Definition of Success

Each student consistently attends a school characterized by a safe, supportive environment and policies and practices that promote physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being. The health and well-being needs of each student are adequately met so that they can engage in learning each day.

Strategic Initiatives

• Enhance cross-agency partnership: Partner with DC government agencies, including DC Health, the Department of Behavioral Health, the Child and Family Services Administration, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism and coordinate the delivery of health, behavioral health, and nutrition services to students.
• Support our school-based workforce: Invest in the school-based workforce that supports student well-being, including counselors, social workers, nurses, and family liaisons. Expand professional development focused on mental, behavioral, and emotional health and ensure school-based staff are adequately trained to meet all students’ needs.
• Support increased attendance for PK-12: Develop and implement a coordinated approach to improving attendance across PK-12 by setting clear expectations for LEAs, providing actionable attendance data, and supporting schools in identifying and addressing the barriers that keep students from attending consistently. Focus intensive support on the schools and student populations with the highest chronic absence rates.
• Promote effective health and wellness policies and practices: Define what effective health, safety, and school climate policies and practices look like and support LEAs and child development facilities in implementing them. This includes promoting positive school climate strategies, strengthening school meal programs, and supporting schools in meeting public health requirements.
• Support the timely use of health and wellness data: Improve the timeliness and usability of attendance, school climate, discipline, and health data so that LEAs, schools, and OSSE can identify problems early and target support to the students and schools that need it most.
• Use funds strategically for student wellness: Help LEAs blend and coordinate funding streams—including grants, Medicaid, and community partnerships—to expand student wellness programs and sustain them beyond individual grant cycles.

Outcome Measures – How we’ll measure progress 

• Percent of students who are chronically absent.
• Percent of students who are chronically truant.
• Student well-being as measured by the domains of supportive relationships, school safety, and belonging on student DC SAYS.
• Percent of schools and child development facilities that fully participate in child nutrition programs.
• Immunization rate of students in all grades, with an emphasis on key grades (pre-K 3, kindergarten, 7, and 11).