The Des Moines Public School System (Iowa) continually evaluates the process of teaching for learning. As part of this ongoing process, this report provides information to the Board of Directors and the public about the achievement of district students on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), the American College Tests (ACT) and Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT), the Advanced Placement Tests (AP) for college placement, the District Composition Assessment (performance based assessment for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11), and the school district's own criterion-referenced assessments. The aggregate of information from the multiple assessments in this report is an indication that district students are learning. In an urban context of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic factors, the Des Moines Public Schools continues to pursue a quality educational program. Standardized norm-referenced test scores are increasing in many schools. ACT, SAT, and AP results reflect district success in challenging students to reach higher levels of achievement. Student writing proficiency, measured by the composition test, also is increasing. Results for the criterion-referenced, objectives-based tests were mixed. At the elementary level, only in language arts did the percentages of students achieving the mastery standard fall, but at middle school levels, students lagged in mathematics, science, and foreign language, and at the high school level, students were not on target in family and consumer sciences and mathematics. Gaps based on ethnicity and socioeconomic indicators continue in the school system. Five appendixes present definitions and test results. (Contains 17 tables and 6 figures.) (SLD)