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NEW: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) Compliance
On Aug. 26, 2026, the Department of Education (the Department) sent a cover letter with the Student Privacy Policy Office’s annual notification to SEAs and LEAs regarding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232h(c)(5)(C)). On Oct. 5, 2026, the Department and the Department of Justice issued a joint letter on the same topic.
In light of the letters, OSSE has suspended the fall administration of DC SAYS.
LEAs should review the letters and consult their legal counsel. OSSE will continue to monitor communication from the Department.
LinkU Resources for Health, Food, Housing, and More (Reminder)
Help families at your schools connect to local resources by sharing information from LinkU.
LinkU was developed in collaboration with DC Health, the Department of Behavioral Health, the Department of Health Care Finance, and the Child & Family Services Agency to help residents explore resources to access education, food, housing, and medical services.
Visit their website for more and distribute the flyer attached here with your school community.
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NEW: Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades, Nov. 12
Empower multilingual writers in elementary grades to produce strong academic writing and communicate effectively across purposes and audiences. OSSE, in collaboration with WIDA, is hosting a two‑day workshop with a pedagogical approach to teach multilingual learners how to write in a variety of academic genres.
Participants will learn strategies to help students write confidently about content, understand the language features of specific genres, and engage in cycles of review, reflection, and revision to strengthen their writing.
This in‑person professional learning will take place Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Room 108.
Register here. Participants will receive 6 professional learning units upon full participation. For questions, email Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov.
Join the Social Studies Walkthrough Cohort, Registration Closes Oct. 27 (Reminder)
The Social Studies Walkthrough Cohort is an innovative initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of social studies leads and school leaders directly focused on social studies outcomes in supporting teachers' implementation of discourse-based practices. This program will focus on using OSSE’s Instructional Walkthrough Tool to enhance instructional coaching and improve social studies instruction.
This program offers targeted professional learning, collaborative practice, and actionable feedback cycles designed to deepen expertise in social studies instruction and enhance the use of the OSSE Instructional Walkthrough Tool.
Qualified candidates will be secondary (grades 5-12) schools that have implemented a standards-aligned social studies curriculum that is grounded in document-based inquiry and discourse.
Additional details on the benefits and structure of the program can be found here. Registration closes Tuesday, Oct. 27. This cohort is only open to six schools, so space is limited. Each school may have up to five participants.
For questions contact Madison Kantzer, Madison.Kantzer@dc.gov.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) + Social Studies Community of Practice (CoP), Jan. 27 (Reminder)
Join us as we explore how SEL fuels civic reasoning, perspective-taking, and meaningful dialogue in social studies classrooms while leveraging DC Social Studies Standards and tools. We will highlight powerful examples and examine how social studies builds empathy, respect, and responsible decision-making. This CoP is equal parts exploration, collaboration, and learning, so don‘t miss it.
This CoP meeting will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, in person at OSSE (1050 First St. NE). To learn more about this opportunity, please click on the registration link here or contact Marcus Hughes at Marcus.Hughes@dc.gov.
2026-27 Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Working Group Meetings (Reminder)
Pursuant to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools Act of 1998, OSSE is convening the 2026-27 UPSFF Working Group. The UPSFF Working Group is responsible for providing recommendations regarding potential revisions to the UPSFF. The focus area for the 2026-27 UPSFF Working Group is the exploration of potentially funding the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) and career and technical education (CTE) through the UPSFF.
All meetings are public and will take place virtually and you are invited to participate as a member of the public. Working group facilitators open the floor for comments from members of the public towards the end of every meeting. For more information about the 2026-27 UPSFF Working Group including registration links to the remaining meetings, please visit OSSE’s Website.
Upcoming Meeting Dates
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 3-5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 3-5 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 23, 3-5 p.m.
If you have any questions, please email Gabriel.Montague@dc.gov.
Environmental Literacy Lunch and Learn, Nov. 18 (Reminder)
Join OSSE and representatives from the Department of Energy and Environment and DC Public Schools on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 12 p.m. to hear the latest environmental literacy news.
This virtual lunch and learn will explore curricular updates, grant opportunities, and new resources for schools. Register here or contact Grace.Manubay@dc.gov for more information.
 FY27 SOAR Formula Consolidated Application Due Nov. 5 (Reminder)
The consolidated application for the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Formula grant programs, which include SOAR Academic Quality and SOAR Early Childhood, is now available in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). The award period for these grants is July 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. All eligible expenses incurred during this period may be submitted for reimbursement after applications have been approved. The deadline for public charter LEAs to submit applications is 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5.
OSSE held a pre-application webinar on Thursday, Oct. 8. Please see OSSE’s SOAR Formula webpage for application resources, including the webinar recording, its slide deck, and the FY27 SOAR Formula application guide.
For questions or additional information about the FY27 SOAR Formula Consolidated application, contact your LEA’s OSSE SOAR grant specialist.
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October 2026
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