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NEW: DC’s 2026 Statewide Assessment Results Now Available
Mayor Muriel Bowser and OSSE have released results from the District’s annual statewide assessments in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and math taken by students in grades 3–8 and high school in spring 2026. Districtwide, ELA proficiency is up 2 percentage points over last year, at 39.6%, and math proficiency is up 2.1 percentage points over last year, at 28.5%. This is the fourth consecutive year that the District has seen increases in proficiency rates.
The 2025–26 school year marked the third and final year of DC CAPE. Beginning in 2026–27, DC will transition to an updated assessment, DC CAPE Next, which will be computer adaptive and give teachers more resources throughout the year to evaluate student progress.
NEW: Undesignated Emergency Medications Program Training, Aug. 27
OSSE and DC Health will conduct a required training for all school and LEA staff who serve as Undesignated Emergency Medications (UEM) Liaisons. School staff other than UEM Liaisons who have UEM Administrator of Medication (AOM) responsibilities are strongly encouraged to register and attend.
The training will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 10-11 a.m. The training’s topics will include UEM AOM training and certification, incident reporting, UEM distribution and replenishment, storing and managing UEMs, and submission of school UEM Action Plans.
If you have not already registered, please register here.
Please email osse.uemeds@dc.gov with any questions.
Direct Investment in Students – Grant Request for Applications (RFA) Released (Reminder)
OSSE released the Direct Investment in Students (DIS) grant program to support the following five categories of direct student services authorized under federal law at the District’s highest-need schools:
- Additional Coursework: enrollment in academic courses not otherwise offered at a student’s school;
- High School Credits: credit recovery and academic acceleration that lead to a high school diploma;
- Higher Education Coursework: costs for exams, dual enrollment, or other postsecondary course work that are accepted for credit at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs);
- High-Impact Tutoring: math and/or English language arts (ELA) high-impact tutoring (HIT); and
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Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) School Transportation: Transportation to allow a student at a CSI school to transfer to another public or public charter school.
LEAs may submit applications for any of the three “Program Types” of funding OSSE has identified for this grant program, described below:
Program Type 1: OSSE has identified HIT as the primary service focus for the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) DIS grant program based on the demand for these services, strength of evidence supporting HIT's impact on student academic outcomes, and the current academic acceleration needs in ELA and mathematics for students in the District. OSSE will award competitive points for applications for HIT to increase the likelihood that most FY27 funds through this Request for Applications (RFA)will be awarded to support HIT services. OSSE will award a maximum of $1,500 per student and $150,000 per school.
Program Type 2: OSSE will also accept applications for the three services focused primarily on students in high school: Additional Coursework, High School Credit Services, Higher Education Coursework. OSSE will award a maximum of $1,000 per student and $150,000 per school.
Program Type 3: OSSE will also accept applications for CSI Transportation. OSSE will award a maximum of $500 per student and $150,000 per school.
Please see OSSE’s DIS website for more detailed information on the award opportunity and applicant eligibility. The deadline to submit an application is Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at 12 p.m. EST. Applications are accepted only through OSSE’s Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) at grants.osse.dc.gov.
A pre-application webinar will be held for interested applicants on the following days. Click the link to register:
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Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST (Register here)
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Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST (Register here)
NEW: OSSE’s School Immunization Policy and Key Dates for the 2026-27 School Year
OSSE has published its updated School Year 2026-27 School Immunization Policy and Key Dates one-pager on its website. Please review this information as your school prepares for immunization enforcement for the upcoming school year. OSSE also requests that schools and their data managers update their AllStaff records with current Immunization Points of Contact (IPOCs) prior to the start of school, ensuring the database remains accurate and up to date.
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NEW: Join Mayor Bowser, Residents and District Officials to Clap Our Students Back to School, Aug. 24
You are invited to join Mayor Bowser, Superintendent Mitchell, District leaders, fellow DC Government staff, families, residents, and community members to welcome students as we #ClapThemBack to school.
This is the second year Mayor Bowser has issued an invitation to welcome students back to school. We want to give students a warm welcome and a strong start to the 2026-27 school year – and you can play a role! Your participation can help create a welcoming environment at participating DCPS and public charter schools on Monday, Aug. 24, from 7:45 to 9 a.m.
Event organizers will have signs and pom-poms as we clap students back and surround them with encouragement and positive energy. Bring the energy, help create a spirit tunnel and share high fives as students arrive. It is a joyful way to remind students that their city believes in them and is rooting for their success.
If you are interested, please complete this form: Join Mayor Bowser, residents and District Officials to Clap Our Students Back to School!
NEW: OSSE Multilingual Learner Institute: Whole Child, Whole Community, Sept. 18
OSSE will host the 2026 Multilingual Learner Institute on Friday, Sept. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001). This full day of professional learning will bring together educators from DC public and public charter schools to strengthen their practice in supporting multilingual learners.
Participants will receive 6 professional learning units (PLUs). Register here.
NEW: Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Fidelity of Implementation, Sept. 25
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 Friday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. and repeated 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, First Floor.
NEW: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Schools Training, Sept. 9 & 28
In partnership with DBT in Schools, LLC, OSSE is pleased to offer in-person and virtual professional learning on how to use DBT skills and strategies in the school setting and within the multitiered system of support (MTSS) framework. These three-day trainings will be available to all licensed school-based behavioral health providers (social workers, school psychologists, community-based organization clinicians, counselors, Department of Behavioral Health [DBH] school-based clinicians) placed at DC public and public charter schools. In addition to the resources shared in the training, participants will receive an accompanying textbook to support their continued work with students.
- In-Person Offering:
- Sept. 9 – 11, the training will take place from 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. each day.
- Virtual Offering:
- Sept. 28 – 30, this training will take place via Zoom from 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. each day.
Interested individuals should register for the training on the Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of our Workforce (ARROW) Eventbrite page. Reach out to OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov with any additional questions.
NEW: Save the Date for the 2026 OSSE Literacy Convening, Sept. 29
Save the date! OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning will host the 2026 Literacy Convening on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, 20001). The convening theme, From Insights to Impact: Advancing Literacy Together, invites participants to reflect on literacy instruction to ensure evidence-based practices are implemented for all DC children and students from birth through grade 12.
During the convening, participants will hear from national literacy experts and engage in a series of breakout sessions led by some of DC’s dedicated educators. These sessions will offer opportunities to deepen understanding of effective literacy instruction and explore strategies for improving literacy outcomes. Participants can expect to gain valuable insights, expand their professional network, and access resources that will support their ongoing literacy work throughout the year.
NEW: Optional Fall 2026 Student DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) Administration
OSSE is excited to offer an optional fall administration of the DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) for students. This fall option was created in response to LEA feedback and provides schools with a valuable mid‑year check‑in on student experiences and school climate.
Schools may choose to participate at some campuses or all, depending on their needs. Fall data will remain entirely internal—OSSE will not view or report any results. This gives schools the flexibility to use the information for their own planning and progress monitoring of their school communities.
If your school or LEA would like to participate, please sign up here by Friday, Sept. 25.
The survey will run Nov. 2–25, using student rosters from Count Day.
Cohort Opportunity for School-Based Behavioral Health Providers (Reminder)
OSSE Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce (ARROW) announces the launch of the 2026-27 cohort of the First Year Cadre for school-based behavioral health providers, i.e., school social workers, psychologists, and counselors (school counselors and licensed counselors), who are new to working in a school-based setting and have an employment start date of Nov. 1, 2024 or after! The First Year Cadre is an opportunity for providers in their early years of working in a school-based setting to build foundational skills necessary to be successful in the school environment. The cohort will run from October 2026 to June 2027. Please see this one-pager for more information and the eligibility criteria. Applications close Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
Participants who successfully complete the cadre will be eligible for a $1000 stipend.
Questions? Reach out to OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
NEW: Professional Development Workshop – Developing an Evidence-Based High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Plan
Are you hoping to use HIT as a key strategy for improving student achievement? Are you considering applying for the OSSE Direct Investment in Students (DIS) grant to support HIT programming?
OSSE has just launched the DIS grant and released a new HIT Vetted Program List. LEAs interested in applying for DIS funds to support HIT must partner with a program included on the vetted list.
OSSE invites all LEA and school leaders to an in-person workshop, led by Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE), that is focused on developing an actionable school HIT plan built around an evidence-based program for the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The workshop will help LEAs select programs from the new HIT Vetted Program List that features programs with evidence of effectiveness. Participants will accomplish the following:
- Identify clear goals for tutoring: What do you want tutoring to help your school achieve? Which students do you want to serve?;
- Learn to distinguish programs by strength of evidence and deepen understanding of how research evidence can support program selection;
- Examine other program factors that are useful to consider when selecting a program;
- Work through the vetted program list in a collaborative setting to identify best-fit programs; and
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Make a plan for implementation that is realistic, addresses a school’s previous HIT challenges (e.g., scheduling conflicts that were difficult to resolve!), and is aligned to how the program was implemented in the research.
The target audience for this workshop is LEA and/or schools leaders interested in:
For schools serving grades K-5 students:
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9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Sept. 3
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OSSE Building, First Floor, 1050 First St. NE 20002
For schools serving grades 6-12 students:
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9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sept. 8
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OSSE Building, First Floor, 1050 First St. NE 20002
OSSE and CRRE will be available for any individual technical assistance after programming concludes at 1:30 p.m. You may bring your own lunch (refrigerators and microwaves are available) or purchase from one of the many nearby lunch options and are welcome to talk through your HIT plan over lunch with colleagues, OSSE, and the CRRE team.
NEW: OSSE's Dyslexia Awareness Training is Now Available
OSSE is happy to announce that this year’s required Dyslexia Awareness Training is now available in the OSSE Learning Management System (LMS). The registration links for the training are below.
The awareness training is required for all educators employed by an LEA. All educators should complete the 2026 dyslexia awareness training. OSSE defines educators as any professional directly involved in the regular creation of learning environments that foster students' development. For reference, here is a list of the federal roles required to complete the annual dyslexia awareness training. The deadline for completing the training is Oct. 30.
LEAs can now monitor staff completions of the dyslexia awareness modules using the Dyslexia Awareness Training Dashboard in Qlik.
As a reminder, K-2 serving LEAs have two additional training requirements ahead of this fall’s compliance submission.
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Structured Literacy Competency for Kindergarten Teachers
- All teachers assigned to teach kindergarten must demonstrate competency in structured literacy through completion of an approved training, prior completion of an approved training, or receiving a passing score on OSSE’s structured literacy competency assessment.
- K-2 training on reading difficulties.
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The K-2 training can be provided by OSSE, the LEA, or a third party with expertise in reading and reading difficulties. OSSE recommends that LEAs facilitate their own K-2 training (e.g., curriculum-based training, training focused on analyzing screener data, etc.)
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Kindergarten educators who have completed the structured literacy competency training need not complete additional training.
Superintendent’s Advisory Council Applications Open + NEW Student Advisory Council
OSSE is accepting applications for the 2026-27 school year cohort of the Superintendent's Advisory Council through Aug. 30. The councils are comprised of a diverse group of educators, school leaders, parents, and family members from across the city who meet regularly with OSSE leadership and staff to give feedback on and ask questions about OSSE programs and policies.
OSSE is excited to announce the launch of its first-ever Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC) during the 2026-27 school year. Open to rising seventh through 12th graders at DC public and public charter schools, the SSAC gives students the opportunity to help shape the policies and standards that impact them.
Prospective members are invited to fill out the application linked below.
For questions, please reach out to Rachelle (Rey) Yombo, Special Assistant for Teaching and Learning, at Rachelle.Yombo1@dc.gov.
 NEW: FY27 IDEA Part B Preliminary Allocations and Application Release
OSSE has been notified by the US Department of Education (USED) about the District of Columbia’s allocation for the fiscal year 2027 (FY27)/federal fiscal year 2026 (FFY26) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B formula grant programs.
Preliminary allocations to LEAs for the FY27 IDEA Part B formula grant programs are now available on OSSE's website.
The FY27 IDEA Part B Phase II grant application will be available in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) on Friday, Aug. 21. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m. ET.
OSSE will host an optional application webinar at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Please register here to attend.
For questions or additional information regarding IDEA, please contact Megan Williams at Megan.Williams@dc.gov.
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August 2026
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