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DMPS outlines 'Diploma Plus' plan to expand pathways, target June 2025 rollout for design
Summary
Chief Academic Officer Robert Lundeen presented 'Diploma Plus,' a PreK–12 framework to give students recognized 'distinctions' (AP/dual credit, industry credentials, biliteracy, internships, military acceptance) and said the district aims to finalize the model by June 2025 for phased implementation starting with 9th graders in 2025–26.
Des Moines Public Schools on Tuesday previewed "Diploma Plus," a districtwide framework intended to expand student pathways to college, careers and other postsecondary options.
Chief Academic Officer Robert Lundeen said the model would give students explicit pathway choices and formal distinctions appended to high school diplomas for achievements such as AP success, dual credit, industry certificates, a seal of biliteracy, qualified internships or military acceptance. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the thinking behind diploma plus," Lundeen told the board.
Lundeen tied the proposal to Goal 3 (future readiness), noting the district will conduct a needs assessment with businesses, higher-education partners and families; develop curricula and aligned professional development; and work to ensure equitable access across Des Moines. He cited Kansas City, Kansas, as an exemplar district that uses endorsements tied to diplomas.
The district proposed an aggressive timeline: finish instructional, human-capital and operational details by June 2025 to allow ninth graders in 2025–26 to begin on the new model with a view toward graduating cohorts under the distinction in subsequent years. Lundeen said the team will work closely with Heartland AEA and local partners such as DMACC.
Board members asked about cost and access, particularly whether dual enrollment costs would fall on families. Lundeen and other presenters said Iowa's Senior Year Plus (supplemental weighting) provides partial funding for concurrent-enrollment courses and that the district will perform cost analyses and seek partnerships to reduce barriers. "We get some supplemental weighting from the state of Iowa so that the course tuition is offset," a presenter said.
Members also pressed how the district will involve counselors and families early so students can select pathways in middle school and be advised by trained staff. Lundeen said the work includes strengthening advising and building pathways earlier in the PreK–12 continuum.
What's next: district staff will perform gap analyses, define the initial set of pathways, run cost studies and return to the board with more detailed recommendations and implementation steps.
