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New: Constitution Day, Sept. 17
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day) is Wednesday, Sept. 17. This day commemorates the Sept. 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution.
Each year on Sept. 17, schools across America commemorate Constitution Day; a time to honor the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and recognize those who have become US citizens.
Educational institutions that receive federal funds for a fiscal year are required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students on Sept. 17 (if it falls on a weekend; it should be held in the previous or next week).
Explore the curated resources on OSSE’s Constitution Day webpage to help bring the Constitution to life in the classroom. The resources provide engaging lesson plans and interactive activities to support meaningful conversations about democracy, civic duty, and the enduring legacy of the Constitution of the United States.
New: 2025-26 Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) Payment Letter
In an effort to provide clear communication, increase transparency, and enhance predictability regarding the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) for school year 2025-26, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) have released updated guidance to public charter local education agencies (LEAs).
The guidance letter provides information on school funding for the upcoming school year, including the timeline for the four regular quarterly payments (which include charter facility payments), three supplemental payments, and two extended school year (ESY) payments.
Please click here to access the letter.
For questions or additional information, please contact OSSE Administrative Officer Gabriel Montague at Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov.
New: Optional Fall 2025 Student DC SAYS Administration
OSSE is offering an optional fall DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) administration for students. This optional administration is in response to requests from LEAs that would like to track student progress during the school year. You are welcome to administer to some campuses and not others. OSSE will not see or report any of these data; they will only be for your school communities. The survey window will be in early November using the student rosters from Count Day. To participate, please sign up here by Sept. 26.
New: Help Shape OSSE’s Model Cellphone Policy
OSSE is gathering input from school leaders, educators, students and families across the District to help develop a model cellphone policy for the 2026-27 school year, as required by the Disconnect Act of 2025 (DC Act 26-0113).
Whether or not your school currently has a cellphone policy, we invite you to complete a short survey to share your experiences and insights on how cellphones affect teaching and learning in the District.
Please take our survey by Wednesday, Oct. 15 and share it widely! Stay tuned for details on upcoming feedback sessions.
For questions or additional information, please contact Lisvette Garcia-Acosta at Lisvette.Garcia-Acosta@dc.gov or Joseph Hood at Joseph.Hood@dc.gov.
New: Nominate Your School Hero! RISEDC nominations open through Oct. 10
OSSE is accepting nominations for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award, a national recognition honoring classified school employees. This award honors bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, and more. Help us spotlight these education heroes in our school communities!
To learn more about the criteria and to submit a nomination, please fill out this form no later than Friday, Oct. 10. For questions, contact Jessica Dulay at Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
New: Thriving Together: Fostering Student and Staff Wellbeing Newsletter
OSSE’s Division of Health and Wellness (H&W) regularly publishes the newsletter, Thriving Together: Fostering Student and Staff Wellbeing. Stay informed about school health and wellness policy updates, upcoming trainings and events, community announcements, local spotlights and more by subscribing here.
Contact Sarah Mack at Sarah.Mack@dc.gov with any ideas, stories, photos or highlights you would like to see featured.
DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) Professional Development (Reminder)
Start the new school year with energy, purpose, and a positive plan for your school community! Last spring, OSSE launched DC SAYS, the new school climate survey for students, staff, and caregivers across all local education agencies (LEAs). Now, it’s time to turn those results into action. To support your work, OSSE is partnering with Panorama Education to offer a series of targeted professional learning sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays through Sept. 25. Whether you’re new to the survey or ready to dive deeper into the data, you can choose the sessions that best match your needs and goals. These sessions include:
- Navigating DC SAYS and Setting Goals
- Taking Action on DC SAYS Results
- Building a Culture of Data Inquiry and Reflection
- Building a Toolkit of Action: Responding Effectively to DC SAYS Survey Results
Alternative Program Designation Application Now Available (Reminder)
LEAs interested in applying for alternative program designation for the 2026-27 school year are now eligible to do so. The application can be found on the OSSE website and will close on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
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 2022 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.
OSSE Wellness Guidelines for Child Care Facilities Self-Assessment (Reminder)
The DC Healthy Tots Program, a partner with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), have released the OSSE Wellness Guidelines Self-Assessment application via Quickbase. All licensed child development facilities received an email from Quickbase on Aug. 25 to access the application. Facilities are encouraged to complete the self-assessment. Learn more about OSSE’s wellness guidelines for child care facilities here.
For more information, please contact Sheena King at Sheena.King@dc.gov.
Parent/Guardian Truancy Mailings for the 2024-25 School Year (Reminder)
DC law requires educational institutions and OSSE to communicate with families regarding student attendance. When a minor student accrues 10 or more unexcused absences in one school year, OSSE must provide the student’s parent/guardian with a Truancy Prevention Resource Guide.
In the coming days, OSSE will send guides to parents/guardians of students who were truant in the second through fourth marking periods of the 2024-25 school year. A copy of the truancy packet is available on OSSE’s website, and further information can be found on the OSSE Attendance and Truancy Resources Website.
For questions or additional information, contact Cameron Martin at Cameron.Martin@dc.gov.
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New: 2025-26 State Title III Advisory Committee Recruitment
Are you an educator, LEA/school leader, parent, teacher educator, research or policy expert, or community organization member who understands the perspectives, strengths, and needs of students who are English Learners? The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) requests applications for the 2025-26 State ESEA Title III Advisory Committee, which serves as an advisory body to support OSSE in carrying out its responsibilities under Title III of ESEA for the District of Columbia. By joining this committee, you will contribute to OSSE’s development of educational programming, administration, and accountability guidelines to support LEAs in ensuring that immigrant children and English Learners attain English proficiency and meet State academic achievement standards.
Apply here by Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Applicants will be notified by Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
For more information, contact Angela Awonaike, Inclusive Practices Manager, at Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov.
New: DC Health and OSSE Undesignated Emergency Medications Program Technical Assistance Call, Sept. 24
OSSE and DC Health will hold a technical assistance call on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. regarding the Undesignated Emergency Medications (UEM) Program. The call will address UEM distribution, incident reporting, Administration of Medication (AOM) training, and school UEM Action plans. UEM school and LEA liaisons, UEM AOMs, school health points of contact (POCs), nurses, and school and LEA leaders should plan to attend. Register here.
Please contact uemeds@dc.gov if you have any questions.
LEA Homeless Liaison Professional Development Training, Sept. 26 (Reminder)
OSSE’s Homeless Education Program looks forward to welcoming all LEA homeless liaisons to a 2025-26 school year kick-off professional development and training day on Friday, Sept. 26 at OSSE.
Creating Successful Outcomes for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Date/time: Friday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, First Floor
Eleanor Holmes Norton conference rooms
Sessions will cover:
- Reporting and homeless liaison training opportunities;
- Dispute resolution policies and best practices;
- Special education and intervention services for students experiencing homelessness;
- Food access resources; and
- Assessment of readiness for robust McKinney-Vento (MKV) Act policies and practices.
LEA homeless liaisons are required to attend and should register no later than Friday, Sept. 19. If you require assistance or have questions, contact Tasheen Stallings at Tasheen.Stallings@dc.gov.
LEAs are required to designate an LEA homeless liaison in their student information systems. Please ensure homeless liaisons are identified for your LEA prior to the training.
Foundations of Special Education Fall 2025 Cohort Program (Reminder)
Enhance your skills and better serve ALL students, especially those with disabilities, by joining the Foundations of Special Education Fall 2025 Cohort Program. Engage in meaningful coursework activities while leveraging the flexibility of technology.
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School Cohort: For DC public and charter schools and Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP) educators, with up to 10 participants per school, including teachers, coaches, service providers, and leaders.
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Special Education Endorsement Recovery Initiative (SEERI) Cohort: Earn a special education endorsement with Praxis support, a voucher, and fee reimbursement.
DC Health and OSSE School Immunization Policy Technical Assistance Call, Sept. 16 (Reminder)
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Key dates for the upcoming school year
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Improvements to immunization data entry and retrieval
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Vaccine opportunities
Immunization Points of Contact (IPOCs), school nurses, LEA and school leaders, and other school staff involved in immunizations should plan to attend. Register here.
For information or questions, please email osse.schoolhealth@dc.gov.
 FY26 ESEA Consolidated Application Update (Reminder)
OSSE has received DC’s fiscal year 2026 (FY26) awards from the US Department of Education (USED) for the following formula grant programs:
- Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Titles I-A, II-A, III-A, and IV-A
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B (Sections 611 and 619)
All FY26 ESEA Titles I-A to IV-A allocations and IDEA allocations have now been posted on OSSE’s website.
The ESEA Consolidated Application (ConApp) was released in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) on Thursday, Sept. 4 and is due on Thursday, Oct. 30. The IDEA Phase II application is already available in EGMS and due on Tuesday, Sept. 30. No changes were made to either application from last year.
For questions on the ConApp, contact Mary Frances Street at MaryFrances.Street@dc.gov. For questions on the IDEA Phase II application, contact Kristen Thomas at Kristen.Thomas@dc.gov.
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