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NEW: Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool Survey
On behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Program, OSSE requests that LEAs complete the Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT) by Friday, Nov. 20. ELIT will provide critical information about LEA-wide environmental literacy curriculum and planning activities.
LEA data managers will receive an email with additional information. Only one staff representative should complete the ELIT on behalf of an LEA. The questionnaire takes about 60 minutes to complete.
Please direct questions to Grace Manubay at Grace.Manubay@dc.gov.
NEW: Nominations for the US Presidential Scholars Program Due by Dec. 4
Established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, the US Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors outstanding high school seniors for achieving educational excellence. As the official nominating body, OSSE would like your assistance in identifying these exceptional seniors.
Nominees must be US citizens or legal permanent residents, graduate from high school by August 2027, and preferably have the following:
- Strong involvement and service to the school or community
- Strong leadership
- High academic achievement
Learn more and nominate your outstanding 12th grade students for this prestigious award by contacting Greg Palmer, Program Manager, College & Career Readiness at Gregory.Palmer@dc.gov. Nominations are due by Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m.
Upcoming 2026 Special Education Performance Report (SEPR) Public Release (Reminder)
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: Join OSSE’s ESEA Team for Title Tuesday Office Hours on Nov. 17
Join us for this month’s Title Tuesday: Closing Out Your FY26 Grants on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.
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. Each session provides actionable information relevant to ESEA Title programs and offers LEAs an opportunity to engage directly with the 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 provided. Please come prepared to share your questions and feedback. We encourage participants to submit questions related to the monthly topic and ideas for future office hour topics to OSSE.ESEATitles@dc.gov.
Register for OSSE and DC Health School Immunization Webinar, Nov. 19 (Reminder)
OSSE and DC Health will hold a technical assistance webinar on Thursday, Nov. 19, 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.
Discipline Collection Training Coming Dec. 1 (Reminder)
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.
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November 2026
December 2026
January 2027
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