The latest Iowa School Performance Profiles for the Iowa City Community School District, or ICCSD, show its three comprehensive high schools continue to outperform statewide averages in absenteeism and academic and readiness indicators.

The performance profiles are the state of Iowa’s annual public report cards for every school and district, measuring how well students are being served. The profiles compile multiple indicators, including proficiency in English, math, and science, student growth from year to year, graduation rates, rates of chronic absenteeism, and measures of post secondary readiness. 

The profiles found that the district has seen growth in areas like reading and math literacy rates, as student performance rates are recovering from COVID-19 pandemic-era declines. 

Data from the performance profiles show high school English proficiency has returned to 72 percent, within one point of the 2019 level, while math proficiency has climbed to 67 percent, just below its pre-pandemic baseline of 71 percent.

Attendance gains were also a highlight for the district in the most recent profiles. The district saw a reduction of 9 percent in chronic absenteeism. Around a year ago, the state of Iowa changed its attendance expectations for districts across the state. 

The bill redefined chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of school days within a grading period, and added that once 15 percent of school days have been missed, it is required the student and their families meet with school officials to discuss a plan of action involving the absences.

“Our buildings work tirelessly to identify barriers for students who experience chronic absenteeism,” Lucas Ptacek, executive director of secondary schools, said. “We’ve made significant growth, and staff will continue reviewing data through student support teams.”

The district also saw a 43 percent increase in post-secondary readiness, which is measured through work-based learning. 

Work-based learning is any structured learning experience connecting classroom learning to real world work. The state uses this type of learning to evaluate post-secondary readiness at the high school level, according to the state website. 

Ptacek said for the last four years, the district has used the High Reliability Schools model. The model is nationally recognized for helping schools implement systems for improving teaching and learning. The framework focuses first on safe and supportive learning environments and then on highly effective teaching, both driven by strong staff collaboration.

“Our teachers use the professional learning community cycle to plan instruction, identify essential learnings, and take action for students who need support,” Ptacek said. “Every staff member has a collaborative team, and that is what pushes our improvement.”

Ptacek said the professional learning community cycle organizes teachers and staff in buildings to collaborate with each other on various tasks. Teachers meet regularly to review student data, identify standards, lesson plans, and discuss places of improvement.

At West High School, Ptacek said, administrators have restructured the master class schedule to ensure teachers have common planning time allowing for collaboration amongst staff, along with access to instructional coaching during the school day. 

“We’re focused on growth as much as proficiency,” Ptacek said. “Growth tells the fuller story of learning. It shows how far students have come, not just where they are.”

Ptacek said the district’s improvement work, particularly in terms of the national model, is ongoing. 

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“Monthly, our administrators and coaches participate in professional development to support effective teaching,” Ptacek said. “Research tells us the greatest indicator of student success is the teacher in front of the classroom.”

He said these instructional rounds, now in their second year across high schools, help teachers learn from one another and apply new strategies in real time.

School board members say that these numbers reflect targeted work in areas the board has identified as priorities.

“The decrease in student absenteeism and the increase in post-secondary readiness stood out the most,” Lisa Williams, school board member, said. “The district put a renewed focus on those areas last year, and these results are a testament to that hard work.”

Williams noted 70 percent of the schools in the district ranked at “acceptable” or higher in the state’s ratings, which she says is a strong outcome for the district. While the profiles can be helpful for the board to measure gaps in the district, Williams said this is one of many resources the board uses when making decisions.

“I don’t consider the performance profiles the end all be all,” Williams said. “But they’re a useful tool for identifying where resources may need to go.”

Postsecondary readiness was a major strength for all three high schools. Ptacek said college credit opportunities at the high school level largely contribute to this rating. 

He said West High Schools leads the district in both the number of Advanced Placement exams taken and the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher — with the highest possible score being a 5. But he emphasized equity in access, not competition among schools, drives district decision-making.

“Our work-based experiences and concurrent enrollment opportunities are consistent across all high schools,” he said. “Students have the same access no matter where they attend.”

School Board President Ruthina Malone said the profiles show her why the three high schools in the district maintain such a strong reputation year after year. 

“The biggest thing that stood out is how all of them are performing above the state’s average,” Malone said. “I can see why they are ranked as some of the best high schools in the state.”

Malone added these profiles are a small part of the district’s overall decision making process, and only provide a snapshot of data for the district. 

“These profiles are just one part of a multi-faceted puzzle,” she said. “As a board, we look at several factors when addressing budget priorities, staffing, or adding new programs.”

West, City, and Liberty each appeared in the Top 12 of the U.S. News & World Report’s statewide high school rankings. West High again earned the top spot for the fourth consecutive year. 

Looking at the data, the district is proud of the results that they have seen in their buildings. 

“We have a lot to celebrate,” Ptacek said. “And the data shows our students are excelling in and out of the classroom.”