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Detroit Public Schools

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Project Goal

The Detroit Public Schools (DPS) system was one of the 1st school systems in the United States to obtain the ESRI School District Suite License in 1998. Since that time DPS has infused the use of GIS tools into the entire school system operations. More than 400 teachers have been trained to use GIS within their curriculum. Over 100 school administrators from every operational division have been trained in the effective use of GIS in school system management.

Numerous collaboration with community based organizations, business organizations and local colleges and universities have enabled DPS to lead the way with GIS applications in the City of Detroit. Currently, DPS is setting in place an ESRI/Education Planning Solutions SmartR student transportation scheduling and routing package that further leverages the tools of GIS to provide safe, efficient and timely transportation services to all eligible students.

Additionally, the entire vehicle fleet, 800 + busses, delivery and service vehicles will all be equipped with GPS tracking systems. The GPS data will tie directly to the GIS system. This will enable district administrators the opportunity to establish a data driven, performance based monitoring system that will greatly improve customer service as well as enable better allocation of valuable system resources.

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Business Problem Solved

Multiple business problems have been identified and resolved as a result of the continued upgrade and implementation of the DPS GIS system. In every one of the business applications of GIS in the school system significant gains have been made in the better management of valuable system resource.

These gains have been experience in more effective use of vehicles, better customer service, more effective data driven decision support systems, better use of school district boundaries and the placement of students in special needs programs and planning the allocation of resources for the DPS $1.5 Billion Capital Improvement Program.

The recent impact of the No Child Left Behind act has been successfully managed as a result of being able to better predict and plan where to place educational support services to address the learning needs of the challenged students within their local neighborhood area.

Technology Implemented

The entire suite of GIS tools made available through the DPS GIS Suite license has been used. This includes ArcView and all ArcView Extensions, ArcIMS, MapPlex, ArcPad, ArcPad Application Builder and now Arc GIS 9.0.

Working in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Information Technology and Application at Eastern Michigan University and the Institute for GeoSpatial Research and Education at EMU has enabled DPS to extend the knowledge based needed to create custom applications of GIS tools to further expand the application of these tools and thereby increase the GIS user base system wide.

Development Team Biography

Randall E. Raymond, Geographic Information Specialist

Dale Goby, Executive Director Office of Student Transportation

Donald Estill, II, Director, Central Distribution Center

Steven Hill, Executive Director Office of Risk Management

Karen Harrison, Director Science and Math Education

Juanita Clay-Chambers, Chief Academic Officer

Robert Moore, Senior Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Kenneth Burnley, Chief Executive Officer

Yichun Xie, Director Institute of GeoSpatial Research and Education

Mike Fisher, Detroit Community Initiative

David Martin, Wayne State University

Beverly Hunter, Piedmont Research Institute