeting for this issue is equitable across DPS?3

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

This priority will help the Superintendent’s Strategic Advisory Team to maintain equity as its north star. DPS has pledged a commitment to racial and educational equity as a “collective responsibility” to “eliminate the predictability of success or failure” that currently correlates with specific identity, social and cultural factors for students, families/caregivers, and DPS team members (DPS Equity Statement).4 And, DPS has made progress on that commitment.

However, equity efforts and outcomes vary greatly. Gathering and referring to equityoriented information will establish a systemic and sustainable approach to infusing DPS’ commitment to equity throughout the strategic planning process. This approach will help to direct and drive decision-making processes and resource allocation. Also, taking this approach may help DPS to cultivate equity-mindedness and targeted universalism.5 5 See Appendix (page 13) for the definition of “historically marginalized”

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

This priority will position equity as a crucial element of strategic planning to be factored into all processes and decisions. Focusing on equity and excellence is more crucial than ever since the COVID pandemic has widened the opportunity gap and deepened inequities for our most vulnerable students, families, and staff.

This priority will guide the Superintendent’s strategic planning process to yield systemic, sustainable actions to close the gap and erase inequities. This priority will also ensure that current and previous equity-related endeavors for DPS (e.g., the DPS Equity and Engagement Division and the Bailey Report)6 and external best practices are acknowledged and incorporated into the strategic planning process.

How will we know we have been successful?

We will have been successful when: • Members of the Superintendent’s Strategic Advisory Team report that they collected equityoriented information and incorporated it into the strategic planning process.

• The final version of the strategic plan includes specific racial and educational equity goals.

• DPS shares this part of the strategic planning process in a transparent, accessible manner, and makes this equity-oriented planning approach widely available for others to use (e.g., LEAP, LEAD).strategic plan.

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2

Infuse equity throughout the employment lifecycle (from recruitment through separation) for all DPS staff.

What is the priority?

To help all staff achieve DPS’s commitment to racial and educational equity, goals of this priority are: a) create an equitable staff experience via culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR)1 policies and practices to recruit, develop/train and retain a high quality, diverse staff across all DPS roles; b) develop and implement initiatives to recruit, hire, retain, and advance staff of color; c) cultivate an inclusive, safe workplace environment where all staff feel valued and respected – especially historically marginalized staff; and, d) solicit, value, and incorporate perspectives of historically marginalized staff. This includes: •

•

• •

Review personnel practices (e.g., development of job descriptions, recruitment, hiring, onboarding, retention, promotion, evaluation, compensation, etc.) and revise as needed.

Provide resources, support, and services to help all staff to thrive and advance, with specific emphasis on needs and assets of historically marginalized groups. Attend to multiple dimensions of wellness (emotional, financial, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual).

Offer and/or mandate tailored, role-specific CLR professional development and training to all staff.

For all roles, develop clear and robust systems of assessment, evaluation, and accountability related to racial and educational equity. Examples include: a) employee performance and review processes, and b )discrimination and disparate treatment of staff (e.g., processing complaints about workplace discrimination)

1 See Appendix for a definition of CLR 2 Diversity in the Classroom: Why Representation Matters

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

Infusing equity across the employment lifecycle will help DPS to systematically address persistent, recurring equity-related concerns, including: disparities in budget allocation, recurring calls for racial representation of teachers and leaders, ability for school leaders to opt-in and out of initiatives, privately-sourced school funding, disparities in external funding for schools, disproportionate numbers of inexperienced educators and teachersin-training in certain schools/neighborhoods, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Attention to equity with an emphasis on historically marginalized staff will help to cultivate an inclusive, safe work environment where all staff feel valued, respected, resourced, and accountable for achieving racial and educational equity. As a result, they will better serve all students and families, and they will collaborate and interact more productively and respectfully with one another.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

To provide a quality, equitable learning experience for students, all staff should receive professional development/training, funding and other resources to help them fulfill their responsibility for equity. To achieve equity, schools need to be equipped with adequate, CLR-trained staff, programming, and financial resources. Research has demonstrated that “teachers of color can help close access and opportunity gaps for students of color while being vital to the well-being of students of all races.” 2

How will we know we have been successful?

We will have been successful when: • CollaboRATE survey results (and other feedback sources) cite positive feedback from all staff, including improved reports from historically marginalized staff groups.

• We see a substantial increase in numbers of historically marginalized staff (especially staff of color) across all roles and contexts.

• Robust and clear systems of accountability for equity goals are in place.

• Reduced disparities exist across multiple equity domains for staff and students (e.g., class sizes, amount of support staff, types of academic and non-academic programs, exclusionary discipline practices for historically marginalized students, etc.)

• Staff in all roles, but especially teachers, are dispersed equitably across schools rather than varying in terms of length of experience and other credentials due to the location of a school and parental/family socioeconomic status.

• School principals, teachers, department and team managers, and division and regional leaders, are resourced (e.g., Professional Development Units, DPS Leadership; Equity Bootcamp) and held accountable (e.g., performance evaluations, promotions, and merit increases) for achieving racial and educational equity.

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3

Cultivate proactive partnerships for equity-based engagement between DPS staff and families.

What is the priority?

This priority will help staff and families to fulfill their collective responsibility for students’ learning experiences. Staff will use culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) practices, programs, and policies to support and respect families as primary sources for students’ achievement and social development. They will actively engage with all types of families to better understand and address values, assets, and needs of historically marginalized groups. This includes: Communication DPS Team members and families develop mutually agreed upon topics, timing, and media to engage in ongoing communication for transparency, consistency, and accountability. Share information about student performance, school performance, school quality, discipline practices, and so forth. Make all data readily accessible, complete, and understandable to all groups.

Collaboration and involvement Value families’ voices to better serve students. Invite and incorporate input from students, families, caregivers, and community groups to inform equity efforts. Solicit and respect their definitions of success. For example, solicit their feedback and recommendations regarding long term decisions about current crucial issues such as the pandemic, school redesign, school closure and student rights.

Education Provide CLR education to families to optimize students’ success (e.g., navigating K-12 & higher education, a wide variety of post-secondary 1 Parental Engagement

options; how to participate in Collaborative School Committee, school and district education advisory councils, MLE PACs and DACs and/or other volunteer opportunities).

Support, services, resources Provide a range of CLR support (e.g., food, health, housing, transportation, financial assistance, crisis counseling, child care, home visits, trauma, housing resources, after school care, and advocacy for historically marginalized groups.) Collaborate with families to tailor these to their specific identities, communities, and circumstances (e.g., Black Excellence Plans) and provide equitable resources.

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

Research reveals that family engagement is one of the strongest predictors of students’ success. When families are actively engaged in their children’s educational lives, “achievement increases, attendance improves, dropout rates decrease, behavior both at home and school improve, and communities at large improve.”1 Partnerships between families and DPS team members will help to build relational trust and mutual respect.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

Families’ perspectives and ideas will be incorporated into staff professional development and training. Staff will better understand and be responsive to families’ needs and assets. Families will be resourced to reinforce learning at home, and

student performance will increase as a result of better continuity across environments.

How will we know we have been successful?

We will know we have been successful when: • Families report feeling valued, respected, informed, and more motivated to be engaged.

• We see increased engagement with historically marginalized families.

• A variety of equity-related data is easily accessible and available, and disseminated via multiple media.

• Family-oriented programs for historically marginalized groups are culturally and linguistically responsive, and adequately and equitably funded.

• Families are actively engaged in how schools are governed and run.

• Staff report a better understanding of families’ needs and assets and how to better engage with and serve historically marginalized families.

• A variety of CLR surveys and other feedback activities will have been developed and administered to understand family satisfaction and solicit their recommendations for improvement.. Surveys and their results will be widely presented in various languages, contexts, and formats across multiple media.

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Equity & Excellence APPENDIX

Equity

Equity refers to processes, practices, and policies that strive to “dismantle deeply rooted systems of oppression that have historically resulted in inequitable access and distribution of opportunities and resources” (DPS Equity Statement)1 for historically marginalized individuals and groups.

Equity is a goal to respectfully provide all stakeholders the resources, opportunities, skills, and knowledge they need to succeed. Equity is a commitment to eliminate the predictability of success or failure for students and DPS team members based on their identities, backgrounds, and circumstances.

Excellence

Excellence refers to explicit standards for quality of education through continuous improvement processes that acknowledge the multidimensional, complex, and contextual nature of teaching and learning. Paired with equity, excellence guides efforts to ensure that historically marginalized groups receive a quality education experience that honors, values, and respects who they are.

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive (CLR)

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive (CLR)2 refers to a mindset and a skillset that validates, affirms, and legitimizes members of historically marginalized groups. CLR is most often applied to

teaching and learning contexts to guide educators to provide equitable, quality, and liberating education for all students. CLR can also be applied in other contexts and roles.

Historically Marginalized

refers to groups and individuals who are likely to experience discrimination and disparities based on belonging to those groups. These include: people of color, persons with disabilities, persons experiencing poverty, English-language learners (ELL), multilingual learner (MLL), LGBTQIA, immigrants and refugees, undocumented persons, neurodivergent individuals, unhoused persons, religious minorities, and other identity or experiential categories. Members of more than one historically marginalized group are likely to experience compounded negative impacts.3 Many historically marginalized groups are legallyprotected under federal and state laws.4

Targeted Universalism

Targeted Universalism refers to an approach to equity that sets systemwide (universal) goals for an organization that are accomplished through focused (targeted) approaches based on the needs and assets of different groups. Targeted universal practices and policies can foster and guide collective responsibility for equity.5

1 DPS Equity Statement 2 Six Ways To Know You Are Culturally and Linguistically Responsive (dpsk12.org) 3 For example, in DPS, 22% of white students with disabilities score proficient on the state assessment, while only 5% of Black students with disabilities score proficient on the state assessment [add citation] 4 Who is Protected from Employment Discrimination?

5 Targeted Universalism

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Operational Effectiveness PRIORITY STATEMENTS

Based on an analysis of district data, including stakeholder input from the Superintendent’s Listening and Learning Tour, and extensive subcommittee participant feedback, the OE Subcommittee developed four recommendations to support Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero in developing the next multi-year strategic plan for Denver Public Schools (DPS).

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1

Transportation

2

Culture and Climate

3

Enrollment & School Choice

4

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Operational Effectiveness PRIORITY STATEMENTS

1 Transportation What is the priority?

Develop an equity index and evaluation process that allows transportation to evaluate and update our transportation policies and systems that ensures our most marginalized students have increased and equitable access, while maintaining all of our local, state, and federal safety and legal requirements.

Based on the findings of the evaluation, reallocate and realign resources for historically underresourced communities to increase access to magnet schools, safer walk zones, school activities and increased school options.

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

Currently, DPS takes an equality approach to transportation resources. The same rules and policies apply across the district for students and families to access transportation. However, DPS has pledged a deep commitment to equity. In turn, by evaluating our systems and procedures from an equity lens, we can ensure that we are allocating resources in ways that ensure increased and community-driven access to opportunities for safer, more transparent, and more equitable access for students based on need.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

This priority centers equity in our decision-making process regarding one of our most valuable and challenging resources. By centering equity, we will increase transparency, safety, and predictability in our transportation services, allowing for a higher level of excellence as we make difficult decisions to allocate limited resources where they are needed most, rather than trying to spread these resources equally across the full district, often leading to challenges in maintaining a high level of service to students and families.

How will we know we have been successful?

We will know we are successful if the equity index and evaluation tool leads to more strategic distribution of resources that ensure our students who have been traditionally under-resourced have increased access and opportunity, and we have more predictable, transparent, and strategic processes that will serve the district in the coming years, regardless of staffing shortages or other challenges outside of our control. The evaluation tool must include clear key indicators and metrics that align to our focus on equity.

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2

Climate and Culture should invigorate, unify, and rehumanize the workforce of Denver Public Schools through a refresh of the shared values and a simplified collective vision

What is the priority?

In the context of the district Climate and Culture at DPS, the priority should be to invigorate, unify, and rehumanize the workforce of Denver Public Schools through a refresh of the shared values and a simplified collective vision. DPS needs to: •

•

•

•

Increase workload sustainability by pursuing and staffing a narrowed scope of work in which every employee sees themselves and each other in clearly defined roles .

Rehumanize through values and sustainability, where each member of the DPS community sees themselves and each other as valued team members that impact the District’s mission and outcomes.

Revisit the DPS values with an eye toward creating a clear collective vision, clear accountability measures and ensuring clarity and confirmation around common goals.

Reflect on learnings from the pandemic around flexibilities and efficiencies to allow new thinking around how and where we conduct our work

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Why is this priority vital for DPS?

The workforce of Denver Public Schools has been fractured and traumatized by a series of events over the past four years including three superintendents, two interim superintendents, a teacher strike and a pandemic. An “us vs. them” rhetoric has arisen that gets in the way of efficiently and effectively supporting students. Instead of approaching the work as individuals with self-interest in mind, DPS employees need to approach this work as a collective with the interests of the DPS community at the forefront. Survey data from Fall 2021 reveal that school-based educators and non-school support staff are overwhelmed with their work.

Furthermore, each group shares that they feel undervalued compared to their colleagues. Without clarity around a small number of shared goals, DPS will lose valuable members of the workforce. Also, the DPS values that were formulated in 2012 are from a different DPS era. They need to be revisited in order to better reflect today’s DPS - its reality and its hopes.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

This priority centers equity by creating a culture in DPS in which each staff member’s humanity and contribution are understood and valued. It can advance equity as well by providing a mechanism for the collective DPS community, in all its diverse richness, to coalesce around a shared vision and common goals that they played a role in creating.

How will we know we have been successful?

We will know we are successful when the DPS workforce reports more job clarity and expresses that they feel less overwhelmed. In addition, employees will report that they feel as valued as employees in other parts of the organization, and will report that they personally value employees in other parts of the district. We will also know we are successful if the goals that are set from the newly aligned values are reached.

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Operational Effectiveness PRIORITY STATEMENTS

3

Enrollment and the school choice processes significantly affect the equitable learning experiences

What is the priority?

This priority addresses current enrollment and school choice processes. These two elements significantly affect the equitable learning experiences of all students in the Denver Public Schools (DPS), especially those who are most marginalized. Therefore, two vital overarching actions are recommended: 1.

2.

Utilizing a community-based process, DPS should reexamine existing school boundaries and enrollment zones in order to revise policies and practices with the intent to increase integration and access to equitable school resources, program offerings, and inclusive learning experiences.

The reexamination of school boundaries and enrollments should also trigger an explicit philosophical shift and subsequent policy actions and practices designed to disrupt and to dismantle existing inequitable, segregated school settings.

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

For many years DPS has identified Equity as a priority; Unfortunately schools still differ widely in terms of curriculum offerings and program opportunities and some of our existing school

boundaries and enrollment zones perpetuate historic inequities. Although 43% of school-aged DPS students residing in Denver in 2020 were enrolled in a school other than their neighborhood boundary school or a school in their enrollment zone, universal choice has not successfully provided equitable opportunities and access for all students. The existing situation has also resulted in higher levels of student need being clustered at fewer schools instead of being equally shared and addressed by all schools.

To facilitate change, it is recognized that addressing this priority will require substantive community dialogue and a concerted political effort in order to disrupt the current state of the district.

Nonetheless, this priority has the potential to help move DPS to a place whereby it will meet its promise of equity by providing a rich, equitable, integrated, inclusive learning experience for all students.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

Although well-intended, current enrollment and school choice policies and practices have yet to completely meet the promise of equity and excellence in the DPS. However, equity and

excellence requires that all students, especially those who are marginalized, have access to rich, equitable, inclusive learning environments.

Clearly, how school enrollment, enrollment zones, and school choice policies and practices are implemented have a great impact as to the actualization of providing all students an excellent educational and social experience. Therefore, if current school enrollment, enrollment zone, and school choice practices are reexamined with the critical intent to ensure a rich, equitable, integrated, inclusive learning experience for all students, then the promise of equity and excellence will be advanced.

How will we know we have been successful?

Denver Public Schools will know it has effectively addressed the school enrollment and school choice priority when the district’s schools show evidence of substantive integration in enrollment, differences in school programming and access to opportunities are eliminated, and a rich, equitable, inclusive learning environments exists in every school in the district so as to meet the needs of all students.

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4

Equitable and sustainable use of finances.

What is the priority?

Equitable and sustainable use of finances through Equity Based Budgeting: 1.

Review district-wide budgets with the objective of: •

Moving more funds into direct student support.

•

Minimizing impacts of projected funding cliffs and declining enrollment.

•

2.

Supporting similar, stable, rich student learning opportunities across schools by exploring school-level funding models and clear criteria for viability.

Establish systems of transparency and accountability for district spending.

Why is this priority vital for DPS?

A budget is a statement of values. This priority focuses on finances because these are the operational resources that drive equitable learning via funding programming, experiences, and supports for staff and students at all levels.

Because budget and finance must react to outside variables such as the state economic condition and legislative actions, this priority recognizes

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challenging variables: declining enrollment that affects the general fund revenue from the state in the form of per pupil operating revenue (PPOR), increased inflationary costs, including the increased cost of remaining competitive in the marketplace for employees and contracted services, and ancillary support services (such as utility bills and the like).

student learning experiences. This priority will ensure all students have the full financial support provided to partake in equitable learning and social opportunities across the district. DPS and parents will be assured by the clarity of financial communication, and an increase in transparency, that funds are being used wisely and effectively.

Although DPS has in excess of a billion dollar general budget, all of it is accounted for. In broad strokes, the current budget has 72% allocated to schools (school based staffing and related

How will we know we have been successful?

services), 18% to field services, such as utility bills, program supports (extra Multilingual, Special Education, etc.), and 10% to central office services, such as Curriculum and Instruction support, Technology and Human Resources. There is no “extra money” available. Therefore, it will be necessary to reallocate funds from within the existing budget in order to drive more resources toward our most highly impacted students and the supports they need.

How will this priority advance equity and excellence?

Successful implementation of the Budget and Finance Priority will result in: • Increased awareness and approval of spending

by DPS staff and community.

• A clear picture emerging of the redundancies and inefficiencies that exist in DPS in order to better realign resources.

• A more equitable distribution of resources so that course offerings, athletics and extracurricular activities are no longer so disparate between schools.

• Experience and opportunity gaps being reduced between schools..

• More funds being allocated closer to students.

• Coming financial hardships not resulting in DPS exceeding its budget.

Finances are the operational resources that drive equitable learning via programming, staffing, and

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