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New: Upcoming 2025 Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) Public Release
On Friday, Oct. 31, OSSE will publicly post each LEA’s federal fiscal year 2023 (FFY23) Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) on the OSSE SEPR website.
On the morning of release, OSSE will send email templates to all LEA leaders and Special Education Points of Contact to support SEPR communications with parents and staff.
For questions about SEPR, please contact Karen Morgan-Donaldson at Karen.Morgan-Donaldson@dc.gov or (202) 724-7803.
Home and Hospital Instruction (HHI) Policy Reminder (Reminder)
To support students’ access to home and hospital instruction when needed, all LEAs must create and maintain HHI policies that align with District of Columbia requirements. Each LEA must also designate an HHI point of contact and publicly post their policies and point of contact on their website.
Please see OSSE’s HHI resources for additional information about HHI requirements:
If you have not yet posted your HHI policy or designated a point of contact on 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.
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New: Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice
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.
New: Foundational Literacy for Multilingual Adolescent Learners Virtual Book Study
Educators of adolescent multilingual learners are invited to join a virtual book study on Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers. This series will focus on the unique needs of older readers who struggle with decoding or fluency, while exploring ways to integrate reading support into content instruction and intervention. Participants will receive a copy of the book, read independently, and join two professional learning community sessions, both virtual, with a co-author of the text to discuss strategies for implementation.
Teachers and instructional coaches of multilingual learners, newcomers, and students with limited or interrupted education (SLIFE) in fifth grade through adult education are invited to attend. Educators who lead instruction in Spanish are also welcome.
Date & Time:
- Session 1 (Word Recognition Intervention): Friday, Nov. 7, 2- 3:30 p.m.
- Session 2 (Word Knowledge Instruction): Friday, Dec. 12, 2- 3:30 p.m.
Register here for the virtual sessions. You will register once and receive login information for both sessions. Book distribution logistics to be announced.
Attendees will receive 2 Professional Learning Units (PLUs) per session. Please plan to attend both sessions. For more information, contact Francesca Smith at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
New: Engaging Secondary Newcomers in Content Area Literacy with WIDA
In this one-day WIDA workshop, educators will explore key factors that influence literacy development in content areas, focusing on how to engage students in content learning. Participants will learn strategies to analyze newcomers’ literacy strengths and identify areas for growth. Through practical application, educators will gain tools for scaffolding instruction to ensure secondary newcomers can engage with rigorous grade-level content in reading and writing, promoting their academic success.
The session will take place in-person on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Content area and language development teachers in grades 6-12 are invited to attend. Attendees will receive 6 professional learning units (PLUs) for their participation. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
New: Teaching in Spanish: Exploring identities (Enseñando en español: Explorando identidades)
This interactive WIDA-led virtual workshop analyzes the importance of recognizing the dynamics of Spanish and its use in teaching and learning in bi/multilingual classrooms. The central idea in this virtual workshop is to include and affirm the varieties of Spanish in the intentional and effective planning for bi/multilingual students. Using el Marco de referencia de las artes del lenguaje del español de WIDA (Marco ALE), participants will explore teaching and learning practices in Spanish to empower educators and students and strengthen instruction. This workshop will be delivered primarily in Spanish.
The session will take place virtually on Thursday, Nov. 6, from 2-3:30 p.m. Spanish Dual Language educators in grades K-12 are invited to attend. Attendees will receive 2 professional learning units (PLUs) for their participation. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
 OSSE Grant Opportunity for LEAs, ECE Providers to Advance Literacy Outcomes (Reminder)
OSSE has launched two subgrant competitions as part of the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant awarded to OSSE by the US Department of Education.
The purpose of the CLSD grant program is to advance literacy skills through the use of evidence-based practices, activities, and interventions, including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing for children from birth through grade 12. The Request for Applications (RFAs) were released on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, and describe the application process and requirements for both subgrant competitions.
All applications are due by Thursday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. and must be submitted in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS.). Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Prospective applicants are heavily encouraged to watch the Pre-Application Webinar for the subgrant competition(s) they wish to apply. Recordings of the Pre-Application Webinars can be found here. OSSE’s CLSD team is also offering office-hour style technical assistance webinars for prospective applicants throughout the application window.
Applicants can find more information on registration and/or view the recordings for the technical assistance webinars at this link.
For questions regarding the subgrant competitions, please email OSSE at OSSE.CLSD@dc.gov.
Register Now! OSSE Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant Technical Assistance Webinars (Reminder)
Reminder: OSSE CLSD Subgrant Applications are available on the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) and are due on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
For assistance with navigating the CLSD subgrant application process, please attend one of the upcoming technical assistance webinars using the registration links below. While webinars are optional, we heavily encourage applicants to attend for additional assistance.
Please visit the OSSE CLSD website for information and resources to support the application process and reach out to osse.clsd@dc.gov with additional questions. We hope to see you at one of the upcoming webinars!
USED Announces New Funding for School-Based Mental Health Services Grant (Reminder)
The US Department of Education (USED) issued a notice in the Federal Register inviting applications for the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. Per the notice, the award will focus on the recruitment and retention of school psychologists. Applications are due Oct. 29. Please visit the above link for more information.
FY25 SOAR Formula Semi-Annual and Final Narrative Report Due Dec. 12 (Updated Date)
The semi-annual and final narrative reports for the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Formula Consolidated grant are due via email to your SOAR grant specialist no later than Friday, Dec. 12. Please note that this is a change from the original due date to avoid conflicting with the Nov. 21 submission deadline for the FY26 SOAR Formula Consolidated grant application.
An updated reporting template is available on the SOAR Formula webpage under the “Fiscal Year 2025 Resources” section. Both the semi-annual and final narrative report sections are contained within the same reporting template and may be submitted as one document. The reporting period for each report is presented below.
FY25 SOAR Formula Consolidated Grant
Reporting Period: Feb. 1 - Sept. 30, 2025
Report Template Section: Semi-Annual Narrative Report 2
Report Deadline: Friday, Dec. 12
Reporting Period: July 1, 2024 - Sept. 30, 2025
Report Template Section: Final Narrative Report
Report Deadline: Friday, Dec. 12
For questions or additional information about SOAR Formula reporting, please reach out to your SOAR grant specialist.
US Department of Education Announces New Funding for School-Based Mental Health Services Grant (Reminder)
The US Department of Education (USED) issued a notice in the Federal Register inviting applications for the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. Per the notice, the award will focus on the recruitment and retention of school psychologists. Applications are due Wednesday, Oct. 29. Please visit the above link for more information.
For questions or additional information, please follow the link here or email OESE.School.Mental.Health@ed.gov.
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October 2025
November 2025
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