Washington, D.C.—The D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its monthly working session on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues globally, the State Board is taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our members, staff, and public. Therefore, this meeting will be held as a video web conference. Materials for the State Board meetings can be found on our meeting website. For the most up-to-date information on the District’s COVID-19 response, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will present new draft regulations for the Education Preparation Program for the consideration of the State Board. D.C. Official Code 38-2652 states that the State Board shall approve standards for accreditation and certification of teacher preparation programs of colleges and universities or teacher preparation academies. This and other Educator Workforce Initiatives provide targeted and sustained support for educators through professional development opportunities.
The Office for Students in the Care of DC (SCDC) works to ensure that children in child welfare, juvenile justice and criminal justice systems receive quality education and have access to workforce development supports that address their needs. The State Board will be joined by Executive Director, LaShunda Hill, who will provide updates on SCDC programs and initiatives.
The State Board has been involved in efforts to combat high rates of truancy and absenteeism in District schools for many years. Despite large investments over the years and targeted programs, many schools still report high levels of student absenteeism. The State Board will hear from advocates from the Social Justice Project, who work to improve access and quality of education for students in the District. They will explore the District’s ‘80/20 rule’, which defines that a student must be physically in attendance at scheduled periods of instruction at least 80 percent of the full instructional day to be marked present, and explain potential barriers existing within the District’s school attendance laws and regulations.
The State Board staff will provide a high-level overview of the state of homeschooling in the District—sharing information on the process by which families must notify the District on their intent to start, continue, or discontinue homeschooling, discussing the process by which an annual homeschool portfolio review is to be completed, describing resources available to families who homeschool, and providing historical homeschool enrollment figures. The State Board has approval authority of the District’s standards of homeshooling and this presentation will orient members to this area in advance of the State Board’s July 14 Public Meeting that will feature invited panelists on this topic.
The State Board’s committees will also provide updates on their work.
Upcoming Committee Meetings:
- Student Advisory Committee (SAC) - July 13 at 5:30 pm
- Advocacy & Outreach Committee - July 2 at 9:00 am
- Accountability & Assessments - August 19 at 4:30 pm
- Board Governance - July 15 at 1:00 pm
- Education Standards Committee - August 25 at 4:30 pm
- Teacher Practice Committee - July 13 at 4:00 pm
- Administrative - July 14 at 10:00 am
While working sessions are open to the public, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony for consideration by the State Board at any time. Written testimony must be submitted by email ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting, in order to be included in the official record. Materials received after that time will be included in the next official meeting record. To review the agenda, submit testimony, and presentations, please visit the SBOE meeting documents site.
Working Session Agenda
Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified, or updated without notice.
I. Call to Order
II. Announcement of a Quorum
III. Leadership Report
IV. Executive Director’s Report
V. Educator Preparation Program Regulations
VI. Students in the Care of DC
VII. Attendance Law, Policies, & Regulations
VIII. Homeschooling in the District
IX. Committee Reports
i. Student Advisory Committee
ii. Advocacy & Outreach
iii. Accountability & Assessments
iv. Board Governance
v. Education Standards
vi. Teacher Practice
vii. Administrative
X. New Business & Other Discussion
XI. Adjournment
About the 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 composed of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, and two 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 State Board can be found at sboe.dc.gov.
Contact: Milayo Olufemi
202-710-4641