The State Board of Education is responsible for approving state academic standards. The State Board is also responsible for ensuring that those standards specify what students are expected to know and be able to do, contain coherent and rigorous content, encourage the teaching of advanced skills, and are updated on a regular basis.

Adopted standards for the District of Columbia can be found below.

Common Core State Standards

• Common Core State Standards - Adopted July 2010
• More Information on the Common Core State Standards
• FAQs

Next Generation Science Standards

• Next Generation Science Standards - Adopted December 2013
• More Information on the Next Generation Science Standards
• FAQs

Physical Education and Health Standards

The State Board voted to approve updated physical education standards in March 2017. These academic standards cover all students from pre-kindergarten through high school, and are intended to help develop students who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthy physical activity. The State Board’s final vote in March 2017 was the culmination of a yearlong process undertaken in conjunction with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

In April 2016, the State Board voted unanimously to update the District’s health education standards, which are vital to ensuring that students learn to be healthy and safe citizens. The standards address bullying, addiction, sexual and mental health issues and provide students with a framework for building the skills they need to be healthy for the rest of their lives.

You can read the approved 2017 physical education standards here. You can find more about the approved health education standards here.

Family Engagement Standards

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the District of Columbia must meet certain minimum requirements for family engagement. Local education agencies receiving Title I funds in particular must meet certain obligations under the federal law. The State Board is committed to approving and maintaining state standards that promote effective and enriching parent and family engagement in all District schools.

OSSE has resources dedicated to parent and family engagement policy here.

For more on standards for family engagement in schools, visit the National Parent Teacher Association website.

Additional Standards

• Early Learning Standards – Updated January 2013
• Arts Education Standards – Updated December 2008 (Part 1) (Part 2) (Standards Map)
• Social Studies Standards – Adopted before June 2007
• Embedded Technology Standards – Reviewed May 2009
• World Languages Standards – Adopted October 2008

Competency-Based Learning

The high school graduation requirements task force’s proposed recommendations would introduce flexibility for local education agencies to incorporate competency-based learning frameworks into their credit accrual policies. Competency-based learning de-emphasizes in-seat hours of class time in favor of allowing students to demonstrate mastery of a subject to earn class credit. This would allow some students to test out of entry-level classes and move on to higher-level classes or classes in different subjects. The DC State Board of Education approved Credit Flexibility Regulations in March 2016.

For more information on competency-based learning, please visit the following:

• CompetencyWorks
• U.S. Department of Education's Resources on "Competency-Based Learning or Personalized Learning"
• International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL)'s Resources on Competency-Based Learning
• Achieve's Resources on Advancing Competency-Based Pathways to College and Career Readiness