East High School saw an increase of over 10 percentage points on the 2025 Iowa Schools Performance Profile rating compared to 2024. While East High School is still considered a priority school, along with 20 other DMPS schools, notable progress was made from the 2024 rating. According to the state of Iowa, schools receive a score for each indicator, and the scores are combined into an overall score. Indicators include things like attendance growth, graduation rate, proficiency in math, ELA and science (based on Iowa Assessment data) and post-secondary readiness. Based on the overall school, one of the following ratings is assigned to each school: exceptional, high-performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement, and priority.
In the 2023-2024 school year, East’s ISPP overall performance was 39.6 percent, however in the 24-25 year, it was 50.21 percent which is a 10.61-point increase in just one year. The state average is 63 percent. East may be below the state average, but this amount of improvement is notable within just a year difference.
“So, when we look at, that’s what this comparison is, where you can see from last year to this year, the growth that we had… anything that is two percent more is considered statistically significant,” Principal Jill Versteeg said.
In 23-24, East’s attendance score was 83.09 percent and in the 24-25 year, it went up by 9.22 which puts us at 92.31 percent in the 24-25 year.
“We made huge growth… we surpass the state average on attendance growth and reducing chronic absenteeism,” Versteeg said.
In 23-24 East scored a 64.19 percent in the graduation rate over four years, which means less than 65 percent of East’s students graduated in four years during that time. 24-25 showed an increase by 2.04 percent which may not seem like a lot, but is a great point to get to within a short school year timespan.
“If we weren’t listed as a comprehensive school, we would not have met the threshold to need to be listed as a comprehensive school… We scored enough points to move us up to the next category because were already there, it’s just what we are,” Versteeg said.
Post-secondary enrollment started at 83.39 percent in the 23-24 school year but in the 24-25 year, it went up to 40.65% which is an increase of 2.23 percent which means that the amount of people going into college or vocational school after high school increased.
“I think the important piece is that, aside from the year when things kind of changed, we have a good track record of growth every year and were making growth in areas that it matters,” Versteeg said.
Students will take the Iowa Assessments on April 7-11, 2026. The data from testing will be used on the 25-26 score card.
