Student Equity and Opportunity

The work of student discipline views misbehavior as an opportunity to build student personal and interpersonal skills using prevention and intervention opportunities that rely on Restorative Practices and Trauma-Informed Practices.  Effective discipline practices provide the student with the opportunity to build skills and smoothly re-engage in the learning setting.  The Discipline Building Leaders receive district-level support and training to increase and enhance their awareness of their personal biases and the impact of their work on the elimination of racism and discrimination in the school setting.  This work enables every child to achieve their goals as contributing members in our diverse society.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation’s schools. This bipartisan measure reauthorized the 50-year-old elementary and Secondary Education Act, the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The law provides financial assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

The Gifted and Talented team is focused on leading the nation in providing equitable, high impact gifted programming. We strive to ensure that gifted and talented students are engaged, rigorously challenged and supported to reach their full emotional, intellectual, and creative potential. By equipping students to become successful, critical, compassionate, and collaborative individuals, we are preparing them to become leaders and citizens of the 21st century.

The DPS School Medicaid Program accesses reimbursable funds for health services provided in our schools. These resources are used to improve, expand, and enhance health related services for students. Part of the reimbursement is used to increase Outreach to uninsured students and families. Our Outreach & Enrollment specialists assist families with applying for free or low-cost health insurance, provides community resources and assists with accessing health/dental mental health providers, helping support the district’s mission of Every Child Succeeds.

Our mental and behavioral health services team provides services to all students, schools and DPS team members. The heart of our work is supporting each and every one of our students with a focus on equity. Our team includes school-based social workers and school psychologists, the Behavior Barriers Team, safety coordinators and discipline and equity managers. We provide professional development and coaching for school-based staff and leaders through the District Crisis Recovery Team, suicide prevention and intervention and the Threat Appraisal supports.

Nursing Services promotes optimal physical, social, and emotional wellness of our school community. Our focus is to enhance the educational process by maximizing and protecting the overall health status of school age youth. We believe that good health enables all students to benefit from the education experience leading to productive living and a successful future. School nurses actively promote healthy lifestyle choices, strengthen and facilitate the educational process by improving and protecting children’s health status, and are advocates for school age children.

Section 504 is a federal civil rights law that ensures students with disabilities are afforded an “equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement” as an average peer. To pursue identification, anyone can refer a student to the school’s Section 504 coordinator. If appropriate, the Section 504 team will conduct an evaluation and then convene to determine eligibility. If the student is found to be eligible, the Section 504 team would determine the student’s placement, services, modifications, and accommodations, to help mitigate barriers to an equitable education.

Special Education is committed to providing a quality educational experience based on the individual needs of each child. Special education services provide specialized instruction for students to minimize the impact of their disability through a continuum of services, ranging from services provided in a general education classroom to fully contained classroom settings. Students with disabilities may also receive supports from paraprofessionals, nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, speech therapists and physical therapists. The goal of special education is to provide services that allow students with disabilities to acquire the skills to pursue independent living and post-secondary readiness.

The Student Records Office is responsible for archiving former DPS student permanent records. DPS is now offering a convenient and secure website for former students, corporations and legal facilities to request transcripts and student records online. Please note, for any students that have withdrawn at any time during the current school year, contact the last school attended for copies of records. 

In Denver Public Schools we are committed to providing equitable and inclusive environments where we ensure students are Healthy, Supported, Engaged, Challenged, Safe, and Socially and Emotionally Intelligent. Supporting the needs of the Whole Child is an essential part of achieving the district’s vision of Every Child Succeeds. The Whole Child Supports team provides service to schools through a variety of programs including Social Emotional Learning, Healthy Schools, Social Workers, School Psychologists, Nursing Services, Health Centers and community partnerships.