Dear DPS Community,
I'm excited to share a new office that advances our commitment to educational equity and the vision that Every Learner Thrives. We've created the Office of Student and Family Empowerment (OSFE) to support school improvement and partnerships that accelerate the academic trajectory of all our students. We believe that preparing every learner for future success requires a partnership with students, families and staff to develop the necessary conditions. I’d like to first highlight some amazing work of the teams who will make up our office.
Black Student Success (BSS)
When comparing Spring to Fall, Black Student Success schools saw a greater increase in the percentage of students at or above grade level (+25 percentage points) than schools without a BSS program.
BSS schools also had a greater decrease in the percentage of students below grade level (-17 percentage points) than schools without a BSS program.
Community Engagement
The Community Engagement team's Community Chat Newsletter reached over 23,000 users with open rates up to 64%, boosting awareness and engagement.
Parent Teacher Home Visits (PTHV) hosted its first Impact Night with more than 80 families and educators attending to share their experiences.
Community Hubs
Community Hubs served 4,484 total unique participants with an average of 3.14 services per person.
Through partnerships, 55 participants gained employment within DPS and 85 gained employment outside of DPS.
FACE Family Connect
The program served 223 families with comprehensive case management support, a 16% increase over the previous year.
The program also partnered on a Family Stability Pilot with the City of Denver and Jewish Family Services, which provided 64 families with rental assistance and case management to prevent homelessness.
Family Constituency Services (FCS)
The DPS Helpline, managed by six Family Constituency Specialists, received 10,970 calls, providing high-quality services to families and staff.
The team also mediated last-minute, high-conflict situations and helped parents and school teams advocate for needs to create clear plans.
Family Partnerships and Services
The office hosted the inaugural Family Cultural Festival, providing over 250 families with access to mental health resources and trauma-informed support.
Through the Denver Schools Thrive Initiative, the team supported all 12 closing schools with family communication, event planning and coordination.
Latine Student Success (LSS)
LSS provided professional development to over 80 staff members to develop leadership for central support, school leaders and teachers.
In collaboration with the La Raza Advisory Council, the team created implementation outcomes in response to La Raza Report.
Student Voice and Leadership (SVL)
The Student Board of Education-Research Review Board Partnership trained 278 high school students in research ethics to conduct graduate-level human subjects research.
Students across five high schools were trained and certified in facilitating trauma-informed restorative practice circles.
Volunteer Services
Over 13,500 community volunteers were onboarded across 150 DPS schools and departments.
The Property Tax Credit Program had 52 senior volunteers contribute 2,600 hours supporting schools with tutoring, food distribution and more.
Office of Student and Family Priorities for 2025-26
Over the past year, OSFE has focused on strategically planning our work to strengthen the vital link between family engagement and student outcomes, driven by the belief that when families are empowered and actively engaged, it creates the essential conditions for students to thrive academically, professionally and personally. Our work has been guided by this principle, and we're proud to share key highlights that reflect our collective progress in building authentic partnerships and accelerating student success.
This year, OSFE will focus on:
Authentic Partnership and Collaboration: Students, families and community members actively participate in and influence educational decisions and experiences.
Fostering a Robust Academic Identity: Students develop a strong sense of competence in their foundational skills and knowledge, naturally building their confidence and driving their active engagement and persistence in learning to achieve significant academic growth.
Systemic Coherence and Internal Alignment: OSFE's unified teams and processes work seamlessly within DPS to ensure integrated support and clear accountability for student and family success.
Measurable Student Progress and Growth: All students, especially those historically underserved, demonstrate consistent progress towards closing achievement gaps and staying on track to graduate.
Our office recognizes the immense power of family engagement. We know this partnership will support creating vibrant learning spaces where every learner feels a sense of belonging, is challenged to grow and is truly known. By fostering these strong partnerships, we can collectively ensure Every Learner Thrives.
With gratitude,
Solicia Lopez
DPS Chief of Student and Family Empowerment