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NEW: Upcoming 2026 Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) Public Release
On Monday, Nov. 2, OSSE will publicly post each LEA’s federal fiscal year 2024 (FFY24) Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) on the .
On the morning of release, OSSE will email all LEA leaders and Special Education Points of Contact email templates to support SEPR communications with LEA parents and staff.
For questions about SEPR, please contact Karen Morgan-Donaldson at
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) Compliance (Reminder)
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.
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NEW: Register for OSSE and DC Health School Immunization Webinar, Nov. 19
OSSE and DC Health will hold a technical assistance webinar on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, from 10-11 a.m. on implementing the School Year 2026-27 School Immunization Policy. The webinar will cover key actions around Dec. 7 Exclusion Day, including generating and sending final warning notifications of temporary exclusion to all families of noncompliant students in key grades, immunization data entry and retrieval, steps health teams should take on and after Exclusion Day, and potential vaccine opportunities. Please click here to register.
NEW: Discipline Collection Training Coming Dec. 1
OSSE will host a virtual training session focused on the annual discipline collection for those who are new to the discipline collection or would just like a refresher. This session is ideal for new LEA Data Managers, school leaders, and discipline points of contact. However, anyone who works with the OSSE discipline collection is welcome to attend. The virtual session will be recorded for future use. The session will be offered online Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Registration will open in early November. Look for registration details in an upcoming LEA Look Forward. For questions, contact Jenni Russell Ziarnik at osse.data@dc.gov.
Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades, Nov. 12 (Reminder)
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.
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. - 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 toward 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
- 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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November 2026
December 2026
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