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New: SY 2025-26 School Health Profiles – Certified PDFs Now Available for Download
The School Health Profile (SHP) for schools in your LEA are ready for download. Please log in to the SHP application using the instructions below. Please note, all schools have been notified that the Healthy Schools Act of 2010 (HSA) requires each public and public charter school to post the information online if the school has a website and make the form available to parents in its office.
Download Instructions:
- Log in to the SHP application using your existing user credentials.
- Click on "School Health Profile for current school year," which will show you a list of all schools within your LEA.
- To download an individual school’s PDF, click on the school name and then click on the blue download icon on the top right corner of the school profile page.
- Select "Certified Survey (PDF)," and the PDF will automatically download to your computer.
Please ensure the SHP is published to your school’s website by the end of day Friday, April 24. The SHPs for all schools are also published on the OSSE Healthy Schools Act School Health Profiles website as required by the HSA.
Please email OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov if you have any questions or concerns.
OSSE Highlights Significant Literacy Gains for DC Students Following Five-Year Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (Reminder)
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, 182 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: 2026 National History Teacher of the Year Nominations
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for the 2026 National History Teacher of the Year.
Each year, Gilder Lehrman recognizes first-rate K–12 teachers who find creative ways to bring history to life in their classrooms. Winners are selected from each state and US territory and become finalists for the national award.
State History Teachers of the Year receive:
- $1,000
- Recognition at a ceremony in their state
- Free entry to the Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium or free enrollment in an MA course
- Free classroom materials
The National History Teacher of the Year receives $10,000 and is honored at a ceremony in New York City.
The deadline for 2026 nominations is Thursday, April 30.
Learn more and nominate a teacher at gilderlehrman.org/nominate.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Instructional Community of Practice, April 29 (Reminder)
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
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Fidelity of Implementation, May 1 (Reminder)
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.
Developing Language for Learning Mathematics Self-Paced Course (Reminder)
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
Tiered-Behavior Solutions Course (Reminder)
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.
 FY26 SOAR Formula Consolidated Post-Award Webinar and Narrative Reporting Update (Reminder)
OSSE will host a post-award webinar for public charter LEAs that have been awarded one or more fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Formula grants (i.e., Academic Quality and Early Childhood).
This webinar will cover expectations and requirements of the grants, including reimbursement request submission, maintaining the Central Data application, narrative reporting requirements, and budget amendments. Attendance is highly recommended for new LEA staff.
The webinar will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 23. Please register here to attend.
Reporting update for FY26: OSSE is adjusting the narrative reporting requirements for the SOAR Academic Quality and Early Childhood grants. LEAs will not need to submit a semi-annual report in May, as typically occurs. Instead, LEAs will be required to submit one narrative report covering the entire award period (July 1, 2025 - Sept. 30, 2026) in November 2026. An updated reporting template will be shared in a future newsletter announcement.
For any questions, please reach out to your LEA’s SOAR program contact or OPCSFS.Funding@dc.gov.
FY26 SOAR Act Facilities Competition Now Open – Applications due by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 15 (Reminder)
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 were held on April 7 and 9. The recording and slide deck will be available on the SOAR Facilities webpage by Friday, April 17.
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.
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April 2026
May 2026
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