 Student Immunization Opportunities (reminder)
The best place for DC families to access immunizations is with your family medical provider as part of their comprehensive well-child care. If a family does not have a health care provider or they have difficulty securing an appointment, they can select from DC Health’s list of pediatric vaccine providers in every ward.
DC Health has also posted additional pediatric vaccine opportunities available each day for the month of August. Visit the DC Health website for up to date information on vaccine requirements and opportunities.
School Immunization Policy Updates Technical Assistance Call (reminder)
On Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 10 to 11 a.m., OSSE and DC Health will hold a technical assistance call regarding updates to the School Year 2024-25 School Immunization Policy. The call will cover key dates for the upcoming school year, improvements to immunization data entry and retrieval, and vaccine opportunities. LEA and school leaders, as well as school staff involved in immunizations, should plan to attend. Register here.
2024-25 School Year School Immunization Policy (reminder)
The School Immunization Policy for the 2024-25 school year is now live on the OSSE immunization website. Updates to the School Immunization Policy for the 2024-25 school year include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Key dates for school immunization activities in the 2024-25 school year, including District-wide notification (Oct. 28, 2024) and exclusion dates (Dec. 9, 2024); and
- New guidance on appointment cards.
Aligned resources will continue to be posted on the OSSE immunization website in the coming weeks. Remember to communicate with families to ensure students are up to date on their immunizations before the start of the school year. Here are some revised immunization resources available on the OSSE immunization website:
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Start of School Priority Highlight: Immunization
Schools play an important role in keeping students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. All public and public charter schools will implement the District’s School Immunization Policy for the 2024-25 school year.
- School health teams are responsible for tracking immunization compliance and notifying families of students who are out of compliance.
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Non-compliant students in grades pre-K 3, kindergarten, 7, or 11 will be eligible for temporary exclusion from school until their immunization certification is met.
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On Dec. 9, 2024, temporary exclusions will begin for students who remain out of compliance.
For more information on OSSE’s start of school immunization efforts, please visit the Start of School website. Please reach out to OSSE.health@dc.gov with any questions or concerns or join our Start of School Office Hours on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 10 - 11 a.m. register here.
Home and Hospital Instruction (HHI) Policy Reminder
All LEAs are required to post their HHI policies on their respective websites and include a designated point of contact for HHI-related inquiries.
For additional information about HHI requirements, please review the following resources:
If you have not yet posted your HHI policy or designated a point of contact to your LEA website, please post this required information as soon as possible. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please contact Cameron Martin at Cameron.Martin@dc.gov.
Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements: Feedback Sessions
OSSE’s Division of Postsecondary and Career Education is soliciting feedback on the District’s current high school graduation requirements and the development of a DC-wide Graduate Profile as part of the Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements initiative. An essential component of the work is hearing from District stakeholders on what students should know and be able to do by the time they graduate from high school, as well as gather feedback on the current high school graduation requirements.
To learn more about the development process, visit our website here. To provide feedback, please complete the following form: OSSE Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements Public Feedback Form.
OSSE will also hold public feedback sessions to hear directly from community members regarding the DC-wide Graduate Profile and Graduation Requirements. If you are interested in participating, please sign-up below.
- Public Feedback Listening Session for the Education Community
- Public Feedback Listening Session for General Public
For questions, contact Dr. Chimere Jones at Chimere.Jones@dc.gov.
August Literacy Announcements (reminder)
OSSE is thrilled to announce the release of two new resources aligned with structured literacy. These resources were developed by OSSE's literacy team with valuable input from District teachers, coaches, and leaders.
The Structured Literacy Recommended Training List provides a comprehensive list of research-aligned structured literacy training. By ensuring all educators show competency in structured literacy instruction, students will receive evidence-based reading instruction needed to become confident, skilled, and enthusiastic readers.
The Structured Literacy Walkthrough Tool and Guidance Document support educators in implementing structured literacy instruction. These tools will assist LEAs in analyzing and providing targeted feedback on structured literacy instruction, helping all students develop as confident and joyful readers.
2023 DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Files ON HOLD (Update from July 26) (reminder)
Please be advised that the high school data files from the 2023 DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) have been temporarily removed from the OSSE website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified errors in the data weighting and is currently recalculating it to ensure accuracy. In the meantime, please refrain from using the high school data.
This is an update from the release of the data files on July 26. We will notify you as soon as the updated files are available.
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New Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) In-person Professional Development
Join us for a full-day in-person professional learning opportunity answering the questions “Why UDL?” and “What is UDL?” Participants will explore the basics of UDL, a framework for inclusive education that empowers all students to become expert learners. We will dive into how we can build more flexibility into our lesson design to ensure all learners have the opportunity to succeed at high levels.
All pre-K through grade 12 educators, general education teachers, special education teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators serving in DC public and public charter schools are invited to attend. Space is limited to 60 participants.
- Date and time: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Location: OSSE Headquarters, 1050 First St. NE
- Speaker: Mirko Chardin, Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, Novak Education – learn more about Mirko here.
Registration: Interested educators can register for the event via this link.
For questions, please contact Byul Yim at Byul.Yim@dc.gov.
DC Health Education Standards Revision: Stakeholder Engagement Opportunities
This fall, OSSE is revising the DC Health Education Standards following the release of new national health education standards. OSSE is seeking input from DC health and physical education teachers and interested organizations or community members to inform the revisions. DC health and physical education teachers, organizations or individuals who are interested in providing feedback, please register for the appropriate focus groups below. If you have any questions about the standards revision process or focus group opportunities, please contact OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
DC Health and Physical Education Teacher Focus Groups'
These will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams:
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Tuesday, Sept. 17, 3–4:30 p.m. Register here.
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Thursday, Sept. 26, 3–4:30 p.m. Register here.
DC Community-Based Organization Focus Groups
These will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams:
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Thursday, Sept. 19, 1–2:30 p.m. Register here.
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Tuesday, Sept. 24, 1:30–3 p.m. Register here.
Application Now Open for 2024-25 Superintendent’s Advisory Councils (reminder)
OSSE is seeking teachers, school leaders and family members to participate in the 2024-45 Superintendent’s Advisory Councils (SACs). The councils meet regularly with OSSE leadership and staff to provide insights and ask questions about OSSE programs and policies. OSSE is especially excited to launch the Superintendent Advisory Council – Family Advisory Council this school year.
The applications for the 2024-25 SACs for Teachers, School Leaders and Family Members are now live! Members of the 2024-25 SACs will share their insights, suggestions and feedback with OSSE to help refine current policies and inform the development of new policies and resources at the state level regarding various topics. OSSE seeks a diverse group of educators, school leaders and family members from across the city who reflect the demographics of the District’s students. Members of the 2024-25 SACs will serve a term of one school year, beginning in October 2024. The first meeting for all three advisory councils will be held in person at OSSE (1050 First St. NE, Washington, DC) in October 2024.
All applications for the 2024-25 Superintendent’s Advisory Councils will close on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024:
For questions, please contact Megan Dumond at Megan.Dumond@dc.gov.
New Social Studies Standards Resources Now Available! (reminder)
OSSE is excited to unveil a new collection of curricular resources designed to support teachers in implementing the updated Social Studies Standards.
The comprehensive materials, available on the Learning Management System (LMS), include driving questions, primary sources, detailed lesson plans, and educator background information aligned to each standard for every grade level.
Designed to enrich social studies instruction, these tools will help students engage in historical thinking and document-based discussion for each standard. Visit the Social Studies Standards website to register for subject specific resources on the LMS and notification as OSSE releases additional resources.
Stay tuned for more information on upcoming training sessions and support opportunities. If you have specific questions or would like to develop professional learning or coaching for your LEA, please contact Madison.Kantzer@dc.gov.
Social Studies Resource Spotlight (reminder)
Have you explored OSSE’s curricular resources for the new Social Studies Standards? OSSE has produced curricular resources to promote document based historical inquiry and the development of historical thinking skills with every standard.
Consider the spotlight resources below:
WH2.22 Analyze the reasons for and social consequences of the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation and Scientific Revolution in Europe, identifying major achievements of each movement and the impact of each on the dissemination of power within Europe.
Driving Question: Was the Renaissance a European affair?
To answer this question, students evaluate Hans Holbein’s painting The Ambassadors and evaluate the different global influences present in the image.
Register for the World History II LMS to access similar resources, including sample assessment prompts and standard specific professional development modules.
If you have specific questions or would like to schedule custom professional learning for your LEA, please contact Madison.Kantzer@dc.gov.
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Allocations Now Available: FY25 SOAR Act Formula Grants (reminders)
Allocations for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Formula grants, which includes SOAR Academic Quality and SOAR Early Childhood, are now available on OSSE’s website.
The FY25 SOAR Formula Consolidated application will be released in OSSE’s Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 and the deadline for LEAs to submit the application will be 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. The award period for these grants will be July 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2025.
For questions or additional information about the FY25 SOAR Formula Consolidated grant, contact your OSSE grant manager.
OSSE Grantees Must Submit Updated Payment Information (reminder)
Grantees’ Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment information in the District Integrated Financial System (DIFS) expires every three years. To ensure your reimbursements can be sent directly to your chosen account, ACH payment information needs to be renewed before expiration.
To support grantees in maintaining updated payment information, OSSE emailed impacted organizations in early July to provide instructions for updating ACH payment information before it expires on Sept. 30, 2024.
To prevent payment delays, grantees with expiring ACH information should submit the following forms, in addition to a bank letter or voided check, to osse.suppliermaintenance@dc.gov as soon as possible. All three forms were emailed to the impacted organizations in early July.
- Master Supplier Form
- W-9 Form
- ACH Form
For questions or additional information, please contact Mabel Kennedy at Mabel.Kennedy@dc.gov.
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September 2024
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