Washington, DC- The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its next High School Graduation Requirements Task Force meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 6 pm in Room 1114 at 441 4th Street NW. During this meeting, task force members will report out on constituent feedback based on the latest “straw man” set of requirements – proposed changes to high school graduation requirements designed to ensure the District diploma fulfills its intended purpose - and will review a new version that reflects community input. Members will also welcome Jennifer Zinth, Director of High School and STEM at the Education Commission of the States, Phillip Lovell, Vice President of Policy Development and Government Relations at the Alliance for Excellent Education, and Don Long, Director of Teaching, Leading, and Learning at National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) to provide insight into what changes other states have recently made to requirements.
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 will meet twice a month to conduct this important work. Mirroring our school-aged population, half of the task force members live or work East of the Anacostia River. The task force is several months away from having a finalized set of recommendations.
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 [email protected] 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.