SY 2024-25 School Health Profiles (SHP) – Data Collection in Progress
During the 2024-25 school year, schools within the District will be asked to complete the Healthy Schools Act (HSA) School Health Profiles (SHP). Under Section 602 of the Healthy Schools Act of 2010, all regular K-12 public and public charter schools within the District of Columbia are required to complete and submit the SHP to OSSE each year.
For the 2024-25 school year, the SHP data will be administered from Wednesday, Jan. 15 through Friday, Feb. 14. All schools must complete their profiles through the new application and school-level users should contact LEA data managers to get access. All new users should be added as “School Health Profile POCs” through the All Staff application. Once the LEA data manager has submitted the user updates, new users should expect to receive access after one business day. All users must use the same email address added in the All Staff application to create a new user profile to log in to the SHP application. Please note: Google Chrome is the preferred browser.
When the SHP has been marked as “Complete” on all sections of the SHP and submitted for certification, the LEA Head of School can log in to the SHP application to review all data in preparation for the data certification deadline on Feb. 18, 2025.
Please review this recording to explain how to use the application, how to get access and important steps LEA data managers can take to help schools navigate these changes and submit the SHP by the Feb. 14 deadline. That recording, along with the LEA webinar recording, the FAQs document and the questionnaire can be found on the OSSE Healthy Schools Act webpage.
Key Dates:
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Wednesday, Jan. 15: SHP Application Launched for School-Level Users
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Monday, Feb. 3: OSSE Support Tool (OST) Deadline
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Friday, Feb. 14 by 11:59 p.m.: SHP Data Submission Deadline for School-Level Users
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Tuesday, Feb. 18 by 5 p.m.: SHP Data Certification Deadline by LEA Heads of School
If you have any questions, please contact Norah Khalil at OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov.
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My School DC High School Lottery Deadline and Reminders
The My School DC lottery application deadline for Grades 9-12 is coming up fast on Monday, Feb. 3 at 11:59 p.m. If you are an LEA with eighth graders, please connect with your high school placement team to ensure they know the deadline. With the later application release date this year and recent weather-mandated school closures, we want to ensure all students who need an application are set up for success by the deadline. The My School DC team has communicated reminders directly to all middle school counselors, and we appreciate your support in ensuring all students and families are also aware of this important deadline.
In addition, the recommendation portal used to upload recommendations for selective high school applicants will shut down on Feb. 10. Any recommendations not submitted by this date will result in a student not having a completed application for the lottery. Please reach out to My School DC’s School Success Manager Kelly Brown (Kelly.Brown1@dc.gov) with any questions or if you need support.
Dear Colleague Letter for Special Educator Retention and Principal
On Jan. 13, the US Department of Education (USED) released a Dear Colleague Letter highlighting the critical importance of retaining special educators in their positions, and the crucial role principals play in retaining special education personnel. In partnership with the LEAD IDEA and CEEDAR Centers, USED introduced the Principal Navigator for Special Educator Retention, which includes high-leverage practices and actionable steps that can be used immediately by local administrators to improve retention of special education personnel. Please be sure to check out the navigator and its tools and disseminate to your networks.
Course Data Collection Updates
As of Nov. 8, all LEAs should have mapped their Student and Section Course Data Collection data in the LEA Data Mapping Tool.
Unified Data Errors (UDEs) related to these data are now in the 2024-25 school year (SY2024-25) Unified Data Errors Qlik application. If there are UDEs that need to be resolved by resubmitting Course Catalog data, the Integrated Data Submission (IDS) process for the Course Catalog Collection data will be reopened for resubmission from Feb. 10 through Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. Please note that the new submission will completely overwrite previous submissions, so the entire spreadsheet of Course Catalog data will need to be re-submitted, not just changes.
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The UDE related to course information for students who attend nonpublic schools will be released soon. However, please do not wait to enter course data for nonpublic students.
LEAs can also schedule a one-on-one meeting for assistance using this link. For additional information or questions, please email Whitney Meagher at Whitney.Meagher@dc.gov.
LEA Financial Reporting Application – Submissions due March 14 (reminder)
The LEA financial reporting application for the annual collection of financial expenditure data is now live.
Please click here to view OSSE’s Common Financial Reporting Standards landing page, where you can access the financial reporting Quickbase application, virtual training materials, and LEA financial reporting requirements and guidelines.
All LEAs are required to submit 2023-24 school year financial data to OSSE by Friday, March 14. The DC School Report Card website will then be updated to include the per-pupil financial expenditure data that you submit for each school and LEA.
Additionally, OSSE will hold optional office hours for LEA staff that have questions or need assistance. Please open the hyperlinks attached to the times and dates below to register to attend.
LEA staff with the following roles in the IDS tool currently have access to the LEA financial reporting application.
- Head of School;
- LEA Data Manager;
- Chief Financial Officer; and
- LEA Finance/Grants Manager.
If you have any questions related to the LEA financial reporting application, please contact Gabriel Montague, OSSE Administrative Officer, at Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov or (202) 394-8977.
2025 DC STEM Fair (reminder)
OSSE is excited to announce the DC Secondary STEM Fair and Elementary STEM Exhibition. Both the STEM Fair and Elementary STEM Exhibition will be held on April 5 at Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School. The DC STEM Fair is the longest-running student competition in the District of Columbia. The fair will host an elementary exhibition for students in grades K-5 and a competitive fair for secondary students in grades 6-8 and 9-12. The elementary exhibition and secondary fair will bring together students from all eight wards to showcase their ideas, talents, and innovative research in STEM.
Participants:
- The Elementary STEM Exhibition is open to students in grades K-5 from DC public, public charter, parochial, private and home schools.
- The DC Secondary STEM Fair is open to students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 from DC public, public charter, parochial, private and home schools.
To register or for additional information, visit DC STEM FAIR.
For questions about the DC STEM Fair and Elementary Exhibition, please contact Jhatia McKnight, science specialist, at Jhatia.McKnight@dc.gov.
Statewide School Climate Surveys: Survey Liaison Sign Up and Training (reminder)
OSSE is excited to work with all LEAs to launch the first District-wide school climate surveys for students (grades 3-12 and adult), teachers and school-based staff, and parents/caregivers. OSSE committed to these surveys in our 2023–2025 Strategic Plan and is required by the State Board of Education (SBOE) to include these data on the DC School Report Card. The survey window will be open from Feb. 24-March 28.
OSSE has partnered with Panorama Education, an industry leader in school climate surveys with deep roots in the District. We believe these surveys will provide you and the public with actionable and comparable data, quickly, that are aligned with many of the District’s key priorities. We encourage schools to schedule a half-hour block for students and staff to take the surveys and allow for time to settle in; the median response time during our pilot last spring was around 11 minutes.
In order to ensure a successful survey program, each school campus should select a survey liaison who will make the plans for student survey administration at their campus, including scheduling and technology access for classrooms. They will share proctor resources with educators. They will monitor response rates for students, staff, and family to make sure as many community voices are shared as possible. This should be a campus-level administrator or staff member who works in a school building. Please submit the survey liaison for each campus by using this form. If you would like to have more than one survey liaison on a campus, great! You can submit the form multiple times.
We strongly encourage survey liaisons to attend one of our upcoming administrator trainings. These trainings will be roughly 30-45 minutes and will cover how the survey platform works, how to support students taking the survey, how to use our communications toolkit and answer any questions. The training sessions are available at the following times:
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Friday, Jan. 31: 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
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Tuesday, Feb. 4: 3–4 p.m.
OSSE will also offer a recording of the training if you cannot attend at these times. We have more details on our School Climate Survey page. You are also welcome to email Ben.Peisch@dc.gov with any questions. Thank you for your partnership in this important work!
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Dual Language Research, Policy, and Practice Series (Session 1)
Dual language leaders: Join us for a virtual learning series focused on building connections across schools and sectors in the Washington, DC dual language community. This series will feature presentations from local research, policy, and practice leaders focused on fostering equitable and high-quality dual language education.
The first session’s guest will be Dr. Conor P. Williams, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, who will present on equitable access to dual language immersion schools, both from a national and local perspective.
A variety of dual language leaders are welcome to attend, including LEA leaders, principals, assistant principals, instructional leaders, and operations leaders. The session will take place virtually on Friday, Feb. 21, from 12-1 p.m. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
Supporting Oral Language Development in the Spanish Immersion Pre-K Classroom (Session 2)
This is the second session of a professional learning series exploring how oral language development lays the foundation for strong literacy skills in dual language learners. In this session, teachers will learn and discuss strategies for promoting more conversations in their classrooms and reflect on their alignment to the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).
This session is open to pre-k teachers and paraprofessionals working in Spanish immersion classrooms in dual language schools and will be conducted in Spanish. Prior attendance in Session 1 is NOT required to participate in this session.
The session will take place virtually on Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. DCPS educators will have the choice to attend the same session during the Feb. 14 district-wide professional development day. Attendees will receive 1 professional learning unit (PLU) for their participation. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
Language, Content, and Student Discourse Strategies for Adolescent Multilingual Learners
OSSE is pleased to host veteran language educator and DCPS instructional coach, Patricio Poblete Cortez, for an interactive in-person professional learning session on strategies for teaching content to adolescent multilingual learners, including newcomers and students struggling with literacy skills. Mr. Poblete Cortez will share and model successful instructional procedures, routines, and strategies that encourage students to be actively engaged, learn content through language routines, and develop critical thinking skills. The session will be facilitated bilingually, in English and Spanish, and leverage and model translanguaging pedagogy.
This session will be ideal for general education, dual language, and English learner teachers or coaches working with multilingual learners, grades 6-12. Educators will be encouraged to collaborate across schools.
This session will take place in person at MacFarland Middle School (4400 Iowa Ave. NW) on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Participants will earn 2 PLUs for full attendance and participation. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
Inclusive Leadership Professional Learning Pathway
OSSE is excited to offer a new professional learning pathway for District of Columbia educators beginning November 2024. This pathway equips educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively serve ALL students, especially students with disabilities.
Program Overview: The Inclusion and Inclusive Leadership professional learning series is anchored in OSSE’s Vision of Excellence for Inclusion and Inclusive Leadership. The pathway includes a self-paced, asynchronous virtual course and an aligned Community of Practice (CoP), offering opportunities to earn PLUs. This initiative provides a rich, accessible learning experience through OSSE’s learning management system (LMS).
Inclusive Leadership: Self-Paced Course
Description: Developed by DC leaders for DC leaders, this course provides practical tools, high-impact practices, and valuable resources to enhance inclusive education and leadership to support students with disabilities. Participants will explore real-life examples, evidence-based strategies, and actionable resources. The series includes six self-paced modules, each designed to support professional growth and includes a comprehensive learning project to apply the course content.
CoP participants will:
- Engage in 8-10 hours of coursework, including six self-paced modules and independent learning activities.
- Dig deeply into key topics and resources from the course such as setting goals for your team, building an inclusive adult culture, etc.
- Engage in structured collaboration and reflection with leaders from across the District.
- Participate in at least one visit to an exemplar school.
- Learn from guest speakers with expertise in inclusive leadership.
- Have protected time to workshop implementation ideas and get feedback from peers.
Audience: This opportunity is open to LEA leaders (superintendents, principal supervisors, executive directors, heads of school, network/district instructional leaders, and special education leaders) and school leaders (principals, assistant principals, deans, instructional leaders, directors, and special education leaders) from DC public and public charter schools.
- Participants can earn 8 PLUs by completing all modules and participating CoPs.
To learn more about each opportunity, contact Steaven Hamlin with the OSSE Division of Teaching and Learning (TAL) at Steaven.Hamlin@dc.gov. If you are interested in enrolling in the program, complete the Inclusive Leadership Interest Form.
Additional Resources:
Homeless Education Program: McKinney-Vento Monthly Webinar Sessions
OSSE’s Homeless Education Program has invited subject matter experts to present on a variety of topics that impact students and families experiencing homelessness. These 1-hour monthly webinars are available to LEA and school employees, homeless liaisons, and community partners. Presentations are scheduled each month through May 2025. The registration links for the February and March 2025 webinars are below.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Time: 10-11 a.m.
Presenters: OSSE’s Post-Secondary and Career Education/DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG)
Register: forms.office.com/g/NX6BFPvJYQ
Wednesday, March 12
Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Presenters: Housing Up, Office of Tenants Advocates, and Housing Counseling Services
Register: forms.office.com/g/eHfV3gtLFZ
February LEA Special Education Points of Contact Webinar (reminder)
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 10-11 a.m., OSSE will host the quarterly webinar training for all LEA Special Education POCs (LEA SPED POCs). During this training, OSSE will provide important information relevant to your role as the LEA SPED POC. The agenda will include the following:
- Policy reminders and updates;
- Special Education monitoring reminders and updates;
- Teaching and Learning reminders and updates;
- Special programs reminders and updates;
- Nonpublic placement reminders and updates;
- Transportation updates; and
- Reminders and announcements.
All LEA SPED POCs should plan to participate in each scheduled webinar, as well as share the content, updates, and announcements with relevant staff within your LEA. If you have not already signed up for the 2024-25 school year webinar series, please register here.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact LaShonda Wilson Carter at LaShonda.Wilson@dc.gov.
Attention LEAs with Secondary Transition Age Students: Register for New Professional Development (reminder)
OSSE's Division of Teaching and Learning announced two asynchronous courses on secondary transition programming on the OSSE LMS last month. OSSE highly encourages Special Education professionals and Secondary Transition Specialists within your schools to take advantage of this opportunity.
While the District has made steady progress, USED continues to apply specific conditions to the District’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grant due to low rates of compliance with secondary transition planning requirements. During the 2024-25 school year, OSSE is required to report secondary transition compliance for the monitoring period, Oct. 1, 2024-March 31, 2025.
The following modules will support LEAs to build capacity in the area of Secondary Transition:
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Student-Driven Secondary Transition Planning: This course consists of five asynchronous foundational courses, each focused on a different aspect of the secondary transition planning process. By the end of this course, educators will gain foundational knowledge and increased capacity in developing and implementing high-quality Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs) with secondary transition-age students. Participants can earn up to 15 PLUs for completion of all five modules. Registration link
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Culturally Sustaining Universal Design for Transition (UDT): This course, inspired by Universal Design for Transition: The Educators’ Guide for Equity-Focused Transition Planning, consists of three modules designed to help educators apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in transition planning. It aims to equip teachers and school staff with the knowledge and skills to integrate culturally sustaining practices into the transition process, promoting equity and inclusivity. PLUs for completion of all five modules. Registration link
For more information, contact Byul Yim, instructional systems specialist (Special Education), at Byul.Yim@dc.gov.
School Climate Trainings (reminder)
Start the new year with professional development opportunities designed to boost a positive school climate and support social and emotional learning! Educators are encouraged to register for engaging trainings offered virtually or in-person.
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Restorative Justice and Student Engagement
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Understanding Trauma in Children and How to Develop Healing-Centered Practices
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Mindfulness, Restoration and Joy for Educators - Monthly Training Series
Foundations of Special Education Spring 2025 Cohort Program (reminder)
By providing the foundational knowledge and skills needed to effectively serve ALL students, especially students with disabilities, these professional learning pathways will build the capacity of District of Columbia educators through meaningful and engaging coursework while leveraging the flexibility of technology.
Spring 2025 School Cohort: Four asynchronous courses (self-paced modules) and optional Communities of Practice followed by opportunities to earn two micro-credentials.
Audience: This opportunity is open to all DC public and public charter schools and the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP). Each eligible school will have up to 10 educators participating. Educators include general and special education teachers, staff, service providers, instructional coaches, and school leaders.
Spaces are limited to 50 participants. Teams of up to five participants are given preference and individual educators and LEA staff are welcome to apply.
Special Education Endorsement Recovery Initiative (SEERI): Coursework completion (including micro-credentials) and Praxis exam support, leading to a special education endorsement added to an existing standard teaching credential. Completers will receive a Praxis voucher code and endorsement application fee reimbursement.
Eligibility: This opportunity is limited to pre-K through grade 12 educators serving in DC public and public charter schools who hold a current and active OSSE standard teaching credential in any subject area other than special education, and who are interested in adding a special education endorsement to their existing standard teacher credential.
We are currently accepting applications for the spring 2025 cohort via this link. If you are interested in participating in the spring 2025 cohort, please apply by Jan. 31. Educators will be notified during the week of Feb. 3. Accepted educators will be invited to the course. The official start date is Feb. 3. Any coursework started beforehand will not be counted toward the completion.
The coursework for these initiatives is hosted on OSSE’s learning management system. Details for each opportunity are outlined here on OSSE’s website.
For questions about this opportunity, contact Byul.Yim@dc.gov.
Opportunity for Grade 8 Educators to Participate in Action Civics Professional Learning (reminder)
OSSE is excited to announce that applications for Project Digital Civic Inquiry (DCI) are available!
DCI provides in-depth professional development and six curricular units designed for educators teaching the new Grade 8 Action Civics standards.
Through the DCI curriculum, students learn to evaluate a range of digital sources and use credible sources to inform their developing opinions, discuss what they learn about the issue and potential policy solutions, and plan actions to advocate for their preferred solutions.
Project DCI educators will:
- Participate in a week of in-person professional learning from Aug. 4-8
- Give students short pre- and post-assessments during the school year
- Videotape the implementation of at least two units
- Receive five virtual follow-up coaching sessions during the 2025-26 school year (evenings in September, October, January, February, and April)
Professional learning and coaching will be facilitated by faculty from the University of Maryland and the Close Up Foundation with extensive expertise in teaching digital source evaluation and facilitating discussions. Participants will receive $1,800 for completing both the professional learning institute and follow-up coaching sessions.
Please complete the following brief survey to apply to participate in Project DCI!
Project DCI Application
To see project DCI in the news, check out the recent spotlight of the curriculum and pilot program in Ed Week!
Become a Subject Area Program Reviewer for DC’s Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) (reminder)
Are you an experienced educator with subject area expertise in Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Literacy, Secondary English, Secondary Mathematics, or Secondary Science, and an interest in ensuring effective teacher preparation? Serve as a program reviewer to support OSSE’s subject area program state approval and review process at one of DC’s Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs).
By participating in this review process, you will:
- Review documents submitted by a subject area program, including narratives, a curriculum map, and supporting materials described in this OSSE Handbook.
- Evaluate evidence submitted by a subject area program to demonstrate alignment with OSSE's EPP and Subject Area Program Standards.
- Provide OSSE with a recommendation regarding whether a subject area program has met the required standards.
OSSE will host training sessions for all state program reviewers starting in late January. The full review cycle may take up to 16 hours across multiple days, and current educators who complete at least one review are eligible to earn a $350 stipend and up to 16 PLUs for their commitment and efforts. If you are interested in participating as an OSSE subject area program reviewer, please email Sabrina Alano at Sabrina.Alano@dc.gov. Please be sure to include your name, resume and contact information in that communication.
Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice (reminder)
The Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice is designed to create authentic opportunities for LEA pre-K special education points of contact and those who support this population to collaborate with others and improve learning outcomes for children ages 3-5 with disabilities who are enrolled in early childhood special education programs. Upcoming community of practice sessions will focus on the topics below. All sessions will take place from 10-11 a.m.
Please register for a community practice session(s) using the links above. For questions, contact Dawn Hilton, Supervisory Coordinator for Special Education (Part B-619), at Dawn.Hilton1@dc.gov.
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FY25 Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Competitive Grant Continuation Applications Due by Friday, Feb. 28
For LEAs that had carryover from an FY23 or FY24 SOAR competitive grant, continuation applications are now available in EGMS. Please review the continuation application guidance for detailed instructions on completing the application. Continuation applications must be submitted in EGMS by 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28.
The following SOAR grants are eligible for carryover of remaining grant funds into FY25:
- FY23 SOAR Facilities
- FY24 SOAR Facilities
- FY23 SOAR Third Party
- FY23 SOAR Teacher Pipeline
For questions on SOAR Facilities, please reach out to Marie Hutchins at Marie.Hutchins@dc.gov. For questions on SOAR Third Party or Teacher Pipeline, please reach out to Cynthia Davis at Cynthia.Davis@dc.gov.
New OSSE Direct Loan Interest Rate and Extension Fee Effective Feb. 24
At the start of the pandemic, the interest rate on the Direct Loan program was lowered to 1 percent to support schools with responding to the public health emergency. Effective Feb. 24, the interest rate on the Direct Loan program will be reset from 1 percent to 3.5 percent, and there will be a 1 percent transaction fee for approved loan extensions. This will affect new loan applications submitted on or after Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. These changes will support the replenishment of the direct loan fund by realigning the rate to the market and allow continued affordable financing and support of public charter school facilities in the District.
Since 2003, the Direct Loan and Credit Enhancement funds have provided financing to help public charter schools renovate, construct, acquire, or maintain their facilities. Public charter LEAs or nonprofits authorized to secure financing on their behalf may apply for a direct loan of up to $2 million and/or a credit enhancement of up to $1 million to support facilities projects.
For more information about OSSE’s facilities financing options for public charter schools, please visit this webpage. For questions, please reach out to Brianna Griffin at Brianna.Griffin@dc.gov.
FY25 Q1 Grant Reimbursement Requests Due Jan. 31 (reminder)
We have reached the end of the first quarter of grants that began on Oct. 1, 2024. OSSE requires grantees to submit at least one reimbursement request per quarter. After a grantee has an approved application, they may request reimbursement for any allowable expenditures incurred in the approved award period to date.
For fiscal year 2025 (FY25), Quarter 1 is the period from Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024. Reimbursement requests for this period are due by Jan. 31, 2025 in Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS).
We look forward to reviewing your submissions. Please do not hesitate to contact your OSSE grant specialists for questions or technical assistance.
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January 2025
February 2025
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