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New: Home and Hospital Instruction Annual Data Collection for the 2024-25 School Year
LEAs are required to annually provide data to OSSE on parents’ requests for home and hospital instruction (HHI), per DC law (5A 25 DCMR § 2510.1). Specifically, LEAs must report the following:
- All parent requests for HHI including student names, unique student identifier (USI), and date of request;
- Approvals and denials made by the LEA to provide HHI, including the outcome of each reported request;
- The reason for each denial of a request for HHI;
- A list of the names of each licensed pediatrician, licensed nurse practitioner, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed mental health counselor or therapist, or physician assistant who provided the medical certification of need for each request for HHI; and
- Whether instruction was provided in-person or via real-time videotelephony for each approved request for HHI.
OSSE sent each LEA the HHI Annual Data Collection Template on Tuesday, May 6 to be completed and uploaded to the HHI Data Collection folder in Box by Monday, June 30. A reminder email will be sent in the first week of June. Note: To maintain confidentiality of student information, LEAs should not submit the template via email.
Thank you in advance for your attention to these important requirements. LEAs should contact Cameron Martin at Cameron.Martin@dc.gov with any questions as they complete the forthcoming data collection template.
Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements Public Feedback Session, Wednesday, May 28 (Reminder)
OSSE is soliciting feedback on the District’s current high school graduation requirements 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 a virtual public feedback session to hear directly from community members regarding the graduation requirements. If you are interested in participating, please sign-up below.
- Virtual Public Feedback Listening Session for General Public
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 – 5:30-7 p.m. Register here.
For questions, contact Dr. Chimere Jones at osse.hsgradrequirements@dc.gov.
College Financial Opportunities with the U.S. Army (Reminder)
According to the U.S. Army, soldiers receive pay and benefits for their service and hard work, but they also receive high-quality vocational training and can attend college, for little to no cost.
DC students interested in military service can speak with an Army recruiter for more information on a debt-free education through programs such as:
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Minuteman Scholarship - covers 100 percent of the tuition and fees for any university in the U.S;
- Tuition Assistance Program - pays your tuition while serving;
- Loan Repayment Program - pays back your federal student loans;
- Concurrent Enlistment Program – allows new enrollees to plan their college education while also serving.
DC Math Task Force Survey (Reminder)
OSSE is collecting information from community stakeholders on math education, training and instruction in the District. Findings from the survey will inform members of the DC Math Task Force in the development of a math education report to Mayor Bowser and the DC Council. Educators, school administrators, instructional coaches, family members and other community members are encouraged to complete the survey. Responses are confidential.
The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. Access the survey in English or in Spanish (for parents/caregivers only).
For questions related to the survey, please contact Elaine Kuriakose at Elaine.Kuriakose@dc.gov.
Local Wellness Policy Resources and Updated Template, Guide and Checklist (Reminder)
OSSE has released a range of new Local Wellness Policy (LWP) resources, including one-pagers for school leaders and parents, along with updated inclusive and easy-to-use LWP template, guide and checklist. These will assist LEAs in meeting requirements and creating high-quality LWPs aligned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model.
Click here to access these new and updated valuable resources.
Additionally, OSSE is rolling out training opportunities to support LEAs in implementing and optimizing their LWPs. Be on the lookout for information on accessing the training coming soon.
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New: 2025-26 Restorative Justice Technical Assistance Application due Friday, May 30
OSSE will fund a select number of supplemental technical assistance packages during the 2025-26 school year to support schools with restorative justice implementation.
The technical assistance will include three main elements:
- Summer capacity building and planning (summer 2025)
- Planning and implementation assessment (fall 2025)
- On-site and virtual restorative justice technical assistance (fall 2025 - spring 2026)
Restorative DC will provide the technical assistance specific to the needs of the applying school. All DC public and public charter schools serving grades PK4-12 are encouraged to apply.
We invite you to complete the Restorative Justice Technical Assistance Application to support your implementation goals. Applications are due Friday, May 30. For more information, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
New: Social & Emotional Learning Community of Practice
OSSE is excited to introduce the second Community of Practice (CoP) designed specifically to support teachers and instructional leaders to effectively implement the District’s Social and Emotional (SEL) Standards.
The SEL Instructional CoP will provide educators with a collaborative environment to strengthen Adult SEL, exchange best practices, address barriers to implementation, and enhance the integration of SEL in the classroom.
CoP participants will:
- Engage in monthly CoP meetings scheduled for the last Wednesday of each month, from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Please register below.
- Present and analyze problems of practice to develop strategies for advancing SEL integration across content.
- Provide insights on OSSE SEL resources to inform ongoing implementation supports.
- Learn about ongoing professional learning opportunities and resources to support campus needs.
- Be part of a supportive network of instructional leaders that values equity, student success, and whole-child development.
This professional learning opportunity is available to all teachers, instructional coaches, academic deans, and educational leaders within DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools.
To learn more about this opportunity, contact Marcus Hughes at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov.
Trauma-Informed Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators (Reminder)
The Trauma-Informed Social and Emotional Learning for Educators new, asynchronous course will enhance participants’ understanding of how caring for themselves is a critical component to caring for their students. At the end of the course, participants will have an enhanced, evidence-based understanding of the science of regulating themselves and others, the systems that shape their behaviors, foundational best practices for communication and relationships in the classroom and school building, and what they need as individuals to get and stay well so that they can reach their potential as educators.
This four-part module is moderated by an experienced, licensed Mental Health professional from our partners at InSite Solutions which explains the concepts and breaks down the skills into manageable and coachable strategies. The videos will include frequent opportunities for pause and practice with engaging activities and reflection along the way.
Participants will receive 8 professional learning units (PLUs) for completion of all four modules. Registration is now open to participate in this new course offering. To sign in, please click here.
For more information, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
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New: Chef Ann Foundation Bulk Milk Grant Opportunity – Applications Due Thursday, June 26
The Chef Ann Foundation announces the application availability of its bulk milk grant program, which provides schools and districts with bulk milk dispensing equipment and support, including a bulk milk dispenser, stand, reusable cups, dish racks, program and marketing materials, and technical assistance. Bulk milk applications reopened on April 22 with the mission of donating bulk milk equipment to US schools to support both the reduction of food and liquid waste and the increase of environmental sustainability in schools.
Bulk milk is open to K-12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program with an enrollment of at least 100 students per school site. Schools must have a dish machine to wash reusable cups and be able to identify a bulk milk bib supplier in their area.
If your School Food Authority (SFA) is interested in applying to this Chef Ann Foundation grant opportunity, please review the full application. Applications are due Thursday, June 26. The DC Food Policy Council (FPC) team is available to assist SFAs with submitting applications and can be reached at dcfoodpolicy@dc.gov.
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May 2025
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