Dear DPS Community,
I am super excited to kick off 2024-25 by reflecting on our accomplishments from the previous school year. The Office of Operations has an amazing team dedicated to providing excellent service, enabling our students, teachers and families to focus on learning.
The Office of Operations encompasses: Strategic Operations, Enterprise Management/Food and Nutrition Services, Planning, Design, and Construction, Facility Management, Transportation Services, SLA/Business Services, Climate and Safety, and the Department of Technology Services (DoTS). The Office of Operations employs over 2,338 employee leaders and our services impact every student, every employee and every facility in the District. That’s why we must deliver excellence. Our partnerships reach inside DPS and out to include the Denver Police Department, Denver Water, Denver Health, Xcel Energy, the City and County of Denver, Parks and Recreation, RTD, the Council of Great City Schools and many more.
Although there have been many successes and accomplishments, I would like to highlight a
few and provide a special fun fact. This is a great way for you to challenge some fellow community members and celebrate our Shared Core Value of Fun!
Fun Fact: Fun Value
This last school year, Food and Nutrition Services served how many breakfast and how many lunches? (SEE ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT UPDATE FOR THE ANSWER and to see how close you got! No Cheating.)
Accomplishments and Celebrations
Climate and Safety:
The safety and well-being of our students, staff and community remains the Climate and Safety Department’s highest priority. They are committed to creating a secure and nurturing environment where everyone can focus on learning and growth without distraction.
DPS students feel safe: 36,202 students took the annual DPS Your Voice/Tu Voz survey. Of the students who took the survey, 90% said that they felt safe at school!
Enhanced security measures: During the 2023-24 school year, Climate and Safety implemented and advanced security protocols, including upgraded surveillance systems. They improved access controls and reimplemented School Resource Officers (SRO). A comprehensive safety audit was conducted at all facilities, a tremendous accomplishment for the team. All critical findings have been remedied. The bottom line is that all of our school buildings are safe.
Safety training programs and staffing: Climate and Safety’s staff undergo comprehensive safety training to ensure they are well-prepared to prevent and effectively manage emergency situations. This year, they analyzed their training and professional development and look forward to building more opportunities for leadership and development across the Safety team.
Community and collaboration: The department strengthened our partnership with local law enforcement, and Climate and Safety had a successful re-implementation of SROs and continue to focus on restorative practices. They also successfully coordinated with the CPAC committee to make recommendations for 2024 funding for safety enhancements.
Mental health supports: Since safety extends beyond physical security, Climate and Safety collaborated with our mental health partners to promote a holistic and layered approach to safety.
Leader training: Climate and Safety provided National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) training to leaders at schools with SROs, deepening their understanding of SRO roles and fostering collaborative efforts in supporting our students as a unified team.
Crossing Guards: They increased the crossing guard presence, which provided critical support in the areas of highest need.
Proactive Intervention and De-Escalation: This past year, the Climate and Safety department focused on enhancing safety by improving proactive intervention and de-escalation, which led to a 23% reduction in physical restraints for Priority 2 and 3 incidents.
Dispatch Response Standards: Our current dispatch response rates are 66% for Priority 1, 64% for Priority 2, and 62% for Priority 3 calls. We aim to reach a 90% resolution rate within the SLA target time by the fifth year, with a 5% annual increase per priority level.
Asynchronous Emergency Response: For asynchronous emergency response training, we achieved a 63% completion rate, falling short of our 85% goal. We will continue to provide this training to all full-time district employees, striving to meet our completion target in the coming year.
Stay tuned for more initiatives, system advancements and safety enhancements in the coming school year. Be on the lookout for the launch of a safety newsletter designed to improve communication, deliver updates and share crucial safety information.
Department of Technology Services (DoTS):
The Department of Technology Services (DoTS) is at the forefront of enhancing educational experiences and safeguarding digital infrastructure through several impactful initiatives.
DoTS successfully implemented a student one-to-one device program. The program ensures that each student has access to personalized technology, empowering them with essential tools for learning and collaboration.
In response to evolving cybersecurity threats, they have intensified their focus on network security and cyber defenses. Through robust security measures and protocols, DoTS aims to safeguard sensitive data and maintain a secure digital environment for students, staff and stakeholders.
DoTS is leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance operational efficiencies and educational outcomes. Their AI focus spans from optimizing administrative processes to implementing innovative learning tools that personalize the educational experience for students.
The department continues to look at innovative technologies for implementation in DPS. A cross-functional team recently took an exciting field trip to Broomfield to explore the cutting-edge world of quantum computing. The team's goal is to explore how they can integrate quantum computing education into their curriculum as another way to prepare students for future careers in this rapidly growing field. By bridging the gap between education and industry, DPS hopes to position its students at the forefront of technological innovation and create a pipeline of skilled workers for the quantum computing sector.
DPS and the DoTS are excited to announce the successful completion of the 2022 Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Grant for Data Modernization. Serving over 90,000 students across 213 schools, the grant has been pivotal in transforming DPS’ data infrastructure into a modern cloud-based architecture integrated with the Ed-Fi Operational Data Store (ODS). Throughout this two-year project, DPS successfully integrated systems such as Infinite Campus, Enrich Student Services, Renaissance Star, NWEA Map, CollegeBoard PSAT/SAT, CMAS, iStation, DIBELS, IDEL, Lectura, iReady, and Illuminate at the Ed-Fi standard.
Additional accomplishments include documenting assessment business rules, modeling attendance and coursework and establishing a yearly Ed-Fi Data Store. The Ed-Fi Publisher has been set up for charters to subscribe to data and the first version of an error dashboard to assist in quality checks has been developed. Internal data link servers now connect PowerBI to Snowflake, the district's cloud-hosted data warehouse, facilitating data dashboards. The partnership with the non-profit Enterprise Applications (EA) team has provided comprehensive documentation and automation workflows. This significant achievement enhances DPS' ability to support student success by improving data accuracy and accessibility, ensuring informed decision-making that benefits students and schools.
Our short-term incident response and resolution time SLA aims to maintain a 90% resolution rate within the target time across all incidents. Currently, we're performing at 95.5%, exceeding our target. We measure our success based on how well we meet the promised response and resolution times. When an incident is received, the response time is tracked from when it moves from logged to active status, and the resolution time is tracked from logged to resolved. These target times vary depending on the impact and urgency of the incident.
Additionally, service satisfaction remains a key focus area, with DoTS averaging 3.93 out of 4 in all surveys over the past year. Network availability has been consistently maintained at 99%, while server availability stands at 96%.
These initiatives underscore the DoTS’ commitment to innovation, security and educational excellence. As we continue to integrate advanced technologies and strengthen cybersecurity measures, we remain dedicated to fostering a safe, modern and technologically-enriched environment for all members of our community.
Enterprise Management
The Enterprise Management Department continues to lead in promoting health and sustainability with their established greenhouse program.
The greenhouse has yielded an impressive 20,941.5 pounds of fresh produce for our students. This bountiful harvest not only supports Enterprise Management’s commitment to providing nutritious meals but also underscores our dedication to sustainable practices and educational initiatives. Through educational learning opportunities and a focus on environmental stewardship, the greenhouse continues to play a pivotal role in enriching the lives and health of our students.
Additionally, the department maintains a strong focus on enhancing student health through nutritious meals. By offering balanced and wholesome food options, Enterprise Management aims to positively impact students' overall well-being and academic performance.
This school year, Food and Nutrition Services served 3,857,970 breakfasts and 7,065,710 lunches. Wow!
These efforts highlight the Enterprise Management Department's commitment to fostering a healthy and sustainable environment within the organization. As they build upon their successes and expand their initiatives, Enterprise Management remains dedicated to promoting wellness and environmental consciousness among students and staff.
Facility Management:
The Facility Management Department has reached several significant milestones, showcasing its commitment to enhancing operational effectiveness and community engagement.
One of the department's recent accomplishments includes the successful completion of the Asset Bridge program in phase one, followed by the completion of the Transitioning to Sustainable Operations (TSO) in phase two. These achievements have paved the way for a proactive boiler evaluation program slated for implementation this summer, ensuring optimized efficiency and reliability.
The Facility Management Department has successfully implemented an increase in community use fees, a move that not only enhances financial sustainability but also supports ongoing facility improvements. This initiative places the Community Use Office on a solid path towards long-term viability and continued service excellence.
In response to evolving health and safety needs, the Facility Department is expanding its Indoor Air Quality program. Initially launched in classrooms through ESSER III funding, this program is set to expand further pending the passage of the 2024 Generable Obligation Bond (GOB). Plans include extending air quality monitoring to common areas, halls and other essential spaces throughout the facility, ensuring a healthier environment for all occupants.
Built a dashboard that was utilized to provide comprehensive data to make recommendations for a 2024 bond ask around critical maintenance infrastructure.
The Maintenance Division evaluates incident response and resolution times based on the request's priority level. Our target is to achieve a 90% response rate within the SLA time frame for all incidents. The department reached a 90% on-time response rate across all tasks, with 10% completed late.
As the Facility Department continues to innovate and expand its initiatives, these accomplishments underscore its dedication to fostering a safe, sustainable and inclusive environment for all stakeholders.
Planning, Design, and Construction:
The Planning, Design and Construction (PD&C) Department continues to deliver on the 2020 Bond and additional capital projects in summer 2024. New facilities, interior renovations, playgrounds, air conditioning, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing projects will enhance the instructional environment for both students and staff for the 2024-25 school year.
CTE Support: One example of all the great work underway is the CEC Automotive Shop Renovation project. The DPS Youtube channel featured the 2020 Bond CEC Automotive Shop Renovation which can be viewed through this link.
In 2023, PD&C successfully completed 124 projects ranging from mechanical to energy efficiencies, general construction and more.
Climate Action: Designed, built and opened first all electric E-5 with future expansion to add grades 6-8 at RASA - Responsive Arts and Steam Academy.
Opened 21stC State of the art facility in the Far NE at Montbello HS to support instruction for decades to come and the Montbello motto of truth, honor and dignity.
Safe and Welcoming: 24 air-conditioning projects being delivered this summer.
Equity: Additionally, the Minority/Women Enterprise program set an original goal of 24% and surpassed it by reaching 29%. Click here to learn more.
These projects and many more are contributing to a safe and welcoming environment for all students and staff across the entire District.
Strategic Operations
Created School Vitals to provide end users with the data necessary to monitor performance and ensure one source of truth.
Overhauled school autonomy and flexibility by reestablishing expectations for opting out of district-sponsored curriculum and assessment resources, increasing the percentage of schools opting into district resources.
Optimized the Principal Portal by removing over 200 links to ensure school leaders are able to maintain focus on district priorities.
Identified a new READ assessment to implement in the fall of 2024.
Engaged with end-users and external organizations to overhaul our local assessment strategy, including a shift to unit assessments and a new purpose and structure for interim assessments.
Overhauled our strategy for annual surveys, including doubling the participation rate for the student survey, Your Voice/Tu Voz.
Obtained Board of Education approval on over 35 charter renewal recommendations.
Engaged with the charter sector to overhaul charter contracts and facility use agreement.
Supported the implementation of DPS’ safety plan and the execution of safety assessments for every building in the district.
Transportation
The DPS Transportation Department has made significant strides in several key areas, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the Denver metro area.
One notable achievement has been the department's commitment to competitive pay for its employees, setting a benchmark in the region.
Addressing past challenges head-on, DPS Transportation has narrowed the gap in driver shortages from nearly 80-85 drivers in 2019 to the current 30-35 drivers shortfall. Remarkably, despite these shortages, there have been no cuts to services, underscoring the department's dedication to maintaining high standards of service.
Technological advancements have also been pivotal in enhancing customer experience. The implementation of sophisticated software solutions now allows DPS to compare planned routes with real-time GPS data. This innovation not only improves efficiency but also ensures smoother operations for passengers.
Looking ahead, DPS Transportation is gearing up to pilot a new student tracker software this summer, with full implementation scheduled for the fall. This cutting-edge tool will provide invaluable insights into bus ridership, assist in locating lost students and generate vital ridership data, further optimizing service delivery.
The department is also on track to introduce a parent app that will offer real-time updates on student boarding and disembarking, providing parents with peace of mind and enhancing overall safety protocols.
Beyond technological advancements, DPS Transportation remains committed to supporting its workforce and fostering a welcoming environment for newcomers.
Initiatives such as specialized training programs, including engaging video stories about the bus driver experience, highlight DPS Transportation’s dedication to continuous improvement and employee retention.
We achieved an average on-time arrival rate of 97.92% per shift for all bus routes, including those serving special needs students. On-time arrival is defined as buses arriving within a window of plus or minus 5 minutes of the scheduled time, with arrivals beyond 10 minutes considered late.
Once a 1066 request is received, we are committed to arranging transportation for students within 7-10 business days. Over the past year, for students with state or federal protection, the average time to provide transportation was 1.95 days, meeting the target of 0-4 days and consistently maintaining a green status.
As DPS Transportation continues to innovate and grow, these initiatives underscore its unwavering commitment to providing safe, reliable and efficient transportation services to the Denver community.
As we embark on this new school year, let’s carry forward the momentum from our past successes and remain steadfast to our commitment to excellence this school year. Together as one DPS, we will continue to create a nurturing and dynamic environment where Every Learner Thrives. Thank you for your dedication and passion! Let’s make this year our best one yet as we continue to get better at getting better.
Sincerely,
Trena A. Marsal
Chief of Operations