Academic Support

Directed Study (9th and 10th graders):  Directed study is designed to provide a space that allows students access to Tier 1 instruction around Roosevelt, executive functioning skills, and access to intervention and enrichment opportunities as well as a time to focus on work completion. This space will be a quiet, academically focused area that will allow all students the opportunity to be EXCELLENT! Attendance is required and will be monitored daily.  

AP Courses Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available to all students.  We challenge each student to take at least one AP course while in high school.  Benefits of taking an AP course include better preparation for college, potential college credit, and more.  Click the link for access to AP courses available to students.  (Please note that our offerings of AP courses can change due to staff credentials and budget impacts.)

DMPS Course Catalog 2023-24  This catalog is all-inclusive and courses listed may not be accessible to students at Roosevelt.  Use the catalog for course descriptions and to learn more about the content of a course.

DMPS Graduation Requirements   Students are required to complete 23 credits to earn their high school diploma.  Those courses should be completed in particular areas, which can be found at the link.  For students who are struggling or have extenuating circumstances that could effect on-time graduation, DMPS may have potential alternatives.  It is strongly encouraged that students and families schedule time to sit down with their counselor to discuss options and find the best fit based on the individual student’s needs.

Central Academy provides extended learning for students who need additional challenges in the core academics that may be unavailable in the comprehensive high schools.  This includes English, Math, Science, and Social Studies as well as World Languages and some art courses.  Students interested in Central Academy courses should talk with their counselor to discuss options and sign up.  If a student is currently at Central Academy, they can connect with the Central Academy counselors.

Central Campus  provides Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses to students within and outside of Des Moines Public Schools.  They have more than 30 programs within nine career academies and most students find something of interest at Campus.  Students interested in applying for a Campus program need to be sure that they have added it to their MYAP plan with their counselor and applied for the program HERE.

GPA (Grade Point Average)  Roosevelt students have a weighted and unweighted GPA, depending on if they have taken AP courses.  A student’s GPA is the average of all grades that a student has earned high school credit for.  A student’s GPA is not as fluid the longer they are in school.  It is important for students to use their 9th and 10th grade year to establish a GPA that they are proud of and will help them access their post-secondary plans.

A 4.0
B 3.0
C 2.0
D 1.0
F 0.0

MYAP (Multi-Year Academic Plan) is the program in Infinite Campus that we use to enter student’s course requests.  Click on the link to learn more about how it works.

Schedules  Check Infinite Campus for your 2023-24 schedule. Need to request a schedule change? Please fill out this form: https://tinyurl.com/RHSScheduleChangeRequest23

Scheduling  DMPS and Roosevelt start early to choose courses for the next school year.  This process starts in October and continues through the Spring as we develop our master schedule and staff our buildings to support students.  Please note a few important pieces of information regarding scheduling.

  • Students are making course requests – This is not a guarantee of their schedule.  We use requests from students to drive our master schedule, but if there are not enough requests for a course we cannot offer it.  Staff certification also impacts our ability to offer a course.
  • Parent Approval – MYAP in Infinite Campus allows for parent/guardian approval of their student’s four-year plan.  We would love to have all parents/guardians of Roosevelt students look at their student’s requests.  If you approve, please click the box in the top left-hand corner.  If you do not approve, please reach out to your student’s counselor ASAP.
  • Timeline –  We do our best to provide as much information and individualized support as possible to all students as they make requests for the upcoming school year.  Because we use these requests to guide our master schedule and our staffing, students will not be able to make changes to courses until after schedules are released.  We know that this can cause anxiety or stress for some students.  We understand, but also need stability to meet our target dates to create our master schedule and complete student schedules.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Standards Referenced Grading (SRG)  Roosevelt uses Standards Referenced Grading to assess student progress and mastery of topics and standards.  Please see this brochure provided by the district for some general Q&A.  If you have more specific questions regarding SRG and a particular class, please reach out to that staff member directly.  Teacher’s names are listed on student schedules.  You can find a directory of staff here.

Study Skills  Studying does not often come naturally to students.  They need support to learn how to study, develop organizational skills, and develop their executive functioning.  Here are a few links that can be helpful for families and students.

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