SBOE approved final Credit Flexibility Regulations during our Public Meeting on March 16, 2016. This critical step created flexibility beyond the time-based Carnegie unit for students to earn high school credit. In order to hear the voices of stakeholders across all wards, a Task Force convened by the State Board of Education of the District of Columbia was chaired by Laura Wilson Phelan, SBOE Member from Ward 1. The Task Force's report and recommendations were adopted by the State Board. You can read their final report "Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Report and Recommendations of the High School Credit Flexibility Task Force" below.  The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) created proposed regulations based on these final recommendations.

Breaking Down Final #DCCreditFlex Regulations:

1. Waivers: Schools may apply for a waiver to create competency-based courses. Competency-based education provides more personalized learning that allows students to move at their own pace, whether it is faster or slower. Students can only move to the next level once they have demonstrated mastery of the necessary skills. 

2. Changes to Algebra I: Currently, all Districts high school freshman are required to take Algebra I. The new regulations will delay that requirement until students are in the 10^th grade. This change comes from feedback from educators that many ninth grade students are not ready for this challenging content. The new regulations will allow schools flexibility in preparing students for the rigor of Algebra, while still allowing students to graduate in four years.

3. Data-Driven Decisions:  OSSE will report on the impact of competency-based learning that will result from this rule. The report will explore best practices and places for improvement. For example, there will be an assessment of what tactics and types of competency-based learning has worked for DC's students.  

With these new regulations, schools can now apply for a waiver to offer competency-based courses. The task force determined that it was important to maintain the Carnegie Unit as the default means for earning credit to allow for controlled innovation and scaling of the most successful approaches. These changes will allow schools to innovate with competency-based education without forcing our school system to overhaul their current credit-giving framework before it is ready to do so. The State Board of Education will continue to analyze the best usage of competency-based education in District public schools as it tackles high school graduation requirements this year.

[email protected] | (202) 236-2184 

Frazier O’Leary grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, graduating high school and going on to pursue college at Old Dominion College. An active baseball player, his college team earned NCAA Regional champion status his freshman year. In 1964, Frazier joined the United States Army and spent a year fighting in Vietnam. He then entered Infantry OCS and served as an Army officer in Arlington, VA for two and a half years.

After leaving the Army as captain, Frazier began his real college career at American University in September of 1968. He graduated from AU in December of 1970 with a BA in English, beginning his teaching career the following January at Garnet-Patterson JHS, a DCPS school.

Frazier earned his MLA from St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM in August,1973. He began teaching at DCPS’s Cardozo SHS in September, 1977, where he taught for 40 years until his retirement in June, 2017. Frazier was very active during his time at Cardozo, coaching football, girls' and boys' basketball, tennis, and baseball. In 2007, he was inducted into the DC Coaches' Hall of Fame. In 2009, Frazier was awarded an honorary doctorate of philosophy in humanities from St. Mary's College in Maryland. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and the Toni Morrison Society and a member and past Vice President of The School Club, an educational advocacy group.

Frazier lives in Ward 4 and has five children ranging in age from 20-48.

[email protected]  | (202) 856-4422  | @ZACHARYSBOE5 

Zachary Parker is a third-generation educator and former award-winning 7th-grade math teacher. Zachary now serves as the Ward 5 member and President of the State Board of Education.

Since being sworn in on January 2, 2019, Zachary has focused on informing sound policy — from the DC School Report Card to culturally responsive education standards — that ensures all students have an opportunity to excel regardless of zip code. Zachary authored the State Board's Equity Framework, which is meant to center equity in all the State Board's work, and championed expanded support for students with disabilities and full funding for the Birth to Three for All DC Act of 2018.  

Zachary has also worked to make sure DC's most vulnerable students have the educational resources to excel. In 2019, Zachary launched the Ward 5 Education Equity Committee, a community-led organization for Ward 5 educators, parents, and neighbors to advocate for local educational matters. To address the impact of COVID-19, Zachary partnered with the Ward 5 Education Equity Committee in 2020 to raise over $12,000 to provide 300+ students with school supplies and critical virtual learning materials (i.e., Wi-Fi hotspots and headphones).

Zachary's advocacy has contributed to funding for McKinley Technology High School's Biotechnology Department, transportation for youth experiencing homelessness in Ward 5, and increased school budgets. Zachary's advocacy has also contributed to the renovation and much-needed upgrades to Ward 5 schools, including Langley Elementary School and Spingarn High School. Zachary's latest endeavor is working with his predecessor and businessman, Mark Jones, and Ward 5 leaders to stand up the Ward 5 Education Collaborative (Ward 5 Ed Collab) to support area schools financially. The Ward 5 Ed Collab is a non-profit entity that will raise and disburse funds to supplement Ward 5 school budgets. 

When not fighting for educational equity in Washington, D.C., Zachary serves as a proud board member of Love to Langa, US-based non-profit supporting programs to provide hope and educational opportunities for the children of Langa, South Africa. Currently, Love to Langa is working to build a Montessori school for the children of South Africa. Zachary believes the push for quality education is truly a global endeavor.

Zachary received a BS in Speech and Language Pathology (Communication Sciences and Disorders) from Northwestern University and a MA in Education Policy and Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

The Student Advisory Committee holds its monthly committee meeting. Please contact [email protected] for the joining information.