Listening & Learning TourSept 20, 2021

Next Multi-Year Strategic

Plan

Denver Plan

Interim District Priorities:

- 2020-21 - 2021-22

Stra

tegi

c Pr

iori

ties

Equity Statement

Shared Core Values

Organizational V

aluesInputs for Our Next Multi-year Strategic PlanSt

akeh

olde

r In

sigh

ts

Listening & Learning Tour

Transition Team

Staff Conversations

School VisitsFamily & Student Conversations

Community conversations (supported by PowerMap)

Internal Learning and Evaluation

Evid

ence

Student Data and Operational Data External Research

Recap: Learning and Listening tour

First 100 days July 6-October 14

Three questions I am asking every group1. What is going well in DPS?2. What improvements are needed?3. What advice do you have for Dr. Marrero?

Learning and Listening Tour Progress

First Month

71 conversations

FormatMostly intimate conversations with a median of 4 people at a time

FocusIntroduction to Denver Landscape and essential political connections

Learning and Listening Tour Progress

First Month

71 conversations

FormatMostly intimate conversations with a median of 4 people at a time

FocusIntroduction to Denver landscape, leaders, and influencers

Second Month

FocusGetting into schools and hearing from marginalized communities

FormatSchool Visits and conversations with traditionally marginalized groups

35 schools visited

9 communities engaged

Learning and Listening Tour Progress

First Month

71 small conversations

FormatMostly intimate conversations with a median of 4 people at a time

FocusIntroduction to Denver landscape, leaders, and influencers

Second Month

FocusGetting into schools and hearing from marginalized communities

FormatSchool Visits and conversations with traditionally marginalized groups

35 schools visited

9 communities engaged

Third Month

FocusHearing from students; continuing to engage marginalized communities and visit schools

FormatSchool-based and virtual gatherings

8 5

student gatherings*

add’l gatherings*

*so far, more to come

Listening Tour Websitehttps://superintendent.dpsk12.org/community-engagement/

Highlights: LGBTQIA+

What is going well?

● Belong Groups and similar programs

● Changes in pronoun options in Infinite Campus

● Greater job protections for LGBTQ+ employees

● Seeing DPS at Pride is huge. Representation really saves lives

● DPS’ policies are leading the way in terms of inclusivity for students and somewhat for staff

What needs improvement?

● Students, staff, and families have experienced micro and macro aggressions

● Better alignment of policies and implementation

● All educators need to address transphobia and bullying; some allow it, and some are afraid to deal with it

Advice for Dr. Marrero

● Make sure you listen to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and experience multiple oppressions. Intersectionality matters

● Take a stand about what we (DPS) stand for

Highlights: Native American Community

What is going well?

● Indigenous land acknowledgment

● Learning communities for Native American students in different high schools

● Mental health and social-emotional services

● Restorative justice approaches

● Inclusion of culturally appropriate academic material (e.g., films about Native American topics)

● The self-determination of our students and our people

What needs improvement?

● A curriculum that is inclusive and honors Native Americans

● Predominant culture silences our voices; they are too loud

● Teachers use Native American students to teach about Native American issues/topics. It is tokenism and inappropriate

● Hire and retain Native American staff/faculty that will support our students

Advice for Dr. Marrero

● Get Native American students out of the bottom in terms of attendance, discipline, academics, graduation. If you can solve that problem, you will not have a problem solving other issues

● Walk the talk and continue to engage with the Native American Community

Second 30 days: What more have I learned?

In the First 30 Days, I heard some high-level and sometimes contradictory messages

● Stakeholders were encouraged by the District’s increased focus on equity, but were eager to see more concrete action.

● Similarly, stakeholders praised a renewed emphasis on students’ social-emotional learning and mental health, but asked for more action and resources.

● The district was often praised for its communication with and outreach to families; others felt that the districts efforts were lacking in these areas

In the Second 30 days, I heard more details and started to

get to the heart of the issues

● Stakeholders -- including more parents and families from traditionally underserved communities -- shared their experiences of struggle and the ways they were not adequately supported by DPS, along with more specific recommendations for improving equitable outcomes in the district. More equitable representation -- along with greater supports for parents, students, and teachers -- was seen as a key necessary strategy for district improvement.

--voices are not yet representative of the entire DPS community

What’s next:

Ongoing● Identifying themes● Website will continue to be updated

Project Timeline● Sept 30: Senior Leadership Team retreat to look at preliminary themes● Sept. 27-Oct. 11: Student, Staff and Family surveys ● Oct 14: Formal Learning and Listening Tour ends ● Oct 18: Board Update on third month of listening tour and transition team

introduced● Oct 31: Comprehensive written report

Appendix

Insights from Stakeholders: Fall 2021INPUTS Goals & Outcomes

Community conversations (supported by PowerMap)

Goal: Leverage board members’ guidance, engagement, and action in helping DPS’s superintendent establish himself as a leader in the community. Outcomes: (1) Strategically engage community members as partners in supporting Denver Public Schools and its new superintendent (2) Facilitate connections the new superintendent can call on, as needed, throughout his superintendency.

Staff Conversations Goal: Understand the DPS context - including current strengths and challenges.Outcomes: (1) Learn about the lived experiences of staff within DPS and (2) build relationships with DPS staff

Family Conversations

Goal: Understand the DPS context - including current strengths and challenges.Outcomes: (1) Learn about the lived experiences of DPS families and (2) build relationships with DPS families

Student Conversations

Goal: Understand the DPS context - including current strengths and challenges.Outcomes: (1) Learn about the lived experiences of DPS students and (2) build relationships with DPS students

School Visits Goal: Understand the DPS context - including current strengths and challenges.Outcomes: (1) Learn about Denver Public Schools and (2) build relationships with DPS educators

Transition Team Goal: Leverage community experts and leaders to analyze school and district performance and make recommendations for improvement. Outcomes: (1) Identify the launch plan for the next multi-year strategic plan, (2) build a broad coalition of support within the community to support execution of the next multi-year strategic plan.

Evidence (2010-2021)INPUTS Goals & Outcomes

Student Data Goal: Understand the current state and past trajectory of student experience and achievement, with a focus on gaps and disparitiesExamples: Assessment data, attendance data, discipline data, whole child, social-emotional and mental health data; student mobility and family engagement

Operational Data Goal: Understand how resources and central supports are distributed and experienced across the family of schoolsExamples:Budgets, Facility conditions, enrollment trends, student mobility and integration; educator hiring and retention data

Internal Learning and evaluation

Goal: Learn from the past by leveraging extensive body of internal reports, models and evaluationsExamples: Evaluations on Remote Learning,, Math Fellows, Summer Learning; Various curriculums, Teacher Leadership, Work-based Learning

External Research and data

Goal: Leverage research findings from other school systemsExamples: Peer reviewed journals, white papers, and agency reports

2010-2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 &

Beyond

Stakeholder Insights

Evidence

Strategic Priorities

Organizational Values

Denver Plan Crisis Priorities

Transition Priorities

Denver Plan Goal: Close the Opportunity Gap Equity Priority & Equity Statement

Equity Shared Core Value

DPS M

ulti-Year Strategic

Plan

Assessment & Data Reporting, Research & Evaluation, Innovation & Improvement → Systemwide Learning & Insights

Timeline of Inputs

Listening Tour

(Jul-Oct)Transition

Team (Oct-Dec)

17

Building on our foundation

2014-20

DENVER PLAN

2020-21

CRISISPRIORITIES

2021-22

TRANSITIONPRIORITIES

FUTURE DPS