Washington, DC – The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) announces its next High School Graduation Requirements Task Force meeting. The task force will resume its work on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 1114 at 441 4th Street NW. During this meeting, the task force looks to build on new information shared in the recent Alvarez & Marsal report on DC public schools (DCPS) high schools’ attendance and graduation outcomes. Members will review the data that was provided in the report and consider how its work can help ensure District students are better prepared for post-secondary life. Task force members will determine a direction forward, setting goals and identifying resources needed to complete the work.
“We look forward to reconvening as a group to continue our work on high school graduation requirements,” said Laura Wilson Phelan, Ward 1 representative and task force co-chair. “There is an opportunity for us to take advantage of the transparent information provided by the Alvarez & Marsal report to better inform our work.”
“The work of this task force and the forthcoming recommendations are critical for our students and families,” said Markus Batchelor, Ward 8 representative and task force co-chair. “Task force members will collectively decide on a path forward to ensure that all of our students are college and career-ready. Now, more than ever, the input and perspectives of this diverse group of residents is essential to our forward progress as a system and as a city.”
This task force marks an historic citywide effort to review, analyze and, as necessary, make thoughtful, implementable recommendations to adjust DC’s high school graduation requirements for all DCPS and public charter school students. Under the leadership of Ward 1 representative Laura Wilson Phelan and Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor, the members of the task force mirror our school-aged population, with half of the task force members living or working East of the Anacostia River.
All task force meetings are open to the public. However, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate during task force sessions. District residents may stay involved and provide input throughout this process in a variety of ways. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony or information for consideration by the task force by emailing sboe@dc.gov or by filling out this online form. Members of the public can also request to join our discussion group here to share input regarding the work of the task force.
The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the executive branch of the Government of the District of Columbia which works to advise the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the District’s state education agency. The Board approves education policies, sets academic standards, and determines teacher qualifications. The State Board views its role in the achievement of this mission as one of shared responsibility, whereby it engages families, students, educators, community members, elected officials and business leaders to play a vital role in preparing every child for college and/or career success.
The SBOE’s FY2017 Council Performance Oversight Hearing is scheduled for February 15, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building. District residents are invited to provide input on the work of the State Board over the past year and may sign-up to testify by February 13, 2018 here. For the latest updates on the work of the task force, please visit sboe.dc.gov/gradreqs.
WASHINGTON INFORMER — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser promised Thursday to get to the bottom of the graduation-rate scandal engulfing the city’s public schools system, particularly at Ballou Senior High School in Southeast.
In a letter to city residents, Bowser pointed out the schools system’s progress over the past decade, but acknowledged the “devastating news” she had to deliver about the system after reports surfaced late last year of inflated graduation rates at Ballou.
“The OSSE investigation revealed poor student attendance, a culture of graduating students despite poor attendance, training and technology failures within DCPS, and pressure to pass students in order to meet or exceed graduation goals,” Bowser said. “Misapplied policies and a desire to help our most disadvantaged students led to a series of failures we must now overcome.”
She said her plan to combat the issue includes commissioning a third-party investigation by a private firm overseen by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; publicly presenting facts as they became available; holding those responsible for wrongdoings accountable; and setting a clear and deliberate course to fix what has been broken.
Bowser said the short-term steps to regaining the public’s faith in the schools system include appointing a chief integrity officer at DCPS; holding the system leadership accountable for attendance/grading and school-level failures; and referring the investigative reports to the D.C. inspector general for additional evaluation.
“As we confront our challenges, I want to be very clear that we will not tolerate any forms of cheating in our school system,” the mayor wrote. “When this occurs, it jeopardizes our students, our taxpayers, and our future as a city.”
She said information on other upcoming changes, including updates to the DCPS grading and credit recovery policies and the implementation of end-of-course assessments for core courses by the 2022 school year, can be found at attendance.dc.gov.
“But we won’t stop there,” Bowser said. “Beginning with the Class of 2018, we are working to ensure that every DCPS diploma has the value that our students deserve. DCPS is already in the process of conducting comprehensive reviews of student transcripts and ensuring that schools have support systems and aligned accountability systems to properly follow attendance, grading, and credit recovery policies this semester. This will inevitably lead to some tough conversations with our students and families. Seniors will be informed whether they are on track to graduate, and if not, what options they have. We want every student to succeed, and we will have the appropriate supports in place to help them do so.
“Starting at Ballou, DCPS will host resource fairs to connect more students and families to the supports they need to be successful in school, including on attendance,” she said. “We want to hear directly from students about what obstacles they face so that we can help them overcome those challenges. And, going forward, it is critical that we continually instill in our students that there is nothing more important to me, you, or our city than their individual success.”
Bowser touted DCPS’s achievements over the past decade, including recognition as the fastest-improving urban school district in the country based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, as well as increasing enrollment numbers following years of decline.
The selective outrage of partisan ideologues in the education space is a well-known phenomenon and nowhere is that more on display than in the muted reaction to the scandal surrounding the 2017 graduation rate that has been unraveling in Washington in recent weeks. With the release of the final report of the audit ordered by the city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, we know, unequivocally, that more than one-third of the Washington public schools’ class of 2017—a total of 900 students—were only granted diplomas because their teachers and administrators flouted attendance policies and misused credit-recovery programs.
One would think that the loudest accountability hawks in the education reform movement would be beside themselves, writing op-eds, and taking the battle to Twitter in the name of justice for students. But as the details of the graduation-rate investigation by NPR and Washington’s local public radio station (WAMU) have emerged, these avatars of accountability have been uncharacteristically silent. The very same folks who are quick to jump on the slightest whisper of wrongdoing in virtual charters and voucher programs, for example, have suddenly lost their aversion to dishonesty and fraud. When the reforms they support are carried out by people they like and align with politically, their commitment to accountability appears to soften. And maybe that would be understandable, except that students and families suffer when silence settles over a deliberate and well-orchestrated injustice inside a school system.
Read the full article here: May require an Education Week subscription.
On Oct. 28, 2015, the D.C. public school district put out a statement lauding itself, with this headline: “DC Public Schools Continues Momentum as the Fastest Improving Urban School District in the Country.”
For years, that has been the national narrative about the long-troubled school district in the nation’s capital: After decades of low performance and stagnation, the system was moving forward with a “reform” program that was a model for the nation. The triumphant story included rising standardized test scores and “miracle” schools that saw graduation rates jump over the moon in practically no time at all. Arne Duncan, President Barack Obama’s education secretary for seven years, called it “a pretty remarkable story” in 2013.
That tale is looking a lot less remarkable in the wake of revelations that educators and administrators, feeling pressure from their bosses to boost graduation rates and student performance, allowed many students who did not have the requisite qualifications to graduate.
A city study – undertaken after press reports revealed the scandal – found that more than 900 of 2,758 students who graduated from a D.C. public school last year either failed to attend enough classes or improperly took makeup classes. At one campus, Anacostia High in Southeast Washington, nearly 70 percent of the 106 graduates received 2017 diplomas despite violating some aspect of city graduation policy.
Washington, DC – The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its next Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Task Force meeting on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 1117 at 441 4th Street NW. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will provide task force members with an overview of the content proposal for the ESSA school report card. Task force member Josh Boots, Executive Director of EmpowerK12, will present on the 2017 District Equity Reports. After the presentations, task force members will breakout into committee work related to leadership, academic rigor, school resources and funding equity, and school climate.
All task force meetings are open to the public. However, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate during task force sessions. District residents may stay involved and provide input throughout this process in a variety of ways. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony or information for consideration by the task force by emailing sboe@dc.gov. The task force meeting will be streamed live via Periscope for those community members who are unable to attend in person.
On Wednesday, February 7, 2017, the SBOE will hold it monthly working session. The working session will be held at 5:00 p.m. in Room 1117 at 441 4th Street NW. Representatives from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will present an Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) report card content proposal. The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education and the Office of the Student Advocate will provide quarterly reports on their progress helping District families. Additionally, Board members will discuss the final Alvarez & Marsal Report released this week on DC Public Schools (DCPS) graduation and attendance outcomes. Read President William’s statement on the report here.
The public is welcome to attend the working session. However, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate during the working session. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony for consideration by the SBOE. Written testimony may also be submitted by email at sboe@dc.gov.
The draft agenda for the working session is below. Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified or updated without notice.
I. Call to Order
II. Announcement of a Quorum
III. ESSA School Report Card Content Proposal
IV. Ombudsman Quarterly Report
V. Student Advocate Report
VI. Alvarez & Marsal Final Report Discussion
VII. Committee Updates
VIII.Executive Director’s Report
IX. Adjournment
The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within DC government that advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the District’s state education agency. The Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, in addition to two student representatives. The Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, and one member representing DC at large, and two student representatives. The Board approves education policies, sets academic standards, and determines teacher qualifications, while OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding. The SBOE’s role in the achievement of this mission engages families, students, educators, community members, elected officials and business leaders to play a vital role in preparing every child for college and/or career success. More information about the SBOE can be found at sboe.dc.gov.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has given six more states the thumbs-up on their plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act: Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, and New Hampshire.
These approvals bring the grand total of approved state ESSA plans to 33, plus Puerto Rico’s and the District of Columbia’s. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia submitted plans last spring, and all but one of those states, Colorado, have been approved. Another 34 states turned in plans last fall, and so far, 18 have been approved.
So what do the approved plans look like? Below are some highlights of the state’s draft applications…
Read the full article here: May require an Education Week subscription.
Want to learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act? Here’s some useful information:
Did you know that game-based learning is gaining popularity in education as more young people and adults learn from games in and out of the classroom? Well-designed games can motivate students to actively engage in content that relates to coursework, and to master challenging tasks designed to sharpen critical thinking and problem solving, as well as employment and life skills.
On January 8, 2018, the 5th annual ED Games Expo occurred at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The event was organized in collaboration between the Department of Education’s (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and the Kennedy Center’s Education team. The event showcased more than 100 learning games, most developed with funding from 17 different government programs within and outside ED. The games were for students of all ages in education and special education and covered topics across STEM, reading, social studies and social development. Many incorporated emerging technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality and maker spaces with 3D printing stations, as well as engaging approaches to learning, such as narrative adventures and puzzle games.
A Unique Opportunity
This year the Expo featured panel sessions with game developers and live demos by more than 80 developers from around the country. At a daytime panel session on the Millennium Stage titled “So You Want to Be a Game Developer,” 13 different game developers shared inspiring stories for why and how they became game developers. The audience included more than 500 DC-area school students, many of whom took the microphone and asked questions such as “What is it like to be a game developer?” and “What can I do to be a game developer?”
The live demos of learning games and technologies occurred across multiple galleries on the Terrace Level of the Kennedy Center. Across the day and into the early evening, the students and more than 200 other visitors played games while meeting face-to-face with the developers. The experience provided a unique opportunity for attendees to discuss how the games were developed and to learn about the research findings on how games can impact student performance.
Learning Games Emerge Across Many Government Programs
Along with being a fun and rich learning experience for everyone, the Expo demonstrated the impact of a wide range of government programs that invest in learning games as a strategy to advance their mission to support education and learning.
Outside of ED, learning games at the Expo were supported by ten different government programs, including the SBIR programs at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes for Health and research programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health. A group of games were also developed from programs at USAID, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lastly, the Kennedy Center joined the Expo this year in recognition of the arts and creativity embedded in the game development process. The Expo provided tangible opportunities for students to learn directly from game developers how they use the creative artistic process to design multi-modal, differentiated games that are engaging, customized learning experiences for all. Through its Education programs, the Kennedy Center encourages a broad audience of students and stakeholders to consider game development as an opportunity for a range of learning experiences, through concept ideation, design, coding, graphic art creation, musical score writing and performance, or research and evaluation during and after development.
Edward Metz is a Research Scientist at the Institute of Education Sciences within the Department of Education, where he leads the SBIR and the Education Technology Research Grants programs.
Jeanette McCune is the Director of School and Community Programs in Education at the Kennedy Center.
Follow IES (@IESResearch) and the Kennedy Center (@Kencen) for updates on the next ED Games Expo and other initiatives.
Washington, DC- The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its monthly public meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. in the Old Council Chambers at 441 4th Street NW. The SBOE wants to hear the community’s thoughts on the proposed content of a new school report card that will provide the same information about every public and public charter school in the District. The school report card will contain two kinds of data: information that is required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and information that is important to the residents of the District. The public may sign up online to testify at this month’s SBOE Public meeting about the school report card. The deadline to sign up is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16, 2017. Residents who testify will have three minutes to provide their input and recommendations to the SBOE.
At Tuesday night’s SBOE ESSA Task Force meeting, representatives from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) outlined updates to their content and format proposal for the new report card. Task force members reviewed the proposal and provided comments and recommendations. This proposal was based on feedback from State Board members, community members, and the members of the ESSA Task Force. Over the next few weeks, OSSE will work with the SBOE to finalize the content proposal with the intention that the State Board will vote on the proposal at its February public meeting.
At this month’s public meeting, the State Board will also honor the recently named District Tier 1 public charter schools and organizers of National School Choice Week with ceremonial resolutions.
Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to comment at a public meeting may also submit testimony via email at sboe@dc.gov. Individuals should furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation.
The draft agenda of the meeting is below. Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified or updated without notice.
Call to Order
Announcement of a Quorum
Leadership Election
Approval of the Agenda
Approval of Minutes
Comments from the President of the DC State Board of Education
Comments from the State Superintendent of Education
Public Comment
2017 Tier 1 Public Charter School Ceremonial Resolution (VOTE)
National School Choice Week Recognition Ceremonial Resolution (VOTE)
2018 Committees Resolution (VOTE)
ESSA Report Card Recommendations
Adjournment
The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the executive branch of the Government of the District of Columbia that works to advise the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the District’s state education agency. The Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, in addition to two student representatives. While OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding, the Board approves education policies, sets academic standards, and determines teacher qualifications. The State Board views its role in the achievement of this mission as one of shared responsibility, whereby it engages families, students, educators, community members, elected officials and business leaders to play a vital role in preparing every child for college and/or career success. More information about the SBOE can be found at sboe.dc.gov.
Washington, DC – The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) announces that its High School Graduation Requirements Task Force will be taking a strategic pause during the month of January 2018 to take advantage of upcoming information that will influence the task force’s work. Stepping back for a month will allow staff and task force members to reflect on constituent feedback received thus far, as well as consider information from the ongoing investigation of the implementation of high school graduation requirements at Ballou High School and other schools across the city. The results of the citywide investigation being led by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education are expected at the end of January. Members will reconvene in February to continue their work.
“Too often, policymakers race forward with changes without pausing to consider how changing contexts may influence the direction of their work. We are taking the month of January to reflect on the work done so far by the task force, the input we have received to-date and to ensure we consider the outcomes of the ongoing investigation before moving forward,” said Laura Wilson Phelan, Ward 1 representative and task force co-chair.
“Recent developments make the work and forthcoming recommendations of this task force even more critical for our students and families”, said Markus Batchelor, Ward 8 representative and task force co-chair. “The promise of our work together with the broad representation that exists from across the city will be essential in the creation of groundbreaking new opportunities for our students. We want to seize this moment by ensuring our work incorporates new information as it becomes available.”
This task force marks an historic citywide effort to review, analyze and, as necessary, make thoughtful, implementable recommendations to adjust DC’s high school graduation requirements for all DCPS and public charter school students. Under the leadership of Ward 1 representative Laura Wilson Phelan and Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor, the 26 members of the task force mirror our school-aged population, with half of the task force members living or working East of the Anacostia River. After the pause, the task force will resume its regular meetings with the goal of presenting recommendations to the State Board in the spring.
All task force meetings are open to the public. However, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate during task force sessions. District residents may stay involved and provide input throughout this process in a variety of ways. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony or information for consideration by the task force by emailing sboe@dc.gov or by filling out this online form. Members of the public can also request to join our discussion group here to share input regarding the work of the task force.
The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the executive branch of the Government of the District of Columbia which works to advise the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the District’s state education agency. The Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, in addition to two student representatives. While OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding, the Board approves education policies, sets academic standards, and determines teacher qualifications. The State Board views its role in the achievement of this mission as one of shared responsibility, whereby it engages families, students, educators, community members, elected officials and business leaders to play a vital role in preparing every child for college and/or career success.
For the latest updates on the work of the task force, please visit sboe.dc.gov/gradreqs.
SBOE Approves Resolution for Most Vulnerable Students
At December’s public meeting, the State Board unanimously approved a resolution that would change the way we report and monitor the progress of some of our most vulnerable students. Across the country, most jurisdictions use a definition of economically disadvantaged that is based on participation in the free and reduced-price meal program, commonly called FARM. SBOE President and Ward 7 Representative Karen Williams explained, “The problem is that many schools receive what is called community eligibility for FARM, where if a certain percentage of students at a school qualify for FARM, all of its students are labeled as economically disadvantaged. This leads to less precise reporting, since not all students at a community eligible school are actually living in poverty.”
The resolution approved by the State Board would instead link the definition of “economically disadvantaged” to other federal programs, including Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and an individual student’s homeless or foster care status. The SBOE noted that this information is already being collected by the District for reporting the number of students labeled as at-risk, so the burden on schools is minimal.
State Superintendent Hanseul Kang spoke of ensuring the SBOE is informed of the work her agency is doing on a new definition for “economically disadvantaged” students to ensure that the District’s reporting requirements not only provide detailed information about these vulnerable students, but also that the rules do not have unintended consequences reporting & transparency.
Celebrating Ballou Senior High School’s Football Team, DC’s 2017 State Champions
At this month’s public meeting, the State Board honored the achievements of the Martin Luther King Parade Committee, Changamire (“Changa”) Anderson II, and the Ballou Senior High School DC Football Champions. Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor moved resolutions to honor the Ballou Senior High School Football Team, DC’s 2017 State Champions and the 12th Annual Martin Luther King Peace Walk & Parade Committee for their dedication to the enrichment of our students. Ward 4 representative Lannette Woodruff introduced a resolution honoring the hard work of student athlete Changa Anderson, grandson of former Ward 4 SBOE representative D. Kamili Anderson. Last month, Mr. Anderson represented the United States as a member of the U.S. National Gymnastics Team, competing at the World Trampoline Championships in Bulgaria.
Celebrating student athlete Changa Anderson, grandson of former Ward 4 SBOE representative D. Kamili Anderson
Maya Martin, PAVE Executive Director and Josh Boots, EmpowerK12 Executive Director present to the ESSA Task Force
The SBOE Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Task Force met on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 to discuss the new version of DC’s school report card. Maya Martin, Executive Director of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE), Josh Boots, Executive Director of EmpowerK12, and representatives from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) provided task force members with an overview of recently held parent feedback sessions on the DC school report card. View the presentation materials here and watch the replay here.
PAVE held meetings with each of its Parent Leaders in Education (PLE) Boards in Wards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. At each meeting, parents were asked to rank the top five things they looked for when they chose a school for their student. Parents then examined PCSB’s Performance Management Framework Reports, DC Public School’s Scorecards, and the LEARN DC profiles, and discussed the pros and cons of each. In addition, PAVE canvassed and collected surveys from 51 total parents. 85% of parents who attended sessions said “Student Performance by Subgroup” and “Teacher Quality” were the most important factors needed on a school report card. Re-enrollment, School Funding, and Attendance were also rated highly. Parents want one source where they can get data, and one that helps them interpret quality more easily.
OSSE’s Deputy Chief of Staff Naomi Watson & Special Assistant Justin Tooley presented information from recently held school report card parent sessions. OSSE reported hearing from 430 parents, families, and community members at in-person sessions and from an online survey. The team expects to hear up to 1500 pieces of feedback. The top themes that parents are looking for include teacher data, parent and family engagement, graduation and college-preparedness, diversity, grades and test scores, and discipline and safety.
The OSSE Parent and Community Engagement Toolkit is now available here to learn how to facilitate your own feedback session. Community members can also take an online survey to provide feedback. OSSE will log and analyze all of the public feedback, and then update the report card content based on the analysis collected. OSSE will present a final proposed list to the State Board of Education in January 2018.
The next ESSA Task Force meeting will be held on January 9th.
OSSE Deputy Chief of Staff Naomi Watson and Special Assistant Justin Tooley present feedback from parent sessions on the school report card.
SBOE #DCGradReqs members participate in group work
The #DCGradReqs Task Force will be taking a strategic pause during the month of January 2018 to take advantage of upcoming information that will influence the task force’s work. Stepping back for a month will allow staff and task force members to reflect on constituent feedback received thus far, as well as consider information from the ongoing investigation of the implementation of high school graduation requirements at Ballou High School and other schools across the city. The results of the citywide investigation being led by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education are expected at the end of January. Members will reconvene in February to continue their work.
We encourage community members to engage in the discussions related to graduation requirements through our other forums. Your input is vital to our work as we move forward.
Joyanna Smith, Ombudsman for Public Education, and Faith Gibson Hubbard, Chief Student Advocate, provided an update to the Board on student discipline measures in the District at the December State Board Working Session. Ms. Smith provide statistics that showed that 33% of the cases her office receives that involve students who have been suspended also involve students who have IEP services, are undergoing evaluation, or are waiting to be evaluated. 36% of schools in the District of Columbia have a suspension rate above the District-wide average and 87% of schools with a suspension rate of 20% or higher are in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8. Additionally, these schools also tend to be at least 95% African American and have an at-risk student population of more than 60%.
Ms. Smith stated that local analysis of the District’s discipline data demonstrates that despite efforts to overcome disparate discipline procedures by developing discipline LEA guidance, enacting the Pre-K Student Discipline Amendment Act of 2015 and piloting restorative justice practices – the District continues to suspend or expel low-income and students of color at disproportionate rates. In D.C., African American students are 6.8 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers, while Latino students are 2.4 times more likely to have received at least one out-of-school suspension than their white peers. For African American students attending D.C. public schools, the level of disproportionality is well above the national average.
Ms. Gibson Hubbard provided some context to the issue of student discipline in the District. Confusion exists in part due the essentially 60 plus schools districts that exist in the District of Columbia. Each of the school districts, or Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) has its own student discipline policy. DCPS has discipline and behavior policies which are subject to the city regulations, code, and government oversight. Public Charter Schools have the autonomy to create their own discipline and behavior policies, with considerations from OSSE’s non-regulatory discipline guidance and the Public Charter School Board disciplinary guidance.
For the past two schools years, the Office of the Student Advocate has conducted, in partnership with the Council for Court Excellence and Howard University School of Law, an analysis of LEA student discipline policies in the District. View the Ombudsman presentation here and view the Student Advocate presentation here.
SBOE Public Affairs Specialist Paul Negron, Ombudsman for Public Education Joyanna Smith, Deputy Mayor for Education Chief of Staff Ahnna Smith, SBOE Executive Director John-Paul Hayworth and SBOE President and Ward 7 Representative Karen Williams at EdFEST17
Rain, sleet and snow did not stop the SBOE from heading to EdFEST17 on Saturday, December 9th! Members from the State Board and the Office of the Ombudsman and Student Advocate joined a number of DC public schools and public charter schools to showcase the city’s public school options (PK3-12) for the upcoming school year at DC Armory.
The common lottery application is now officially open! Parents may start filling out applications here ahead of the February 1st high school and March 1st PK3-8 application deadlines.
EdFEST featured many free services and fun activities for the whole family:
Lottery application information and guidance from the My School DC team. Immunizations for youth and adults, health screenings for kids and teens, and lots more family fun, games and entertainment brought to you by the DC Department of Health and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
SBOE Ward 8 Representative Markus Batchelor, Mayor Muriel Bowser, SBOE At-Large Representative Ashley Carter and DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson at EdFEST17
SBOE Public Affairs Specialist Paul Negron, SBOE President and Ward 7 Representative Karen Williams, Ombudsman Program Associate Khadijah Williams, Assistant Ombudsman Clarence Parks, Ombudsman for Public Education Joyanna Smith, Student Advocate Program Associate Tiffany Wilson, and Student Advocate Dan Davis at EdFEST17
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education provides conflict resolution services for parents and students across the city. Serving approximately 500 families per year, the dedicated staff of the office, under the leadership of Ombudsman Joyanna Smith, works on issues including: student discipline, special education, truancy, student enrollment, transportation, academic progress and bullying. The 2017 Ombudsman’s report builds upon the equity analysis provided in last year’s report by introducing a proposed equity framework for the city. This framework builds upon more than three years of collaboration with school-based, local, and national education leaders, and intervention with over 1,500 families in all eight wards.
Office of the Student Advocate’s Annual Report and Workshop Series
Parents speaking with the Ombudsman for Public Education Joyanna Smith during one of three rounds of individualized mini-sessions at the Office of the Student Advocate’s Know Your Rights Special Education Workshop on December 11th
The Office of the Student Advocate recently released its School Year 2016-2017 Annual Report. The report outlines the office’s work, with a focus on family engagement and student discipline, and provides recommendations that address the city’s top public education concerns. You can read the report here.
Most recently, the office relaunched its Special Education “Know Your Rights” Workshop Series in Ward 3 and its Parent Leadership Series in Wards 7 and 8. With the partnership of State Board members, Ruth Wattenberg (Ward 3), Karen Williams (President, Ward 7), and Markus Batchelor (Ward 8), the three kickoff events engaged more than 100 parents, families, community members, and representatives from partner organizations.
Be on the lookout for the second session of their Ward 7 Parent Leadership Series on February 10, 2018! To learn more about upcoming events and training, visit the Student Advocate training events page. If you have questions or concerns about public education in DC, give the office a call at 202-741-4692 or email student.advocate@dc.gov.
Commentary 
Did you know that game-based learning is gaining popularity in education as more young people and adults learn from games in and out of the classroom? Well-designed games can motivate students to actively engage in content that relates to coursework, and to master challenging tasks designed to sharpen critical thinking and problem solving, as well as employment and life skills.
