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New: DC Health Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Survey
DC Health in collaboration with the DC Vaccine Alliance is conducting a survey to collect community feedback about knowledge and beliefs concerning HPV and the HPV vaccine to inform DC Health immunization activities. HPV is a virus that can cause cervical, throat, and anal cancer, and genital warts.
DC Health is asking schools to share the following survey link with families: HPV Vaccine Survey_Rapid Community Assessment. The survey will remain open through March.
For more information or questions, please email osse.schoolhealth@dc.gov or visit DC Health.
New: DC Physical Education Standards, Public Feedback Requested
OSSE has proposed updates to the DC physical education standards and wants your feedback. The public comment period will be Monday, Feb. 16 to Wednesday, March 13.
To provide public comment, please complete the following form:
OSSE will also hold listening sessions to hear directly from members of the public regarding these standards. If you are interested in participating, please sign up below. Additional sessions may be added depending on interest.
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Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. – Physical Education Standards Listening Session for DC Educators: Sign-up here
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Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. – Physical Education Standards Listening Session for LEA and School Leaders: Sign-up here
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Thursday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. – Physical Education Standards Listening Session for General Public: Sign-up here
If you have any questions about the standards revision process or opportunities for feedback, please contact OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) Administration Window (Reminder)
OSSE is excited to announce that the DC SAYS spring 2026 survey window will be March 2 – April 3. The survey content and administration process will be the same as last spring. Please note that as part of a multi-pronged effort to turn the data around faster this year, OSSE will not extend the window as we did last year.
To successfully administer the student survey, every school with students in grades 3 and above should appoint a “survey liaison” who will develop plans for administration at their campus, coordinate technology access for classrooms, share proctor resources with educators, and monitor survey response rates.
OSSE is encouraged by the high participation in the first year of administration and the fantastic efforts put forth by schools and LEAs. If you have any questions or concerns, please email osse.dcsays@dc.gov and an OSSE team member will be sure to respond. We are excited for 2026 and thank you and your teams in advance.
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New: Foundational Literacy for Multilingual Adolescent Learners 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 and 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 with fellow educators 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 a virtual session. Educators who lead instruction in Spanish are also welcome.
- Session 1: Tuesday, March 10, 2-3:30 p.m.
- Session 2: Thursday, April 9, 2-3:30 p.m.
Register here.
Attendees will receive 3 Professional Learning Units (PLUs) per session. For more information, contact Francesca Smith at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
New: DC’s New Structured Literacy Competency Requirement Office Hours
OSSE will host optional office hours to answer questions about this requirement on the following days.
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Thursday, Feb 19, 11-12. Join here
- Thursday, Feb 26. 11-12. Join here
- Friday, March 6, 11-12. Join here
- Thursday, March 12, 11-12. Join here
New: Structured Literacy Walkthrough Tool Cohort
The Structured Literacy Walkthrough Cohort is an innovative initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of literacy leads and school leaders directly focused on literacy outcomes in supporting teachers' implementation of structured literacy practices. This pilot will focus on using OSSE's Instructional Walkthrough Tool to enhance instructional coaching and improve early literacy outcomes in elementary schools.
This program offers targeted professional learning, collaborative practice, and actionable feedback cycles designed to deepen expertise in structured literacy and enhance the use of the OSSE Instructional Walkthrough Tool.
Key Dates for Whole Group Sessions:
- Wednesday, March 11: Program Launch
- Wednesday, April 8: School Site Learning Walk 1
- Wednesday, May 13: School Site Learning Walk 2
- Monday, July 20: Summer Strategic Literacy Planning Part 1
- Wednesday, July 22: Summer Strategic Literacy Planning Part 2
- Wednesday, September 16: School Site Learning Walk 3 and Cohort Closing
Registration closes on Friday, Feb. 27. This pilot is only open to six schools, so space is limited. Apply here.
New: Leveraging Restorative Justice to Move from Trauma-Informed to Healing-Centered Engagement
Being trauma-informed is often thought of as the end of a process. For some, it begs the question, and then what? Now that we are informed, what do we do with the information? Discussion around being trauma-informed often stays within the boundaries of the trauma, frequently revisiting the trauma and its triggers. As discussed by Dr. Shawn Ginwright, healing-centered engagement is an essential step towards wellness. Healing-centered engagement requires attention to possibility, providing a glimpse into what lies ahead, and the work needed to arrive at a desired destination, looking back only to gauge the distance traveled. Healing-centered engagement centers resilience, repair, and renewal, intentionally moving and working towards establishing different options and opportunities.
This training will take place on Tuesday, March 17 at 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Room 108. Register here. Participants will receive 6 PLUs for full participation. For questions, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Instructional Community of Practice (CoP) (Reminder)
The SEL Instructional CoP supports teachers and instructional leaders with a collaborative environment to exchange best practices, strengthen adult SEL strategies, address challenges through discussions of Problems of Practice, and enhance the integration of SEL in the classroom.
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Engage in bi-monthly CoP in-person meetings scheduled from 4 - 5:30 p.m. at OSSE (1050 First Street NE). Learn more and register at the links below.
- Learn about ongoing professional learning opportunities and resources to support campus SEL needs.
- Explore ways to leverage SEL artifacts and resources (Toolkits, Caregiver Guide, etc.).
- Analyze DCSAYS data to build educator capacity to take informed action
- Explore strategies for incorporating DC SEL competencies within the classroom context.
- Identify challenges and practical obstacles that educators encounter while integrating SEL standards and practices, and explore effective solutions.
For questions, please contact Marcus Hughes with the OSSE Division of Teaching and Learning at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov.
Become a Shared Roots Site (Reminder)
OSSE and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation are partnering to connect District residents with food and gardening in their communities with the help of school gardens.
DC public and public charter schools with gardens can participate by becoming a Shared Roots site and provide access for community members to garden, grow, or maintain the school garden over the summer months. Please apply here by Thursday, Feb. 19.
Please contact Sam Ullery at Sam.Ullery@dc.gov for additional information or questions.
Leveraging Technology to Meet the Needs for All Learners, Feb. 23 (Reminder)
Join OSSE for a hands-on session focused on leveraging technology to meet students’ diverse academic and communication needs. Participants will explore practical ways to integrate technology tools into daily instruction and learn how these tools support students in school and beyond.
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Making Lessons Accessible with Technology: Monday, Feb. 23, 9 – 11 a.m. Register here
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Beginners: Monday, Feb. 23, 12 – 2 p.m. Register here
Location: OSSE, First Floor (1050 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
Space is limited to 50 educators. Attendees will receive 2 PLUs for each session. For more information, contact Byul Yim at Byul.Yim@dc.gov.
 New: FY24 Title IV-A LEA Data Now Available
In accordance with federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title IV, Part A reporting requirements, OSSE collects and publishes annual data on Title IV-A grant funding for District of Columbia local education agencies (LEAs). The fiscal year 2024 (FY24) Title IV-A expenditure and programmatic reports are now available on OSSE’s website.
The reports summarize how LEAs have expended Title IV-A funds and include LEAs’ self-evaluation of progress toward Title IV-A program objectives.
Only LEAs that did not consolidate or transfer FY24 Title IV-A funds (i.e., maintained their Title IV-A grant funds) are included in the reports.
For questions or additional information, contact Julia Taylor at Julia.Taylor@dc.gov.
New: IDEA Financial Compliance Reporting – MOE, Excess Cost, and CEIS Due March 2
Each year, local education agencies (LEAs) receiving Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants must report financial data to demonstrate compliance with Maintenance of Effort (MOE), Excess Cost, and Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) requirements. The fiscal year 2025 (FY25) IDEA Financial Compliance Reporting Workbook submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, March 2.
To review the reporting requirements and how to complete and submit the workbook, please see the FY25 IDEA Financial Compliance Reporting Instructional Guide and webinar recording on OSSE’s IDEA Training and Technical Assistance webpage.
For questions or assistance, contact Kristen Thompson at Kristen.Thompson@dc.gov.
Grant Opportunity: Partnerships for School Attendance (PSA) Grant (Reminder)
OSSE is soliciting grant proposals from eligible community‑based organizations (CBOs) for the Partnerships for School Attendance (PSA) grant program.
OSSE will award approximately $2 million total in competitive grants to CBOs to support initiatives aimed at improving student attendance and engagement in schools across the District of Columbia. The competition is now open and applications must be submitted by CBOs by Friday, March 20 in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS).
To be eligible, CBOs must partner with DC public or public charter schools serving grades K–12. All applications must include a formal partnership agreement with the school, signed by the LEA’s designee.
Please see the RFA for more information on the grant opportunity.
For questions or additional information about the PSA grant, please contact Rudy Arellano at Rudy.Arellano@dc.gov or (202) 322-1713.
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February 2026
March 2026
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