The Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools continually evaluate the process of teaching for learning in order to provide quality programming for its diverse student body. Different methods of student outcome assessment are used to identify areas for study and analysis. This report provides information about the achievement of district students on: (1) criterion-referenced assessments; (2) advanced placement tests; (3) the District Composition Assessment; (4) the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS); (5) the PLAN assessment (norm-referenced tests for 10th graders); and (6) the American College Testing Program (ACT) assessment. Results from the criterion-referenced tests show that at the elementary level, 76% of all scores were above the 70% standard, with 64% and 54% of the middle school and high school scores above the standard, respectively. A continuing challenge is to address the achievement gaps that exist between nonminority and minority students. The district was represented very well on Advanced Placement tests, with a number of students recognized for their achievement. In composition assessment, the percent of students in grades 3 and 5 achieving the "competent" standard was less than the target for the school year, but at grades 8 and 11, the percent achieving the competent standard was slightly above the target. District students scored well on the ITBS. In addition, 10th graders scored well on the PLAN assessment. The mean district score on the ACT was a 20.9 while the national mean was 21.0 and the Iowa mean was 22.1. For those few Iowa students who took the Scholastic Assessment Test, scores were well above the national means for verbal and mathematics scores. Six appendixes present definitions and tables of test results. (Contains 30 tables.) (SLD)