Â鶹¹û¶³ Moines Public Schools serves 30,000 students from a diversity of backgrounds, coming from over 80 nations and speaking more than 100 languages and dialects. We believe this diversity strengthens us as a school district.

DMPS expects every student to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. An important part in realizing that expectation is the setting of goals and guardrails by the School Board.

The process of setting goals and guardrails includes gathering input from the community at public sessions and online surveys; gathering a host of district and school data;  collaboratively reviewing and analyzing all of this information by the School Board, the Superintendent, and school district staff. (NOTE: for more information on this process, please click here.)

As a result, the School Board set goals in three priority areas: Early Literacy; Literacy for Black and Latinx middle school students; and Career Readiness. The communities’ values were also reaffirmed and updated into the five guardrails.

The following goals and guardrails were adopted by the School Board on May 21, 2025:

GOALS

  • Goal 1. The percentage of 4th grade students scoring proficient or advanced on the ISASP ELA assessment will increase from 50.1% in Spring 2023 to 65.0% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Goal 1a. The percentage of 2nd-3rd grade students meeting benchmark on FastBridge CBM-Reading will increase from 53.0% in Spring 2023 to 65.0% in Spring 2027
    • Interim Goal 1b. The percentage of 1st grade students meeting benchmark on FastBridge earlyReading will increase from 45.5% in Spring 2023 to 65.0% in Spring 2027.
  • Goal 2. The percentage of 8th grade students scoring proficient or advanced on the ISASP ELA assessment will increase from 53.3% in Spring 2024 to 63.0% in the spring of 2027.
    • Interim Goal 2a. The percentage of 6th grade students meeting benchmark on FastBridge aReading will increase from 38.4% in Spring 2024 to 48.0% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Goal 2b. The percentage of 7th grade students meeting benchmark on FastBridge aReading will increase from 32.2% in Spring 2024 to 42.0% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Goal 2c. The percentage of 5th grade students meeting benchmark on FastBridge aReading will increase from 38.3% in Spring 2024 to 48.0% in Spring 2027.
  • Goal 3: The percentage of Grade 12 students earning a Diploma Plus in 4 years of high school will increase from 38.2% in Spring of 2024 to 63.5% in Spring 2030.
    •  Interim Goals will be set on July 8th

GUARDRAILS

  • Guardrail 1. The Superintendent shall not allow inequitable access for ELL students, or the continuation of systems that allow for it.
    • Interim Guardrail 1a. The percentage of 4th-8th grade students who are or have been in ELL programming meeting benchmark on FastBridge aReading will increase from 19.9% in Spring 2023 to 29.0% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Guardrail 1b. The percentage of 9th-12th grade students who are or have been in ELL programming who have participated in Central Campus, Central Academy, or Advanced Learning programming will increase from 29.2% in Spring 2023 to 38.5% in Spring 2027.
  • Guardrail 2. The Superintendent shall not allow the social emotional learning needs of staff and all students to be unaddressed.
    • Interim Guardrail 2a. The percentage of favorable responses from 6th-12th grade students on the Self-Efficacy measure on the Panorama Student Survey will increase from 36% in Spring 2023 to 42% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Guardrail 2b. The percentage of favorable responses from teachers on the Professional Learning about SEL measure on the Panorama Teacher Survey will increase from 50% in Spring 2023 to 56% in Spring 2027.
  • Guardrail 3. The Superintendent shall not allow a system that does not utilize equitable and inclusive hiring practices conducted in accordance with cultural responsivity.
    • Interim Guardrail 3a. The percentage of staff leaving the district who report on their Exit Survey that discrimination was a factor in leaving the district will decrease from XX% in the spring of 2026 to XX% in the spring of 2030.
    • Interim Guardrail 3b. The percentage of staff reporting agreement that their work environment is an open and trusting environment in Stay Interviews will increase from XX% in spring of 2026 to XX% in spring of 2030.
  • Guardrail 4. The Superintendent shall not allow an environment in the classroom for both students and staff that is psychologically and physically unsafe and unwelcome.
    • Interim Guardrail 4a. The percentage of favorable responses from 6th-12th grade students on the School Safety measure of the Panorama Student survey will increase from 45% in Spring 2023 to 51% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Guardrail 4b. The Gallup Staff Safety and Welcoming Index will increase from xx% in Fall 2024 to xx% in Fall 2027.
      *Targets will be set after the Fall 2024 administration of the Gallup Survey
  • Guardrail 5. The superintendent shall not allow an environment that allows families and viable community partners to be excluded, uninvited, and unwelcome into the district’s activities and endeavors.
    • Interim Guardrail 5a. The percentage of favorable responses from parents and guardians on the Barriers to Engagement measure of the Panorama Family Survey will increase from 82% in Fall 2023 to 87% in Spring 2027.
    • Interim Guardrail 5b. The percentage of favorable responses from authorized volunteers and official community partner staff on the Come Here Community Survey will increase from xx% in xxxx to yy% in yyyy.