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New: Shape and Refine OSSE’s next Strategic Priorities for 2026-2030
OSSE supports learners citywide from birth to adulthood. OSSE is continuing to develop its next five-year strategic plan and is seeking feedback on proposed priorities, initiatives, and progress measures that will guide the agency’s work from 2026 through 2030.
This round of engagement builds on earlier stakeholder input and focuses on refining OSSE’s direction to ensure the plan is focused, actionable, and responsive to community needs.
We want to hear from LEA leaders, educators, and school communities across DC on the proposed priorities and initiatives for the coming years. Your voice is vital in ensuring we are having the most impact for DC students and families. Please share this survey with your LEA and school staff and families so that we can learn about their perspectives. Survey closes Friday, March 27.
DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) Window Open Until April 3 (Reminder)
OSSE is excited to see a successful two weeks of DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS). We are grateful for all the responses we are seeing so far. As a reminder, the survey window closes on April 3 and is available for District students, teachers and school-based staff, and parents and caregivers. We encourage you to share messaging to your school communities using our communications toolkit found on the DC SAYS website.
For questions, please email OSSE.DCSAYS@dc.gov.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability OSSE is Seeking Public Comment (Reminder)
After 12 years, the District of Columbia will transition to new statewide assessments in English language arts (ELA) and math in the 2026-27 school year. Because these assessments are new, OSSE will not have two consecutive years of comparable assessment data to calculate student growth scores. Therefore, pursuant to 20 U.S.C. §7861 (“Waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements”), OSSE will request a one-year waiver of certain Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements from the US Department of Education (USED). OSSE is requesting a waiver from the following statutory requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):
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Statewide requirements in Section 1111(c)(4)(C) to meaningfully differentiate, on an annual basis, all public schools;
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Statewide requirements in Section 1111(c)(4)(D) and Section 1111(d)(2)(C) to identify schools for comprehensive, targeted, and additional targeted support and improvement; and
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Statewide requirements in Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i)(IV) to include the system for meaningful differentiation for all public schools on the annual state report card.
With this one-year waiver request, OSSE’s overarching goal is to maintain the integrity of its accountability system as a valid and consistent measure of student performance and school quality. In short, OSSE does not want to produce accountability scores without student growth included.
The full waiver is available for your review here and in the DC Register. As required by USED, OSSE will collect public comments until Tuesday, March 31. OSSE will consolidate and post all public comments it receives.
Please send your public comments to osse.essa@dc.gov with the subject line “ESSA Waiver Public Comment” by Tuesday, March 31.
Resources to Support Military Connected Youth (Reminder)
For staff supporting military-connected students experiencing, or potentially experiencing, family deployment, the following resources are available. These tools offer practical guidance for educators and caregivers.
For additional questions, please contact Joseph Hood, Policy Analyst, at Joseph.Hood@dc.gov.
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Take the Healthy Schools Pledge for Growing Healthy Schools Month (Reminder)
This April, join our District LEA community in celebrating Growing Healthy Schools Month (GHSM)! GHSM celebrates how schools across the District of Columbia are creating healthy places for all students. During the month of April, let us know how your school contributes to a healthy school environment by taking Healthy Schools pledge.
For questions or additional information, please email osse.nutritionprogram@dc.gov.
2026 Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching, July 14-17 (Reminder)
Applications are now open for 2026 Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching, happening July 14-17, 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
This is a four-day training, consisting of 30 hours of intensive in-person training for 40 kindergarten to fifth grade public and public charter school teachers. The goal of this training is to inspire and support teachers and school staff to integrate their school garden more fully into their daily educational activities.
Applications will be accepted now through Friday, May 1. The priority deadline is Monday, April 6. Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis starting April 9, until full. All participants receive a stipend. Click here to apply and learn more. For more information, please email Sam Ullery, School Gardens Specialist, at Sam.Ullery@dc.gov
Register for Explicit Writing Instruction for Secondary Multilingual Learners, March 26 (Reminder)
In this session, teachers of multilingual learners (MLs) in secondary grades will focus on the sentence-level to support students’ writing growth. Participants will explore strategies from The Writing Revolution, make connections to ML research and WIDA standards, and see classroom examples from a DC teacher.
The session will take place in-person on Thursday, March 26 at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, from 1:30 - 4 p.m. Attendees will receive 3 professional learning units (PLUs) for their participation. Register here.
For more information, contact Francesca Smith, Multilingual Specialist, at Francesca.Smith@dc.gov.
DC STEM Saturday, March 28 (Reminder)
DC STEM Saturday will bring together students from all eight wards to participate in math games and to showcase ideas, talents, and innovative research in STEM. All are welcome to attend, regardless of if you are participating in the STEM Fair.
When: Saturday, March 28, 8:30 am-1:30 pm
Where: Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, 101 N. St NW, Washington, DC 20001
The DC STEM Fair is affiliated with Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Challenge and Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF). There will be an elementary exhibition for students in grades K-5 and a competitive fair for secondary students in grades 6-8 and 9-12. The DC STEM Fair is open to all DC students.
There's still time to register. Click here to sign up. Registration will close on Wednesday, March 25 at 5 p.m.
For more information or to register, please visit osse.dc.gov/dc-stem-fair or contact Noelani Mussman at Noelani.Mussman@dc.gov.
Professional Learning Session: Instructional Supports for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Reminder)
Learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and instructional strategies to support students’ academic, behavioral, and cognitive needs. This professional learning session will cover instructional supports, accommodations, and approaches that can be applied in the classroom.
Location: OSSE Main First Floor (1050 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
Space is limited to 40 educators. Attendees will receive 4 PLUs for each session. There will be two optional follow-up virtual sessions.
For more information, contact Angela Awonaike at Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov
 New: SOAR Act FY27 Stakeholder Engagement Survey – Input Requested by Friday, April 3
Each year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) applies for a grant from the US Department of Education (USED) under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act to support the public charter sector in the District of Columbia. In the application, OSSE must outline priorities for this grant and provide a breakdown of how funding will be used to support public charter local education agencies (LEAs) and charter support organizations in the application. OSSE anticipates that it will be awarded $17.5 million in SOAR Act funding for fiscal year 2027 (FY27).
OSSE is requesting input from public charter LEAs and nonprofit charter support organizations based in the District on its tentative proposal for FY27 SOAR Act funding. To provide your input, please complete the SOAR stakeholder engagement survey by Friday, April 3. Each organization should submit one survey response.
For questions, contact Diana Acosta at Diana.Acosta@dc.gov or (202) 213-7002.
New: FY26 SOAR Act Facilities Competition – Application Opens April 1
The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Facilities grant application for eligible public charter local education agencies (LEAs) will open on Wednesday, April 1. The SOAR Facilities grant program provides high-quality public charter schools in the District with funds to renovate their facilities.
The notice of funding availability (NOFA) published on Friday, March 13 includes information on eligibility, requirements, and grant application timelines. The request for applications (RFA) will be released on Wednesday, April 1.
LEAs must submit applications in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, May 15. For questions, contact Safa Babikir at Safa.Babikir@dc.gov.
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March 2026
April 2026
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