Omaha Public Schools leaders outline ‘moonshot’ literacy plan after Cognia review

Omaha Public Schools leaders used a board workshop to present results from a recent Cognia systems accreditation and to advance the district’s “moonshot” goal to have all students reading on grade level. Presenters summarized stakeholder engagement, described school-by-school improvement targets, and outlined next steps for measurement and continued community listening.

The presentation, given by Dr. Chisholm, Suzanne Creamer and Lisa Utterback and joined by Superintendent Ray, framed the moonshot as a goal rather than a finished plan and described specific implementation steps—including regular principal support meetings, expanded professional learning in the science of reading, a district dashboard that updates every 24 hours and targeted attendance work.

Why it matters: district leaders said the moonshot will drive where resources, time and training are focused across Omaha Public Schools (OPS). The Cognia review and accompanying engagement work showed wide inconsistency across classrooms and schools: some classrooms demonstrate high expectations and active learning while neighboring classrooms do not, the presenters said, and the district is attempting to use evidence-based practices and aligned systems to reduce that inconsistency.

Presenters said the external engagement team observed 102 classrooms and that the highest literacy proficiency any grade-level reached in 2022–23 was…