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NEW: Calling All Attendance Counselors: We Want to Highlight You for Attendance Awareness Month (Sept)!
September is Attendance Awareness Month, and OSSE plans to highlight attendance counselors citywide. Throughout the month on OSSE’s social media channels, we will spotlight counselors across the District to showcase your creativity, dedication, and impact in making sure students are in school. If you are an attendance counselor, we’d love to feature you. Please take a minute to fill out our spotlight form so we can share your story with our community. Thank you for everything you do to support students and families — we can’t wait to highlight you!
Questions? Email osse.communications@dc.gov.
NEW: DC Health Immunization Policy Remains Unchanged
The DC Health Immunization Division reminds immunization stakeholders that families in the District should continue to receive the full range of vaccines to protect their children from serious disease, per the District’s immunizations policy. These vaccines are recommended by and align with the immunization recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Health care providers and hospitals continue to offer these vaccines at no out-of-pocket cost to patients. Please refer to this letter which includes how to access vaccines and share with families and your school’s health team.
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.
Please see OSSE’s DIS website for more detailed information on the program types, 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:
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Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST (Register here)
OSSE’s School Immunization Policy and Key Dates for the 2026-27 School Year (Reminder)
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: FY26 Whole Child and Educator Wellness Professional Development Session, Sept. 24
OSSE's Division of Health & Wellness (H&W) will host a virtual Whole Child Educator Wellness (WCEW) professional learning session on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Register here.
Hear from current WCEW grantees and partners on their organizations’ evidence-based and best practices for implementing early childhood education (ECE) and school health and wellness programming and partnerships related to grant activities.
This session is intended to support participant engagement, learning and best practices, peer-to-peer sharing, and program outcomes in alignment with the goals of the grant. The session is intended for LEAs, child care sites, and community-based organizations that are interested in learning more about the grant and future partnerships.
For questions, please reach out to Kimberly Thompson, grant analyst for Health and Wellness, at KimberlyA.Thompson@dc.gov.
NEW: Join OSSE’s ESEA Team for Fall Title Tuesday Office Hours
Title Tuesdays are monthly office hours covering Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) grant program topics relevant to the current moment in the grant cycle. Examples of rotating ESEA topics include parent and family engagement, application requirements, program requirements, fiscal planning, reporting, and monitoring. Each session provides actionable information relevant to ESEA Title programs and offers local education agencies (LEAs) an opportunity to engage directly with OSSE’s ESEA team on any related questions.
These virtual office hours will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Participants can join each session using the recurring link.
Upcoming topics include:
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September 15: Completing and Submitting the FY27 ESEA Consolidated Application (ConApp)
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October 20: ConApp Feedback and LEA Listening Session
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November 17: Closing Out Your FY26 Grants
Please come prepared to share your questions and feedback. We encourage participants to submit questions related to the monthly topics and ideas for future office hour topics to Con.App@dc.gov.
NEW: LEA Homeless Liaison In-Person Training Session on Tuesday, Sept. 22
OSSE’s Homeless Education Program invites all LEA homeless liaisons to attend Driving Impact: Empowering Liaisons to Support Students and Families in Transition, a mandatory in-person training session to begin the 2026-27 school year. This training will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at OSSE (1050 First St. NE) on the first floor.
Key Benefits of Attending
Participants will gain clarity on McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKV) best practices, strengthen their ability to identify and support students experiencing homelessness, learn to turn data into actionable strategies, expand knowledge of early learning opportunities, build confidence in using community resources, and ensure alignment with OSSE’s MKV compliance expectations for 2026–27.
LEA homeless liaisons are required to attend and should register no later than Friday, Sept. 18. If you require assistance or have questions, contact Tasheen Stallings at Tasheen.Stallings@dc.gov.
Important note: LEA leaders are reminded to ensure that there is an LEA-level homeless liaison designated in your student information system.
NEW: Join the DC Title I Committee of Practitioners (CoP)
OSSE is seeking members of the DC school community to support children from low-income families in receiving a high-quality education by serving on the Title I CoP. Members of this committee engage with OSSE quarterly to advise on effective and responsive policies that impact schools in the District receiving federal Title I funds.
Over the years, this committee has influenced updates to the DC School Report Card and State School Climate Survey, and revisions to the District’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act Consolidated State Plan.
The Title I CoP seeks thoughtful and engaged school community members to serve a three-year term from September 2026 to August 2029. Committee members attend quarterly meetings each school year, which are usually held virtually from 4:30-6 p.m.
To join the Title I CoP, you must serve a school community in the District in one or more of the following roles:
- DC Public Schools (DCPS) or public charter school teacher;
- DCPS or public charter school paraprofessional;
- Public charter school leader (e.g., principal, assistant principal);
- Public charter school-level specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., counselor, interventionist);
- Public charter school board member;
- Parent of DC public or public charter student(s); or
- Private school representative.
If you are interested in serving and representing your community’s needs, please submit a completed application and resume to Con.App@dc.gov by Thursday, Oct. 15. If you know someone whose perspective and expertise would benefit OSSE’s Title I CoP, please share this application opportunity with them.
For more information, see the OSSE’s Title I Committee of Practitioners website or contact Con.App@dc.gov.
2026 OSSE Literacy Convening, Registration Opens Aug. 31 (Reminder)
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.
OSSE Multilingual Learner Institute: Whole Child, Whole Community, Sept. 18 (Reminder)
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.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Fidelity of Implementation, Sept. 25 (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 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.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Schools Training, Sept. 9 & 28 (Reminder)
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.
Optional Fall 2026 Student DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) Administration (Reminder)
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.
Professional Development Workshop – Developing an Evidence-Based High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Plan (Reminder)
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 clarify their tutoring goals, understand how to use evidence and program factors to select best-fit options, and collaboratively choose and plan realistic implementation aligned to research.
The target audience for this workshop is LEA and school leaders interested in strengthening the impact and sustainability of their HIT programming, partnering with third-party providers to implement vetted programs, and/or applying for the Direct Investment in Students grant opportunity.
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.
OSSE's Dyslexia Awareness Training is Now Available (Reminder)
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.
 NEW: 2026 Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) - Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 24
Next week, OSSE will issue each LEA its FFY24 Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) in the SEPR Quickbase application. On the same day, OSSE will provide the following via email to all LEA leaders and special education points of contact (SPED POCs):
- How to navigate the SEPR application in Quickbase;
- Dates and times for optional office hours to review your SEPR with OSSE;
- How to appeal your LEA’s SEPR results and associated timelines; and
- Timelines for the public posting of all SEPRs.
All LEA leaders and LEA SPED POCs designated in OSSE’s Integrated Data Submission (IDS) tool should have access to the SEPR Quickbase application.
For questions about SEPR, including how to access the Quickbase application, please contact Karen Morgan-Donaldson at Karen.Morgan-Donaldson@dc.gov or (202) 724-7803.
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September 2026
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