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New: OSSE Highlights Significant Literacy Gains for DC Students Following Five-Year Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant
DC has completed its five‑year, $16 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant—and the results demonstrate the power of sustained, evidence‑based investment in literacy.
According to the final report on the five-year grant, students in participating schools grew 54 percent more in English language arts (ELA) on DC’s statewide assessments than their peers in non-participating schools. Other key outcomes include:
- Elementary students experienced some of the largest improvements, with fifth-grade ELA proficiency more than doubling.
- Eighth-grade ELA proficiency increased 8.8 percentage points from 23.7 percent to 32.5 percent between the 2021-22 and 2024-25 school years.
- High school ELA proficiency rose steadily from 16 percent to 25 percent.
- Economically disadvantaged students in CLSD schools closed more than one-third of the statewide achievement gap and outperformed similar peers by 5.1 points by 2024–25.
- Black or African American students not only caught up to but surpassed their peers in non-participating schools, closing more than one-third of the statewide gap.
The US Department of Education (USED) awarded DC the CLSD grant in 2020 to accelerate literacy growth for DC students. Based on this progress, OSSE will expand literacy efforts. In October 2024, the District was awarded a new $50 million CLSD award that will reach more than 25,000 students in its first year.
Visit OSSE’s website to see results of the $16 million CLSD. To learn more about the second CLSD grant, visit OSSE’s 2026-2029 CLSD website. For questions, please contact OSSE.CLSD@dc.gov.
Excellence In Immunization Compliance Awards Announced (Reminder)
DC Health and OSSE have announced the winners of their annual Excellence in Immunization Compliance Awards for the 2025-26 school year. The award recognizes the schools’ commitment to protecting students from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough.
This year, 173 schools are receiving awards for achieving a compliance rate of 95 percent or more in the key grades of pre-K 3, kindergarten, 7 and 11, and 39 schools are receiving awards for achieving a compliance rate of 90 percent or more in all grades. The winning schools will receive award letters with a digital award emblem that the school can display on their website and/or print out to display at their school. The names of the winning schools can be found here.
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New: Make Your Voice Heard: Wards 1-5 Youth Safety Townhall, April 8
The Safety and Justice Council with Mikva Challenge DC in partnership with the State Board of Education representatives are hosting a Youth Safety Townhall.
Please encourage youth from Wards 1-5 to attend.
This student-led event will give youth who live or attend school in Wards 1-5 the opportunity to share their top school safety and support concerns directly with elected State Board of Education representatives, and to brainstorm solutions to address those issues together in a creative, interactive way.
Date: Wednesday, April 8
Event time: 4:30 - 7 p.m.
Location: Charles Sumner Museum, 1201 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036
- All grade 8-12 students are welcome.
- Food will be provided.
- Community service hours available for any students who attend.
To learn more and RSVP, click here.
New: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Instructional Community of Practice, April 29
OSSE invites educators to participate in a bi-monthly SEL Community of Practice (CoP). These sessions will provide instructional leaders an opportunity to collaborate with peers across schools and LEAs, explore evidence-based SEL strategies, and strengthen systems that promote positive school climate and student success.
Wednesday, April 29, 11- 12:30 p.m. in-person at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE
Please register here
CoP Participants will:
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Engage with tools and resources to foster school-wide SEL- Discuss and explore ways to leverage SEL artifacts and supports (Toolkits, Caregiver Guide, etc.) to inform schoolwide practices and content integration.
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Strengthen educator SEL capacity - Explore strategies for incorporating DC SEL competencies within the classroom context, prioritizing adult SEL and educator wellness.
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Examine barriers to implementation- Identify challenges and practical obstacles that educators encounter while integrating SEL standards and practices, and explore effective solutions.
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Create essential and real-world opportunities for learning- By fostering collaboration, exploring best practices, and facilitating peer-to-peer learning.
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Ambassador SEL on campus- Ensure building principals and leadership are informed of SEL implementation strategies and practices
* This is in-person training, and participants will receive 2 professional learning units (PLUs).
For questions, please contact Marcus Hughes at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov
New: Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Fidelity of Implementation, May 1
OSSE, in collaboration with the MTSS Center at American Institutes for Research (AIR), is hosting a workshop to help educators elevate success for every learner by strengthening their MTSS practices. Specialists from the MTSS Center will lead participants through a reflective review of current implementation efforts, highlighting strengths and uncovering areas for growth supporting the development of actionable next steps for continuous improvement.
This workshop will take place on May 1, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, first floor.
Apply here. Space is limited. Contact Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov for questions.
New: Developing Language for Learning Mathematics Self-Paced Course
Strengthen multilingual learners’ mathematical reasoning through rich, language‑driven instruction. This self-paced course equips K-12 educators with practical strategies to design collaborative tasks, elevate student discourse, and support learners in expressing and co‑constructing mathematical ideas with confidence.
The course is hosted through the WIDA portal. For new users, accounts will be created the next business day from registration.
The expected completion time is four hours. Participants can earn 4 PLUs if completed by May 31. Register here. Contact Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov
New: Tiered-Behavior Solutions Course
The Behavior Solutions self-paced course is designed to help educators build systematic tiers of behavioral supports aligned with RTI at Work™, with a focus on prevention and targeted behavior interventions. Participants will gain knowledge and access to resources to help students establish a regulated state conducive to effective learning and the development of essential academic and social behaviors.
The Behavior Solutions course is hosted through Solution Tree’s Global PD website. For new users, accounts will be created the next business day from registration.
The expected completion time is six hours. Participants can earn 6 PLUs if completed by May 31. Register here. Contact Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov.
Structured Literacy in Action, July 13 and 15 (Reminder)
OSSE is excited to host the first in-person structured literacy training. This two day session for educators teaching and supporting grades K–5, complements OSSE’s asynchronous science of reading training providing participants opportunities to synthesize, discuss, and apply the learning. Successful completion of OSSE’s Science of Reading course is highly preferred but not required. The in-person training will take place at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, on July 13 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional dates will be added based on educator interest.
Session Objectives
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Internalize key research and theoretical models aligned with the science of reading
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Synthesize evidence-based practices for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and writing
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Apply new learning through curriculum alignment, use of OSSE’s instructional walkthrough tool and hands on practice
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Collaborate with OSSE’s literacy team and fellow educators to strengthen structured literacy implementation for the 2026-27 school year
Interested participants register here.
*This in‑person training alone does not meet the kindergarten structured literacy training requirement.
For questions, please contact Vaani Gupta at Vaani.Gupta@dc.gov.
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 the Healthy Schools pledge.
For questions or additional information, please email osse.nutritionprogram@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, 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: FY26 SOAR Act Facilities Competition Now Open – Applications due by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 15
The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Facilities grant competition is now open for applications in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). The request for applications (RFA) was published on Wednesday, April 1 and provides an overview of the grant program, key deadlines, and application requirements.
The SOAR Facilities grant program provides high-quality public charter schools in the District with funds to renovate their facilities. Applications must be submitted online in EGMS no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Please see the RFA for information on eligibility criteria.
Pre-application webinars will be held at the following times:
- Tuesday, April 7 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Register here.
- Thursday, April 9 from 1 - 2 p.m. Register here.
Each webinar will cover the purpose and requirements of the SOAR Facilities grant program, including eligibility, priority areas, and key competition details and deadlines. Interested organizations may register to attend either webinar.
For questions, please contact Safa Babikir at Safa.Babikir@dc.gov.
FY27 Draft State Grant Application for IDEA Part B Open for Public Comment (Reminder)
Every year, OSSE submits an application to USED for the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grant. This grant supports free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. The IDEA application OSSE submits this year will be for funds that would be awarded for FY27.
Members of the public have the opportunity to make comments on OSSE’s IDEA Part B grant application through Monday, April 20. Comments may be submitted to OSSE.PublicComment@dc.gov.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Megan Williams at Megan.Williams@dc.gov.
SOAR Act FY27 Stakeholder Engagement Survey – Input Requested by TODAY, April 3 (Reminder)
Each year, OSSE applies for a grant from the 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 LEAs and charter support organizations in the application. OSSE anticipates that it will be awarded $17.5 million in SOAR Act funding for 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 today, Friday, April 3. Each organization should submit one survey response.
For questions, contact Diana Acosta at Diana.Acosta@dc.gov or (202) 213-7002.
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April 2026
May 2026
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