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Table of Contents
SY2022–23 Applications for the Student Advisory Committee and Student Representative positions are now OPEN!
 If you are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior and attend either a traditional public or public charter school in the District, apply by June 15, 2022!
Student Representatives participate in all State Board activities. Their votes are recorded but cannot affect the outcome of any policy measure. Student Representatives are expected to attend all official State Board meetings, which occur twice per month, on the first and third Wednesday in the evenings. Student Representatives also co-chair the Student Advisory Committee (SAC).
The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) serves as the voice of students in the State Board’s work. They are consulted on issues of policy before the Board. The SAC generally meets 1-2 times per month. Each year, the SAC sends the State Board a report on a matter of importance to District students, providing recommended next steps for the State Board to review and implement.
Help us spread the word by sharing our application link: https://bit.ly/SACapp2022
Reminder: The Student Advisory Committee released their city-wide survey for D.C. high school students, which seeks to capture their thoughts on topics like mental health, safe passage, and COVID-19 safety in schools. Please help share this survey widely! The survey is available in English and Spanish.
Survey in English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SACCITYWIDESURVEY
Survey in Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SACSPANISH
Student Voice and Engagement in State Standards Review Panel (5/25)
On May 25, the Education Standards Committee held a panel discussion, moderated by policy fellow Giselle Miranda, titled “Student Voice and Engagement in State Standards Review. The featured panelists were:
- Eleni Livingston, Student Representative at the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Solyana Mesfin, Student Representative at the Kentucky Board of Education
- Paquita Jarman-Smith, Consultant at Connecticut’s State Education Research Center
 The discussion focused on:
- The importance of including diverse student voices in key discussions so that more students are represented, not just the most involved students.
- How policymakers and adult stakeholders must be more intentional with the way they include students in their work (e.g., meet students where they are versus holding an expectation that students should always initiate discussions)
- Actionable steps that the D.C. State Board can take to model student engagement efforts occurring in Kentucky, Connecticut, and Massachusetts
  Committee Chair and Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang's live tweets and takeaways from the panel discussion
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Working Session (5/4)
The State Board heard from staff of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) about the work on a proposed amendment to the District's statewide accountability plan and proposed attendance regulations. Members also discussed FY2022 committee spending requests and projects, as well as shared committee reports.
 Full minutes can be found here. Watch the recording here.
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Comments from the State Superintendent of Education
At the May public meeting, the State Board first heard comments from State Superintendent, Dr. Christina Grant, who gave updates on the following:
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Social studies standards revision: The next steps in the revision process include re-engaging the Technical Writing Committee (TWC) to revise its draft of the standards, and Dr. Grant committed to updating the State Board at its monthly Public Meetings so everyone is aware of the process. The goal is still to have standards voted on by the end of the year.
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Accountability framework and ESSA amendment: Dr. Grant said that OSSE continues to conduct engagement sessions on the accountability framework with various stakeholder groups. Regarding revisions, OSSE will return to the State Board’s working session in June with a draft ESSA amendment, and will seek approval at the State Board’s July Public Meeting.
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Student attendance rule-making: Dr. Grant shared that OSSE will be revising the “80/20 rule” to “60/40,” and is working to codify attendance procedures for students in virtual learning postures. OSSE will seek the State Board’s approval to attendance regulation changes at the July Public Meeting, so they are ready to be implemented by SY2022–23.
Featured Panel: The State of Student Attendance
The State Board then heard from a panel of experts on the State of Student Attendance. The featured panelists were:
- Patricia Brantley, Chief Executive Officer, Friendship Public Charter School
- Laura Harding, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education
- Cathy Reilly, Executive Director, S.H.A.P.P.E.
- Katharine Bohrs, Skirnik Fellow, Advocates for Justice and Education
 Panelists supported changing the definition of “present” to 60 percent of the school day, and discussed how the current attendance regulations (i.e. the “80/20 rule”) disincentivize students from coming to school if tardy and do not help schools and LEAs identify the root causes of chronic absenteeism and tardiness. Panelists also shared their insights on the supports needed to improve attendance.
For context, the State Board previously adopted a report in 2015 that recommended for the definition of “present” to change to 60 percent of the school day. Regarding next steps, OSSE will seek the State Board’s approval to attendance regulation changes at the July Public Meeting so they are ready to be implemented by SY2022–23.
Administrative Items (Votes)
Afterwards, the State Board passed the following ceremonial resolutions:
- CR22-16 Honoring School Principals’ Day
- CR22-17 Teacher Appreciation Week/National Teacher Day
- CR22-18 Recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month
- CR22-19 National School Nurse Day
- CR22-20 National Bike Month
- CR22-21 Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Find all of the State Board’s signed resolutions on our website here.
Watch the public meeting (with timestamps in the description of the video) on our YouTube channel here.
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In May, the following committees convened: Student Advisory, Teacher Practice and School Support, Administrative, Accountability and Assessment, Education Standards, Outreach and Advocacy, and Board Governance.
Student Advisory Committee (5/9 and 5/23)
The Student Advisory Committee met twice during the month of May. The first meeting was on May 9 and included discussion on the SAC Annual Report. The second meeting on May 23 included two discussions; the first with Miranda and Jue about the Education Standards Committee’s May 25 panel on incorporating and elevating student voice in the education standards review and revision process, and the second on the SAC Annual Report.
Teacher Practice Committee (5/10)
Committee members provided updates to school support, including the amendments sponsored by Councilmember Pinto regarding literacy investments, the status of Ward 4’s upcoming swing spaces and modernizations, and the decision to relocate Roosevelt STAY to Garnet-Patterson. Members also discussed some details around a roundtable with teachers and assistant principals to discuss teacher retention. Regarding next steps and upcoming work, staff is continuing to work on a state-to-state comparison memo on grow-your-own and apprenticeship programs, mentorship programs, and teacher attrition during the pandemic, and inviting leaders from Tennessee to discuss their teacher apprenticeship work to a future committee meeting.
Read the full minutes here. Watch the recording here.
Administrative Committee (5/16)
Committee members approved the purchase of the Owl Meeting device to improve the quality of hybrid meetings. Members also discussed the space issue with the Ombudsman and Student Advocate offices, but that the space issues will not delay the soft-opening of the virtual launch of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Parent Resource Center.
Accountability and Assessment Committee (5/19)
Committee members discussed takeaways and follow-up actions from OSSE’s presentation at the State Board’s May working session, next steps regarding the Committee’s Research Chart and Memo, and plans to begin research on well-rounded education (WRE) in preparation for a WRE research proposal with a third-party vendor in fall FY23.
Read the full minutes here. Watch the recording here.
Education Standards Committee (5/25)
Committee members discussed updates to the Committee’s literacy work, including that Committee Chair and Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang was accepted into the NASBE Early Literacy Work Group and would be working and learning alongside a diverse group with members from nine NASBE member states (NY, KY, MI, MS, IL, GA, DC, NE, and MD). Further, the Committee will be working with two students enrolled in American University’s ProSeminar course (led by President and Ward 6 representative Jessica Sutter) to receive literacy-focused research and assistance over the summer.
Read the full minutes here. Watch the recording here.
Outreach and Advocacy Committee (5/27)
Committee members discussed the progress of the resolution on sexual assaults in schools, the new guidance and protocols from DC Health on reporting Covid-19 cases, and the increase in incidents of bullying, behavioral concerns, and acts of violence in schools and what the committee can do to mitigate it. The Committee plans to schedule a roundtable within the upcoming weeks to consult with OMB, OSA, DME, DCPS Title IX, and SAC on sexual assault, request an update on COVID protocol from OSSE, and consult with the SAC on bullying, mental health, and acts of violence occurring in schools.
Read the full minutes here. Watch the recording here.
Board Governance Committee (5/27)
Committee members discussed community engagement plans, including an outline of engagement presentations that members will use at local organizations’ meetings (i.e. ward-level education councils, ANCs, and more), the development of metrics for equitable engagement, an education governance survey that is scheduled to be released in June, and plans for focus groups.
Read the full minutes here. Watch the recording here.
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Here are our scheduled meetings for June:
- Wednesday, 6/1 - Working Session, 5pm
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Thursday, June 10 - Accountability and Assessment, 10am
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Monday, June 13 - Student Advisory Committee, 6pm
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Wednesday, June 15 - Public Meeting, 5:30pm
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Friday, June 17 - Outreach and Advocacy, 10am
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Wednesday, June 22 - Education Standards, 5pm
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Monday, June 27 - Student Advisory Committee, 6pm
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Thursday, June 30 - Board Governance, 3pm
Be sure to check out our meeting calendar for the most up-to-date information about our meetings and each meeting's Zoom link.
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Where can I find the State Board's meeting materials?
Agendas, meeting documents, testimony, reports and resolutions to be considered for all working sessions and public meetings after April 1, 2015 can be on our information sharing website, Simbli.
We publish our official documents, like adopted resolutions and reports, letters, and statements, on our website here.
How do I sign up for a public meeting?
There are 3 ways you can sign up:
We ask that you provide us with your name, email address, and subject of your testimony. You must sign up no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Written testimony may be submitted at any time to sboe@dc.gov.
Learn more about our meetings here.
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Who is my representative and how do I get in contact with them?
Your representative is based on the ward you live in. If you are unsure which ward you live in, you can use this tool from the Office of Planning to find out!
We list each representative and their contact information on our website. Click on your representative's bio to find their email, phone number, and Twitter handle.
How do I join the Student Advisory Committee (SAC)?
If you are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior and are interested in joining the Student Advisory Committee, apply today!
Applications are now open until June 15, 2022! Apply at bit.ly/SACapp2022
You can learn more about the SAC's work here.
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The D.C. State Board of Education is an independent agency within the Government of the District of Columbia that advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District’s state education agency. The State Board is made up of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, and four appointed student representatives. The State Board approves statewide education policies and sets academic standards, while OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding. More information about the State Board can be found at sboe.dc.gov.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education serves as an external, impartial resource for current and prospective public-school students and their parents or guardians in the resolution of complaints and concerns regarding public education in a way that furthers the students’ best interest. The Ombudsman’s Office uses conflict resolution strategies, including coaching, facilitation, and mediation, to assist families and schools experiencing disagreement or conflict. More information about the Office of the Ombudsman can be found at educationombudsman.dc.gov.
The Office of the Student Advocate supports students, parents, and families in their advocacy through parent education, one-on-one coaching, resource supports, and trainings in order to amplify the voices of families and communities in processes and decision-making; to provide avenues for access to resources and understanding systems; and to support power families and communities already possess. Contact the Office of the Student Advocate Monday through Friday at (202) 741-4692 for questions or support with charter and neighborhood schools. More information about the Office of the Student Advocate can be found at studentadvocate.dc.gov.
For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
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