Washington, D.C.—During its July 20 public meeting, the D.C. State Board of Education (State Board) voted on four state resolutions which have been under discussion and review for several months:

SR22-3, “Approve the District of Columbia’s Amendments to the Compulsory Education and School Attendance Regulations” (VOTE: 9–0)
SR22-4, “Approve the District of Columbia’s State Accountability Plan” (VOTE: 6–0)
SR22-5, Establish a Two-Year Schedule for the Amendment Process to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)” (VOTE: 9–0)
SR22-6, “Recommendations Related to Allegations of Sexual Assault and Abuse in Schools” (VOTE: 9–0)
 

The State Board  has approval authority over school attendance in the District. Any regulatory changes to the District’s attendance regulations are developed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and then brought to the State Board. The State Board engaged with OSSE a number of times over the spring and summer on proposed changes to an emergency rulemaking to codify attendance collection procedures. Under the approved Amendments to the Compulsory Education and School Attendance Regulations, major changes include, the shift from the “80/20 Rule” to a “60/40 Rule”—allowing student support teams to focus their attention on students that miss entire days of school—as well as establishing policies for routine and situational distance learning. These changes will be implemented prior to the start of the 2022–23 school year. 

The State Board also has approval authority over the District’s state accountability plan. Since February 2022, OSSE and the State Board have engaged on the District’s amendment to the District of Columbia’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Accountability Plan. With the amendment, the proposed State Accountability Plan will improve equity and better reward academic growth. 

The State Board also approved a resolution to establish a two-year schedule with OSSE for engagement and possible amendments related to the District of Columbia State Accountability Plan; such regularly scheduled reviews support conscious, deliberate decisions to continuously invest and improve our accountability system. 

Members of the State Board have become increasingly aware of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment in school settings and voted to approve recommendations for agencies to make processes and data on the topic readily available to the public. Members reviewed a resolution with recommendations related to allegations of assault and sexual abuse in schools—calling for agencies to provide clarity on wraparound services for students affected by sexual assault and abuse, as well as enhanced trainings for schools and community partners around prevention and creating supportive environments, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The State Board’s Advocacy and Outreach Committee will follow up on this work, with a roundtable in September, to consult with other agencies on sexual assault procedures. 

About SBOE

The D.C. State Board of Education is an independent agency within the Government of the District of Columbia that advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District’s state education agency. The State Board is made up of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing D.C. at large, and four appointed student representatives. The State Board approves statewide education policies and sets academic standards, while OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding. More information about the SBOE can be found at sboe.dc.gov.

Contact: Milayo Olufemi

202-710-4641

[email protected]