Creation of the Denver Plan 2020

Educators, families and community members have already begun the journey toward the vision of Every Child Succeeds. DPS first created the Denver Plan in 2006 and updated the plan in 2010. The results are promising. DPS:

• Dramatically expanded preschool and kindergarten opportunities,
• Posted record enrollment increases,
• Drove the highest rate of student progress of any major district in the state,
• Increased the graduation rate by 23 percentage points, and
• Cut dropout rates in half.

While our vision is clear and our progress certain, there is a long road ahead. We are grateful for the commitment and hard work of our educators, which have led DPS to become the fastest growing urban district in the country. At the same time, our largest achievement gaps are not closing, and not every child is succeeding.

To build upon the momentum of the initial Denver Plan work, DPS is focused on the changes that have proven successful and is introducing new strategies to continue to drive innovation and progress. In the first half of 2014, we spoke with nearly 3,000 stakeholders — students, parents and families — who offered us vital feedback. Based on their input, we established a few critical goals and key strategic priorities. DPS is raising the bar to ensure our children have every possible advantage on the road to becoming well-prepared, successful, civically engaged adults.