 Physical Activity, Physical Education and Health Education Requirements
OSSE's Division of Health and Wellness is providing an annual notification of the physical activity, physical education and health education requirements of all DC public and public charter schools. For the 2024-25 school year, LEA leaders, school principals and health and physical education coordinators, supervisors and educators should collaborate to ensure that each school meets the standards and requirements outlined here. For questions or further assistance, please contact OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
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.
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Start of School Priority Highlight: Standards Implementation
With a focus on continuous improvement to support the whole child, OSSE has developed new Financial Literacy and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards and revised the Social Studies standards. We continue to develop resources to support educators in implementing these standards with success.
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The Financial Literacy Standards act as a guide to elective courses for high school students (grades 9-12). LEAs can implement these standards in the upcoming school year.
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The Social & Emotional Learning Standards are designed to improve school climate and student well-being. All LEAs are expected to begin implementing these standards during the 2024-25 school year.
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The Social Studies Standards focus on the development of historical thinking and analysis, inclusion of civic reasoning as a key skill, and a reduction in a number of standards, with an increase in the rigor of standards. ALL LEAs are required to begin implementing these standards at the start of school.
For questions, please contact our priority leads:
You can also join an upcoming Start of School Office Hours on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 10 - 11 a.m. Register here.
Proposed Early Childhood Transition Policy – Public Comment Opportunity
OSSE invites the public and LEAs to participate in public comment and public hearings regarding the proposed Early Childhood Transition Policy. The proposed policy establishes state-level processes and clarifies requirements to ensure the smooth and effective transition of children with disabilities from early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to school-based special education and related services under IDEA Part B. The proposed policy is available for review on the OSSE's Special Education Policy Notices, Hearings, and Comments page.
The proposed policy will be posted for a 30-day public comment period commencing Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 and closing Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 at 5 p.m. Individuals or entities wishing to comment on the proposed policy should submit their comments in writing via email to OSSE.publiccomment@dc.gov. All comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. Two public hearings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 from 12-2 p.m. and on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 from 5-7 p.m. Individuals interested in attending or testifying at the public hearings should register here.
For questions, please contact Christie Weaver-Harris at Christie.Weaver-Harris@dc.gov.
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 (reminder)
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.
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Canceled: September LEA Special Education Points of Contact Webinar
The September LEA Special Education Points of Contact (LEA SPED POC) Webinar scheduled for Sept. 18 has been canceled. The next LEA SPED POC Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. OSSE will notify all LEA SPED POCs about the LEA SPED POC Webinar schedule for the 2024-25 school year through LEA Look Forward in the coming weeks.
If you have not already signed up for the 2024-25 webinar series, please register here.
If you have any questions about this webinar series, please contact LaShonda Wilson Carter at LaShonda.Wilson@dc.gov.
Deadline Approaching: Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce
OSSE's Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce (ARROW) is announcing the launch of the 2024-25 cohort of the First Year Cadre for school-based behavioral health providers, i.e., school social workers, school psychologists and counselors (school counselors and licensed counselors), who began working in a school-based setting during school year 2023-24 or after! The First Year Cadre is an opportunity for providers in their first year working in a school-based setting to build foundational skills necessary to be successful in the school environment. The cohort will run from October 2024 to June 2025. Please see this one-pager for more information and the eligibility criteria. Applications open Friday, Aug. 9 and close Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
Participants who successfully complete the cadre will be eligible for a $1,000 stipend.
Questions? Reach out to OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
New Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) In-person Professional Development (reminder)
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 (reminder)
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, 3:30 - 5 p.m. Register here.
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Thursday, Sept. 26, 3:30 - 5 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.
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Allocations Now Available: FY25 SOAR Act Formula Grants
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.
Alternative Program Designation – Application Now Available for 2025-26 School Year
LEAs interested in applying for alternative program designation for the 2025-26 school year are now eligible to do so. The application can be found on the OSSE website and will close on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
Please note that alternative program designations are valid for three years from the date the designation was issued by OSSE. All LEAs with alternative programs that were first designated by OSSE in 2021 will now need to reapply for alternative program designation.
On June 14, 2019, OSSE released a Notice of Final Rulemaking proposing a new chapter titled “Alternative Program” to Subtitle A “Office of the State Superintendent of Education” of Title 5 “Education” in the DC Municipal Regulations. This chapter sets forth the eligibility criteria for a school or specialized program within a school to be designated as an alternative education program and establishes the application process.
The final rulemaking can be found in the DC Register and on the OSSE website.
For more information, please contact Gabriel Montague at Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov.
Allocations Now Available: FY25 SOAR Act Formula Grants (reminders)
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September 2024
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