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May 2017 Newsletter

Academic Planning Progress + Student Feedback
In June 2016, a Kaizen team was tasked in creating a streamlined, consistent and sustainable process that strives to enhance students' ability to make appropriate progress in credit acquisition aligned to their academic and career plan. To monitor student's progress, a new technology tool, Multi-Year Academic Planner (MYAP), was implemented in Infinite Campus. Hoover High School graciously took on the roll as pilot and worked through the nuances of new technology. They have successfully obtained 4-year academic plans for 100% of their students! With MYAP in place, all remaining comprehensive high schools have begun to obtain 4-year academic plan for their students. What do the students think about this new process? Here are a few quotes the Hoover counselors heard from students.
"Thank you for helping me plan my future."
"I can graduate early if I really want to?" (after seeing the layout of classes)
"Wow, now I know I have to take my freshman year really seriously so I don't have to take a bunch of classes senior year." (8th grade student)
"Don't forget about me, I want to plan my four years out."

Check Stub Enhancement
Summer professional development in upon us. In the past, you would look on your check stub and just see WORKSHOP PAY. To get more details, you would have to call payroll and have them explain. Now, you will have the ability to access this yourself! When viewing your check stub in Employee Online, you will be able to drill into the workshop pay and be told what you were paid for. This feature will not be just for summer pay. Moving forward, you will be able to drill into all workshop pay. Payroll is currently working on instructions to be shared.
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Going to TechCon2017?
Check out How to 5S Your Classroom on Thursday, June 15 11:00-11:45am OR Friday, June 16 3:15-4:00pm. Find the full TechCon2017 schedule here.
Being a teacher is one of the most important jobs. Your classroom should reflect your high teaching standards. So how do you get there? You apply a continuous improvement tool called 5S. 5S is a 5 step method to Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.The session directly aligns to the Marzano Instruction Framework: Design Question 6, Element 5:Organizing the Physical Layout of the Classroom.  5S provides structural considerations for organizing your classroom to facilitate movement and focus on learning.

Shout Outs!

Lean Process Stewards and Lean Steering Committee, thank you for your continued participation in our Lean journey!
Fantastic job Emily Truitt and Tom Ostrem for improving the employee separation workflow with plain language to avoid terminating employee access incorrectly.
A big thank you to Sherri Weatherly and Jamie Shannon for spending a day reviewing the workers compensation process and recommending changes!

Past Newsletters

March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
June 2016
July 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
November 2016
December 2016
January 2017
February 2017
March 2017
April 2017
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Des Moines Public Schools
Continuous Improvement
2100 Fleur Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321