Strengthening Our PaCT Initiative

The Strengthening Our PaCT (Parent Communication Technologies) Initiative is an all-DPS collaboration led by the Communications Department to improve the web-based communication tools used by Denver Public Schools, including DPSK12.org and all departmental and school websites.

If you have any questions, please contact communications@dpsk12.org.

The vision of this initiative is that as a result of its full implementation, Denver Public Schools will have the most comprehensive, equitable, and understandable web presence of any school district in the United States.

The goals of Strengthening Our PaCT are to ensure that:

• Families have the appropriate information to make decisions about their child’s education
• Staff have the information necessary for a positive employment experience
• Prospective families and staff can make informed decisions about their futures
• Community members and media have access to timely and correct information

The main DPSK12.org website is one of our top platforms for distributing information, with 1.5 million page views on www.dpsk12.org this year alone as of June 30. With all departmental and school websites included in that count, the number only grows larger.

However, feedback collected from website administrators and families indicates a consistent lack of enthusiasm for and issues finding information on DPSK12.org and its sub-sites, including:

• Student services
• Employee resources
• Family engagement

The Strengthening Our PaCT Initiative aims to make information more accessible, the user experience more positive, and overall improve the quality of DPSK12.org and all sub-sites.

The full website redevelopment portion of the project is funded thanks to the 2020 Bond, passed by Denver voters in November 2020. This funding will ensure the maintenance of the websites and infrastructure through 2025, with subsequent funding coming from alternative sources.

Students, families, faculty, and staff will all have opportunities to give feedback during the development process, with more information coming from the Communications department. If you are a community member that wishes to give feedback, please fill out this form. Your responses can be anonymous, unless you would like a response from a DPS team member (please note that no raw feedback will be seen by individuals outside of Denver Public Schools).

Over the next school year and beyond, the entirety of the DPSK12.org web presence will be transitioned to the new web infrastructure. This will be completed in three phases:

1. Phase 1 – DPSK12.org and departmental websites
2. Phase 2 – Selected school websites
3. Phase 3 – Remaining school websites

In addition, the employee intranet, The Commons, will also be migrated to the new web infrastructure. Specific completion dates for each phase will be announced approximately 1-2 months in advance of completion. Once the web transition has been completed, other web-based communications tools will be evaluated under the Strengthening Our PaCT banner.