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 42% (third grade), while individual schools’ ELA proficiency ranged from 11% to 74%. Dr. Chisholm told the board that those figures shaped the district problem statement used in moonshot engagement sessions and in school improvement planning.

The district’s improvement strategy emphasized four priorities from its stakeholder-built theory of action: align metrics, protocols and high-performing teams with evidence-based reading practices; match time, talent, focus and resources with need; build a culture defined by results, equity, accountability, leadership and joy; and remove redundant or ineffective practices. As an example of the first two priorities, the presenters described school-level “trajectories” showing how many students each school must move to proficiency each year to meet the five-year goal: Bancroft Elementary, they said, would need about 28 students per year (a 12.2% annual increase), while some middle schools would need roughly 68 students a year.

The board discussed how to prioritize core values for the next strategic plan; members debated emphasis on accountability, joy, leadership and results. Several board members asked for clearer timelines and visual plans such as logic models or Gantt charts so they can communicate and model the plan to constituents.

District staff outlined current and planned supports: scaling professional learning via Canvas (the district’s adult learning management system), expanding training in the science of reading for K–3 and core secondary teachers, coaching for school support liaisons and attendance teams, and regular “support team” meetings led by principals and principal supervisors. The presenters said more than 400 teachers had completed science-of-reading training last year and more staff are enrolled this year.

Measurement and accountability were presented as core components. The district said it is developing a measurement approach that includes conditions (human resources, instructional leadership, climate), implementation (PLC and protocol use, instructional rounds), and results (MAP Growth, NSCAS ELA and ACT). The team said it has created school-level targets and will work with principals to set ambitious improvement goals tied to those targets. The timeline shown to the board calls for additional listening sessions through November, a draft strategic plan in December and final plan approval work in 2026.

Community input at the start of the meeting highlighted related concerns and offers of partnership. Virginia Smith, a former OPS student and OPS parent, urged stronger parent engagement, more volunteer presence in schools and expanded peer role-model programs to reduce violence and support students’ social and emotional needs. Smith said, “Behaviors are a cry for help,” and called for more family-centered supports and low-cost access for activities such as cheerleading.

Local business owner Dwan Robinson offered a school partnership to encourage reading through incentives tied to his brand, saying, “I want to partner with OPS to launch a program called Read With Purpose,” which would reward reading milestones with branded items to reinforce achievement.

Superintendent Ray addressed the scope of the goal and pushback he’d already received from some teachers about stress on staff, saying the moonshot will remain the district’s target. “I’m not stepping back. This is that important,” he told the board.

Next steps presented to the board included additional targeted listening (including sessions with families of students receiving special education services and mediation participants), continued principal and teacher professional learning, piloting family goal-setting protocols at fall conferences, scaling attendance interventions and continuing to refine measurement approaches. The presenters said the district’s work will continue to evolve as school teams implement rapid cycles of improvement and collect “just-in-time” data.

Board members asked for clearer materials to take into the community and for further evidence of what is working in schools. Presenters said they will return with more details, including school-level trajectories and plans for measuring conditions and implementation.