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New: Nominate an Excellent Educator
OSSE is proud to highlight outstanding educators from across the District through several recognition programs, including the DC Teacher of the Year award and the Educator Talent Pool.
The District of Columbia Excellent Educator Nomination Form is now open for the 2027 award cycle. We invite you to submit nominations for consideration for the 2027 DC Teacher of the Year and other educator recognitions open to teachers and other school-based staff. Self-nominations are welcome.
For questions, please reach out to Rachelle (Rey) Yombo, Special Assistant for Teaching and Learning, at Rachelle.Yombo1@dc.gov.
All 2026-27 School Year Calendar Submissions Due June 23 (Reminder)
All calendar compliance materials are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23. By that date:
- Calendars and instructional hours must be submitted to eSchoolPLUS.
- Any calendar waiver requests, including half-day waivers and routine distance learning plans, must be submitted in the OSSE Support Tool.
- 2026-27 school year calendars must be submitted as “Ready for Review” in the Instructional Day Calendar Compliance sheet of the SY26-27 Data Validation QLIK application.
For more information, reference OSSE’s 2026-27 school year Instructional Day and Distance Learning Guidance and the Data Validation Technical Guide located in the SY26-27 Data Validation QLIK application sheet. Please direct any questions to osse.calendarwaivers@dc.gov.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Practice and Policies Survey Results Available (Reminder)
OSSE’s vision is that DC learners of all ages and backgrounds are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue and thrive on the life path of their choice. In line with that, OSSE supports LEAs by developing policies and guidance in various areas.
To inform our work on AI, OSSE administered a survey of LEA leaders about the state of AI use at their schools. Here are the survey results. Thank you to those who participated.
Call for Information on School-based Music Groups (Reminder)
OSSE is building a directory of school-based student musical performance groups across the District — including bands, choirs, orchestras, ensembles, and other performance groups. This directory will help us highlight student talent and identify groups we can invite to perform at future OSSE events and celebrations.
Please complete a brief form to share details about the music groups at your school. Your participation ensures that OSSE can create an inclusive, representative list of student performers from across DC and publicly highlight student musical talent citywide.
Please take a moment to fill out the form and provide information about your school’s music group by June 12.
Thank you for helping us uplift the arts and showcase the creativity of DC students.
Advanced Internship Program (AIP) 2026-27 Employer Registration (Reminder)
Are you interested in hosting a student intern in the 2026-27 school year and helping to build DC’s future workforce?
OSSE’s Advanced Internship Program (AIP) places highly qualified DC high school seniors into paid, for-credit internships aligned with their career and technical education (CTE) programs of study. All interns have completed at least two CTE courses in their industry area before placement, ensuring relevant skills and classroom preparation. Program dates: Nov. 16, 2026 – May 7, 2027.
Internship Structure
- Compensation: Interns earn $17/hour at no cost to host employers.
- Schedule: 8-12 hours per week during the school year
Why Host an AIP Intern?
- Provide meaningful, real-world experience to future members of the DC workforce.
- Offer effective leadership opportunities for student interns.
- Boost production and efficiency with motivated CTE scholars.
Industry Areas
Government; Hospitality & Tourism; Health Science; Business Management & Finance; Education & Training; Information Technology; Architecture & Construction; Engineering; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications.
How to Participate
Register here by Saturday, Aug. 15. The registration form will request the applicant’s contact information and the expected supervisor’s contact information (if different). All prospective supervisors must attend an information session on Wednesday, Aug. 12 or Friday, Aug. 21.
Questions? Email OSSE’s Office of Industry Engagement at osse.cte.ie@dc.gov.
LEA Financial Reporting Application Collection - June 8 through July 31 (Reminder)
OSSE will begin the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) and the FY25 Annual Survey of School System Finances (F-33) on Monday, June 8. All LEAs are required to submit 2024-25 school year financial data to OSSE by Friday, July 31.
NPEFS is the US Department of Education’s annual collection of the nation’s public elementary and secondary school financial data. Data is used to calculate the State Per Pupil Expenditure (SPPE), which is used for Title I and other allocations. The F-33 is a public education financial survey distributed by the US Census. Many of the NPEFS and F-33 data elements overlap, so OSSE has combined them into one survey to reduce LEA paperwork and confusion.
In addition to reminders here, communication regarding the FY25 NPEFS and F-33 collection will come via email from OSSE’s School Finance Officer, Gabriel Montague. OSSE will be using the same LEA list of points of contact (POCs) used for the FY25 LEA Financial Reporting collection, incorporating any necessary adjustments flagged by your LEA since then. Please reach out directly to Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov if you or someone from your LEA with one of the roles below needs to be added to the email list prior to when the collection begins on June 8.
- Head of School;
- Chief Financial Officer; and
- LEA Finance/Grants Manager
When the reporting period begins, each LEA will receive the following from OSSE via email:
- Your LEA’s FY24 NPEFS/F-33 data submission to OSSE from last year in an Excel Spreadsheet
- OSSE’s FY25 NPEFS/F-33 collection template in an Excel Spreadsheet
To minimize confusion and maximize effectiveness of processing this data, we strongly encourage LEAs to avoid waiting until the end of the reporting period to submit your data. For questions related to the LEA Financial Reporting Application, please contact Gabriel Montague, OSSE Administrative Officer, at Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov or (202) 394-8977.
2026-27 High School Internship Program, Applications Now Open (Reminder)
The DC Department of Employment Services has launched the 7th annual High School Internship Program (HSIP)—a paid opportunity for District youth to gain hands on work experience and develop skills for future career success.
HSIP is open to DC residents ages 14–21 who are enrolled in high school and eligible to work in the United States. Participants will earn money while building professional skills, exploring career paths, and gaining meaningful exposure to today’s workforce.
Applications close Saturday, Aug. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
Learn more and encourage students to apply at summerjobs.dc.gov. For questions, contact the Office of Youth Programs at (202) 698‑3492 or youthjobs@dc.gov.
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Learn24 Network's 2026 Out-of-School Time (OST) Conference and Showcase: "Illuminate, Evaluate Elevate." (Reminder)
Learn24 Network invites OST providers, youth development professionals, and community partners to register for the upcoming Learn24 Network 2026 Out-of-School Time Conference and Showcase: “Illuminate, Evaluate, Elevate.” Held June 22-23, this year’s conference will bring together OST professionals, educators, and community partners for engaging workshops, networking opportunities, and meaningful conversations centered around youth development and program quality.
- Dynamic Keynote Speakers
- Youth Assessor Corps Panel Discussion
- Networking and Collaboration Opportunities
- Interactive Workshops Led by OST Professionals
- Grant Administration and Compliance
- Program Sustainability and Effectiveness
- Program Quality Assurance and Evaluating OST Programs
- Funding Sustainability
- Capacity Building
- Positive Youth Development
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Family and Community Engagement
Social Studies Professional Learning Summer Offerings (Reminder)
Registration is now open for professional development opportunities coming up this summer for social studies educators.
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June 23 and 24: Planning for Document-Based Instruction Using OSSE Social Studies Resources
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June 30: Assessing Social Studies Learning
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July 29-31: Action Civics Institute, supporting instruction with Project Digital Civic Inquiry Units
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Aug. 4: Elevating Student Perspective to Support Effective Discourse and Writing in Social Studies
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Aug. 6: Teaching Geography and Geographic Reasoning with OSSE Resources
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Community of Practice (CoP) (Reminder)
OSSE will continue the SEL CoP, which 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.
Join the CoP meeting on Tuesday, June 9 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in person at OSSE, 1050 First Street NE.
Please register here.
Overarching Objectives
- Learn about ongoing professional learning opportunities and resources to support campus needs
- Explore ways to leverage SEL artifacts and resources
- Analyze DC SAYS (DC Survey About Your School) 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.
To learn more about this opportunity, contact Marcus Hughes with the OSSE Division of Teaching and Learning at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov.
 ConApp & IDEA Phase I Applications Now Open – Due June 15 (Reminder)
The fiscal year 2027 (FY27) Phase I applications for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title Consolidated (ConApp) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants are now available in EGMS. To receive these grant awards, LEAs must complete a two-phase application process. LEAs are required to submit their Phase I applications by Monday, June 15 at 3 p.m., so that they can be approved on or before July 1.
The Phase I ESEA ConApp and IDEA applications ask LEAs to agree to assurances related to each grant program. Receiving approval before July 1 enables LEAs to submit reimbursement requests for expenditures incurred beginning July 1. If Phase I applications are not approved by July 1, LEAs can only submit reimbursement requests for expenditures incurred as of the date of approval of the Phase I application.
The Phase II applications, which ask for detailed program and budget information, will be made available this summer. Upon approval of the Phase II application, LEAs can begin to submit reimbursement requests for FY27 grant expenditures.
OSSE will release FY27 preliminary ESEA Title allocations in May 2026. OSSE has not yet received its FY27 IDEA state allocation amount from the US Department of Education (USED).
Grant program information is available on OSSE’s ConApp and IDEA websites.
For questions or additional information about the ESEA ConApp, please email Con.App@dc.gov or reach out to your LEA’s ESEA Point of Contact.
For questions or additional information about IDEA, please reach out to Megan Williams at Megan.Williams@dc.gov.
FY26 ESEA Final Allocations and FY25 Carryover Funds Now Available in EGMS (Reminder)
LEAs can now access their fiscal year 2026 (FY26) final allocations, FY25 carryover funds and additional funds on Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Titles I-A, II-A, III-A, and IV-A grants via their FY26 ESEA Consolidated Applications (ConApp) in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS).
All LEAs will have FY25 carryover on their Title I-A grant due to additional funding becoming available in the program. All LEAs should review their carryover amounts by selecting the “Funding Distribution” tab in their FY26 ConApp in EGMS. In addition, FY26 final allocations are posted on OSSE’s ESEA Title grants webpage.
To claim final allocations and carryover funds, LEAs that received Title funding should submit one budget amendment on their FY26 ConApp by Friday, June 12. OSSE must first approve the amendment for your LEA to submit reimbursement requests using these funds.
Additional resources to support program implementation are available on the ESEA Title grants webpage. For questions or additional information about ESEA, please contact the team at Con.App@dc.gov or your LEA’s ESEA point of contact.
FY27 ESEA Title I-IV Preliminary Allocations Now Available (Reminder)
Preliminary LEA grant allocations for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Titles I-A, II-A, III-A, and IV-A formula grant programs for the 2026-27 school year are now available on OSSE’s website.
Please see the announcement below for more information about how LEAs can apply for ESEA Title awards.
For questions or additional information about the ESEA consolidated application (ConApp), please email Con.App@dc.gov or reach out to your LEA’s ESEA Point of Contact.
Competitive Grant Program to Support Direct Student Services in FY27 (Reminder)
ESEA Section 1003A authorizes state education agencies (SEAs) to use up to 3 percent of the state’s Title I-A grant to create a grant program for LEAs to support direct student services.
The US Department of Education notified OSSE that its award will increase by more than 20 percent from FY26 to FY27. This significant increase makes it possible to take advantage of the direct student services opportunity while also increasing the funds made available to LEAs through the Title I-A formula.
OSSE consulted with LEAs this spring, and the majority expressed interest in a grant opportunity for direct student services. Based on this feedback and the large increase to the state’s Title I-A award, OSSE has decided to take the 3 percent reservation to launch this grant program in FY27.
The competitive grant will support LEAs to provide direct student services for:
- Enrollment in academic courses not otherwise offered at a student’s school;
- Credit recovery and academic acceleration that leads to a high school diploma;
- Costs for exams (e.g., Advanced Placement [AP] exams), dual enrollment, or other post-secondary coursework that is accepted for credit at institutions of higher education (IHEs);
- Personalized learning, such as high-quality academic tutoring; and/or
- Transportation to allow a student at a school identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) to transfer to another public or public charter school.
Information about competitive priorities, program design, and the application process will be forthcoming.
For questions or additional information about this new grant program, please reach out to Jessica Sobin at Jessica.Sobin@dc.gov.
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June 2026
July 2026
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