Just Released
DMPS MAKES GAINS ON IOWA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE
9/18/2025High School Scores Increase More Than 10%
Des Moines Public Schools is celebrating this year’s release of the Iowa School Performance Profile (ISPP), which noted improvements at several schools throughout the district. The ISPP uses a range of factors – from student attendance to Iowa State Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) data to postsecondary readiness – to determine a performance score for every public school in Iowa.
“The growth and improvement we are seeing at Des Moines Public Schools is thanks to exceptional teachers, students and families who value not only a great education but are invested in a bright future for the children of our community,” said Dr. Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. “As we reimagine education at DMPS, this underscores that we have the foundation of an outstanding school district that will continue to grow and improve to serve the students of Iowa’s capitol city.”
Gains by DMPS on the Iowa School Performance Profile come on the heels of significant growth recently reported by Des Moines students on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP).
The Iowa Department of Education puts out two sets of designations of schools as part of the ISPP. One is the Iowa Report Card, which rates schools as Exceptional, High Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, or Priority/Comprehensive. The other is a set of designations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA designations include Targeted schools, where one or more student groups perform below the cut point of the lowest 5% of Title I schools, and Comprehensive schools, which are identified every three years as the lowest 5% of Title I schools.
There are several highlights in Des Moines Public Schools’ data this year, including:
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Five comprehensive high schools – East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, and Roosevelt – as well as Ruby Van Meter School all increased their scores by over 90 points, or just over 10%.
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Among elementary schools, Cowles, Downtown School, Greenwood, Hiatt, Jefferson, Morris, Stowe, and Willard all increased their scores by more than 50 points.
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Cowles Montessori School, which serves students in grades K-8, is the second highest performing middle school in the State.
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Roosevelt High School is the second highest performing high school with over 2,000 students in the State.
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25 schools scored above the State average
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On the Iowa Report Card, Cowles Montessori School was rated as Exceptional; the Downtown School was rated as High Performing; and Greenwood and Jefferson elementary schools were rated as Commendable.
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On the ESSA designations, the following 23 schools are not identified to receive Targeted or Comprehensive Support: Carver, Cowles, Downtown School, Edmunds, Greenwood, Hanawalt, Hillis, Hubbell, Jefferson, Madison, McKinley, Monroe, Moulton, Oak Park, Perkins, Phillips, Pleasant Hill, River Woods, Ruby Van Meter, Stowe, Walnut Street, Willard, Windsor.
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Six elementary schools were identified for Targeted support last year but, thanks to students gains and growth, are no longer listed: Hubbell, Monroe, Oak Park, Phillips, River Woods and Willards.
Overall, DMPS schools’ performance scores increased an average of more than 4%, with elementary schools’ scores increasing by an average of almost 20 points, middle school’s scores increasing an average of 30 points, and high school’s increasing by an average of 91 points.
Some of the largest gains at DMPS included a reduction in chronic absenteeism, growth in attendance, and results on the science ISASP.
“These latest results make one thing very clear: we will not rest on any laurels,” added Dr. Roberts. “Much work remains as we help our schools that need extra support to succeed and make sure those that are succeeding do even greater things. We cannot and will not rest until 100% of our students are on a path to their own academic success.”
While celebrating many positive signs on the ISPP, work remains as several schools have a Comprehensive or Targeted ESSA designation:
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Twelve schools have a Comprehensive designation, the same number as in last year’s report: Brubaker, King and Studebaker elementary schools; Goodrell, Harding, Hiatt, Hoyt and Weeks middle schools; and East, Lincoln, North and Virtual Campus high schools
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Twenty schools have a Targeted designation, down from twenty-one in last year’s report: Capitol View, Cattell, Findley, Garton, Howe, Jackson, Lovejoy, Moore, Morris, Park Avenue, Samuelson, South Union and Wright elementary schools; Brody, Callanan, McCombs, Meredith and Merrill middle schools; and Hoover and Roosevelt high schools.
