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School Safety Omnibus Amendment Act (Reminder)
The School Safety Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 requires District schools to adopt policies and procedures to prevent and address sexual abuse and acts of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and dating violence. Under this law, District schools must have two policies that (1) prevent and address student sexual abuse by school staff (DC Code § 38–951.02), and (2) prevent and address student-on-student acts of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and dating violence (DC Code § 38–952.02). Since 2019, OSSE has provided two model policies for District schools and LEAs that address the requirements under this law. These model policies were revised in 2024 and 2025 to align with the US Department of Education’s revised Title IX regulations. Schools and LEAs that used the 2019 or 2024 OSSE model policies are strongly encouraged to review the 2025 versions and ensure their policies are up to date. Schools and LEAs may adopt the OSSE model policies as written or use them as a starting point when developing their own policies. The model policies, as well as additional materials to support other parts of this law, are available on the OSSE website.
As a reminder, this law also requires schools and LEAs to perform due diligence regarding potential, current, and former staff (DC Code § 38–951.03), prohibits assisting certain employment of a perpetrator of child sexual abuse offenses (DC Code § 32–1131.02), and requires schools to provide age and developmentally appropriate academic instruction on consent, setting and respecting boundaries, and developing and maintaining healthy relationships (DC Code § 38–824.02(b-2)). Schools and LEAs are strongly encouraged to routinely review this law and Title IX and to consult their legal counsel to ensure all parts are met.
Please direct any questions regarding OSSE’s model policies to osse.schoolhealth@dc.gov.
The 2025–26 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) LEA and School Forms Now Available (Reminder)
The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) gathers data directly from public LEAs so the US Department of Education can monitor key education and civil rights issues using student enrollment “disaggregated by race/ethnicity, sex, English Learner status, and disability status.” The CRDC is mandatory for schools and LEAs that receive federal funding from the US Department of Education, and this collection does not go through OSSE.
In August, the CRDC Partner Support Center (PSC) emailed each LEA’s CRDC primary contact person or alternate contact person about the forms and upcoming next steps.
If you received that email – and you are the correct contact – you should use the 2025–26 CRDC LEA and school forms that are available on the CRDC website and the CRDC Resource Center website to prepare for the 2025–26 CRDC. These forms contain school- and LEA-level survey items, instructions, definitions, and table layouts for the 2025-26 CRDC.
If you believe you received that email in error, please: (1) forward the message from the CRDC PSC to the responsible party at your LEA, and (2) contact the CRDC PSC to be removed from the contact list for the CRDC as soon as possible.
For additional technical support, please contact the CRDC PSC via the PSC Contact Us Form or by phone at (855) 255-6901, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
Nominate Your School Hero! RISE DC Nominations Open through Oct. 11 (Reminder)
OSSE is now accepting nominations for the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award, a national recognition honoring classified school employees. This award honors bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, and more. Help us spotlight these education heroes in our school communities.
Learn more about the criteria and submit a nomination here, no later than Sunday, Oct. 11.
For questions, contact Rachelle (Rey) Yombo at Rachelle.Yombo1@dc.gov.
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New: Restorative Learning Fall 2026 Professional Development, Multiple Dates
This fall, Restorative DC is offering professional learning and planning opportunities to help DC educators in implementing restorative practices during the school year. Sessions will address building community, reducing chronic absenteeism, responding to student behavior, using data to inform practice, and sustaining a restorative culture. All sessions will be held in person at Charles Sumner School, with follow-up virtual coaching sessions provided.
For more information and to register, please visit the event website. For questions, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
Empowering Math Learning Through Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Community of Practice, Sept. 30 (Reminder)
OSSE is excited to kick off its SEL Community of Practice (CoP) with a high-energy exploration of how SEL strengthens mathematical reasoning, productive struggle, and student discourse. Join us as we unlock ways to help students persevere through challenges, collaborate during problem-solving, and build math identities rooted in confidence and curiosity. Math becomes even more powerful when students feel safe enough to take risks.
CoP participants will:
- Join the in-person CoP session on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., at OSSE (1050 First St. NE).
- Engage in evidence-based instructional models, practical tools, and exemplars suitable for direct implementation by educators.
- Join a collaborative environment for the exchange of best practices and innovations, the strengthening of SEL strategies, and engagement in discussions surrounding Problems of Practice.
- Explore ways to incorporate District-wide data sources, tools, and resources, such as DC Survey About Your School (DCSAYS) data.
To learn more about this opportunity, please register here, or contact Marcus Hughes with OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov.
Join the DC Title I Committee of Practitioners (CoP), Applications due Oct. 15 (Reminder)
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) teacher;
- Public charter school teacher;
- DCPS paraprofessional;
- Public charter school paraprofessional;
- Public charter school leader (e.g., principal, assistant principal);
- DCPS school-level administrator (Title I program implementation);
- Public charter school-level specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., counselor, interventionist);
- Public charter school board member;
- Parent of DCPS student(s); or
- Private school representative.
If you or someone you know 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.
For more information, see the OSSE’s Title I Committee of Practitioners website or contact Con.App@dc.gov.
Taking Action on DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS), Online Session Sept. 23 (Reminder)
Last spring, OSSE administered DC SAYS, a school climate survey for students, staff, and caregivers across all LEAs. Now it’s time to turn those results into action. Join this virtual session to gain confidence in understanding and using school climate survey data while walking away with tangible next steps for your school community. This session will help school leaders and school level champions effectively navigate DC SAYS survey results and set clear and actionable goals for themselves and their team. Time will be reserved at the end for individual questions.
This online session will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Register here.
For questions, please email OSSE.DCSAYS@dc.gov.
Upcoming Social Studies Professional Learning Opportunities, Various Dates (Reminder)
Registration is open for upcoming professional learning opportunities for social studies educators.
Action Civics Institute
- Grade 8 DC social studies teachers are invited to participate in a three-day Action Civics Institute on Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 14, from 4:30 -7:30 p.m. each day at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE. Register here.
Teaching Geography and Geographic Reasoning with OSSE Resources
- Grade 6 social studies educators are invited to participate in the Geographic Reasoning with OSSE Resources professional learning day. This session will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE. Register here.
Pilot complete units for World History I, World History II, US History II, Geography and Grade 7 Curriculum
- OSSE has partnered with curricular experts to create complete units and lesson plans for World History I, World History II, US History II, Geography and Grade 7 courses. Educators interested in teaching inquiry-driven discourse units are invited to pilot at least one full unit using lesson materials and provide feedback. To participate in the curriculum cohorts, learn more and register here. Pilots will begin in late fall.
For questions, please contact Madison Kantzer at Madison.Kantzer@dc.gov.
FY26 Whole Child and Educator Wellness Professional Development Session, Sept. 24 (Reminder)
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 & Wellness, at KimberlyA.Thompson@dc.gov.
 NEW: Allocations Now Available: FY27 SOAR Academic Quality and Early Childhood Grants, Available Sept. 24
Allocations for the FY27 SOAR Academic Quality and Early Childhood grants are now available on OSSE’s website.
To apply for funding, public charter LEAs should complete the FY27 SOAR Formula Consolidated application, which will be released in EGMS on Thursday, Sept. 24. The award period for these grants is July 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. The deadline for LEAs to submit the application will be 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5.
For questions about FY27 SOAR Academic Quality and Early Childhood grants, contact your LEA’s OSSE SOAR grant specialist.
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September 2026
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