Comprehensive School Improvement

The Davenport Community School District Multi-tiered System of Supports is a data-driven, problem solving process that provides each and every student core instruction, supplemental and intensive instruction and support  as well as extension opportunities. The purpose of MTSS is to prepare each and every student to be college, career, and citizenship ready.

The use of a structured, data-driven problem-solving process to make decisions regarding implementation of MTSS is a critical component of support. This process ensures that each of the tiers included in the MTSS framework is developed in response to the specific needs of each student in DCSD.

Universal | All students receive high-quality, differentiated instruction to meet needs.

Targeted | Identified students not making adequate progress are provided increasingly focused instruction matched to their needs.

Intensive | Identified students receive individualized, intensive instruction that target skill deficits. 

The purpose of Instructional practices is to focus on teachers’ growth and development. This plan provides a systematic approach to collaborate around research-based best practices and integrated technology resources.

General Expectations for Graduation
Davenport’s student learning goals are the general expectations for all its graduates. Students graduating from Davenport Community School District will:

• Apply reading, writing, and speaking skills to communicate effectively
• Understand and apply mathematical ideas
• Understand our earth, ecological impact, the physical world, and the cycles of life
• Understand the development of civic responsibility and the influence of history, geography, government, and economics on individuals and societies
• Understand, perform, and value music
• Understand, produce, and value visual art
• Demonstrate appropriate physical movement and form
• Demonstrate skills and knowledge needed for making life-long health decisions
• Demonstrate technical knowledge and skills needed to be productive within the context of real life
• Be knowledgeable about career choices across a variety of areas
• Apply critical thinking skills when making decisions and solving problems
• Use technology and other sources of information for a variety of purposes
• Demonstrate attitudes and skills that support self-directed lifelong learning, personal pursuits, productivity, and conflict resolution
• Demonstrate attitudes and behaviors that support global understanding, collaboration, diversity, and interdependence

The Iowa Department of Education has just released new online reports called the Iowa School Performance Profiles. These reports include each school's scores on a set of accountability measures that are consistent throughout Iowa's 1,302 public schools. These indicators are required to be part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA focuses on equitable access to education, high standards and accountability, and a decrease in achievement gaps across groups of students including students with disabilities, students who are economically disadvantaged, students from major ethnic and racial groups, English learners, students of military-connected families, as well as students who are a part of migrant families, homeless, or in foster care. 

The Iowa School Performance Profiles include each school's scores on a set of accountability measures. These measures include: 

• Student participation on state assessments 
• Academic achievement 
• Student academic growth 
• Graduation rate (high schools only) 
• Progress in achieving English language proficiency (for English as a Second Language students) 

Proficiency is important, particularly in reading and math, however this new accountability system emphasizes student growth as measured by results on state assessments from year to year. This will show schools that are making significant progress with students. 

A quick overview of our school rankings shows six schools rated Commendable, 11 schools rated Acceptable, five schools rated Needs Improvement, five schools rated Priority, and two schools were Unable to Rate. You can access a quick look at DCS Rankings By School (Download Below).

The Iowa School Performance Profile adds dimension to our assessment model which can guide our efforts. Our District has taken many strong steps with the goal of Increasing Student Achievement (Download Below).over the past four years.

Please take time to review the information in the links provided above.  We also encourage parents and community members to view more in-depth data on the Iowa School Performance Profile site. The data provides an opportunity for conversation with school and District leaders about student achievement.