Denver Public Schools Updates Reading Policy, Gifted Testing and Boundary Reviews

Denver Public Schools is considering a policy that would require all schools to adopt a science of reading approach, require early identification of dyslexia and supply digital literacy applications for home use. The change would apply across the district and directly affect classroom instruction for students in every DPS school. Parents whose children attend any of the district's schools would encounter the new materials and screening practices.

Changes to testing and enrollment boundaries

Beginning in fall 2025, universal gifted testing will move from kindergarten, second and sixth grades to first and fifth grades. The adjustment is intended to improve access to gifted programs. At the same time, Executive Limitation 19 requires the district to review and adjust school enrollment boundaries and zones every five years starting in the 2026-27 school year to balance enrollment and limit socioeconomic segregation.

The School Transformation Process, which takes effect in August 2025, centralizes support for schools that receive the lowest state ratings. It also allows closure or replacement of schools that record four consecutive years of those ratings beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The school board separately voted to limit school closures to no more than once every three years, so no additional closures can occur before 2027 except under defined exceptions.

Effects on Denver households

These rules reach families through daily decisions about where children attend school and what instruction they receive. Residents in neighborhoods whose schools sit near the lowest ratings may see additional district support or, in limited cases after 2027, possible changes to the school itself. Families with children identified for gifted services will notice the new testing schedule in first and fifth grades. Households near current boundaries could experience periodic reviews that alter which school their children attend.

The policies operate on different timelines. Literacy requirements and gifted testing adjustments begin in the 2025-26 school year, while boundary reviews and the School Transformation Process provisions start the following year. District residents can track updates through regular DPS communications and board meetings scheduled throughout the coming months.