Minneapolis Public Schools is making some administrative changes aimed at closing the district's achievement gap and making sure it is recruiting and retaining top staff talent.

Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson announced Thursday the district will create a new department focused on establishing and implementing strategies to close the achievement gap for schools and specific student groups. The department will report directly to Chief Academic Officer Susanne Griffin-Ziebart.

Also on tap is the separation of the district's human resources department into two divisions - human capital and employee relations. The human capital department will be focused on recruiting. Employee relations will manage day-to-day operations, including labor negotiations for all school district bargaining groups.

The changes are part of Johnson's "Shift Initiative" which is aimed an accelerating academic growth and reshaping the education experience for Minneapolis students.

"The new structure represents a more streamlined approach to providing central office services to our schools," Johnson said.