September Parent and Family Update

Posted Date: 09/15/26 (03:42 PM)

September Parent and Family Update

9/15/2026

ADM Families,

The new school year is officially in full swing! After tackling two full five-day weeks to start the school year, everyone - students and staff alike - earned that long Labor Day weekend. Now, the real momentum has begun as we lock into our daily rhythm. Our formula is simple here at ADM: come and work hard each day, then go home to your family (leaving work behind) and then come back refreshed to hit the ground again the next day. Walking through our halls, the energy around learning is evident. From our classrooms to the vital behind-the-scenes work of our facilities, tech, food service, and bus routes, every team is fully aligned to deliver an exceptional experience for our community.

A graphic displaying a three-tiered pyramid with the text "All Means All" and surrounding core values like responsibility, humility, aggression, simplicity, relentless, teamwork, execution, and hunger.

Focusing On The Wildly Important

As we enter year six of our radical reset journey, our commitment to reshaping leadership, data-driven instruction, and results is stronger than ever. The remarkable student achievement growth achieved across the first five years has sharpened our focus as we dive into 2026-27. While we await official ISASP results from the Iowa Department of Education to establish our next Wildly Important Goal - a release currently anticipated for late fall - our mission of high levels of learning for all remains clear. We will keep building on the efforts that slashed our non-proficiency rates from 25% in 2021 down to just 12% in 2025.

Spring 2026 Reading and Math Screening Results

Last spring, students in grades PK-8 completed the reading and math screening assessments. ADM’s reading scores have improved from 67% proficient in 2021 to 86% in 2026. ADM’s math scores have improved from 68% proficient in 2021 to 82% in 2026. Learn more: Reading Screening, Math Screening

A promotional graphic for ADM High School, featuring a red and white tiger mascot on a dark background with mathematical formulas.

ADM High School Ranked #5!

U.S. News & World Report released their annual high school rankings, and ADM High School again received recognition as one of the best high schools in the state of Iowa and the nation.

ADM High School is ranked as the 5th best high school out of 354 high schools statewide and is also ranked 1,227 out of nearly 18,000 ranked high schools nationwide. Additionally, ADM High School was recognized as the BEST high school in the Des Moines Metro!

TigerFest 2026

ADM staff are invited and encouraged to attend ADM’s TigerFest on Thursday, October 1, at the ADM High School / Middle School Campus. TigerFest is always a special time for the district as we celebrate ADM Homecoming with free games and events for the public.

Look for more information soon.

Friday Early Outs

As a reminder, ADM holds a weekly early release on Friday afternoons. This time is critical for ADM teachers to engage in the professional development and collaboration necessary to meet our mission of high levels of learning for all. You can view each building’s early release time on this page on our website: Drop-Off and Pick-Up Information

Focus on Learning School Board Reports

The ADM School Board receives a “Focus on Learning” report at each monthly School Board meeting. At September's Board Meeting, Travis Wilkins, and Greg Dufoe provided a report about ADM’s 2026-27 PD plans related to Teach Like a Champion 3.0, as well as an updated year two science curriculum revision. Use the following link to learn more:

Have a great day!

Greg Dufoe

ADM Superintendent