Building DC's Educator Pipeline
As the state agency responsible for both pre-K through grade 12 education and early childhood education programs, OSSE is uniquely positioned to support initiatives aimed to elevate and build the pipeline for the teaching profession in the District of Columbia. In April 2022, OSSE launched its “Grow Your Own” (GYO) teacher preparation support program to educate, train and provide financial support to public high school dual enrollment students, public high school graduates and paraprofessionals to become licensed teachers at DCPS schools or certified teachers at District public charter schools.
GYO grants went to American University and the Relay Graduate School of Education. The American University grant serves District of Columbia high school students and graduates through dual enrollment courses and their Teacher Pipeline Project, allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree in education and an OSSE educator license. The Relay Graduate School of Education grant serves paraprofessionals in District of Columbia public and public charter schools through a two-year residency program resulting in a master of arts in teaching and an OSSE educator license.
Nearly 85 percent of all GYO program participants are persons of color, which will help ensure that DC’s future teacher racial and ethnic demographics are reflective of DC’s students.
Administering High-Quality Assessments
Sustaining the administration of high-quality assessments ensures our educators, families and policy leaders have the information they need to support academic success for all DC students.
In spring 2022, OSSE administered statewide assessments for the first time since the 2018-19 school year. Despite the challenges presented by the Omicron variant, more than 94 percent of expected test takers participated in assessments. In the fall, OSSE released results from those assessments, providing educators, families and advocates a clearer picture of where DC students need the most help. The data, which showed declines in math and English language arts proficiency rates, reinforce the District’s recovery and restoration work and investments and continue to drive decision making.
Improving Literacy Outcomes for DC Students
In 2022, OSSE leveraged a large share of its federal recovery funding – more than $22 million from FY22 to FY24 – to expand access for DC educators to intensive professional learning opportunities with an emphasis on the science of reading, adolescent literacy and supports for the evaluation and highquality ELA curriculum that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and rooted in evidence-based practices. To ensure sustainability, grants also funded dedicated literacy systems specialists in schools to support LEAs with planning and professional learning. In addition to these investments, OSSE, with the partnership of the DC Council and DC State Board of Education (SBOE). The group, which includes District educators and policymakers, is charged with developing comprehensive early literacy findings and implementable steps for the next four years to improve literacy across the District of Columbia.
Revising DC's Social Studies Standards
After a two-year process, OSSE released revised DC Social Studies Standards for public comment in December 2022. Since 2020, OSSE has been working closely the SBOE, and a committee of 30 educators across the District to write, revise and refine a set of inquiry-driven social studies standards. Before public comment opened in December, national experts
in social studies education reviewed and provided feedback to social studies standards for quality, accuracy and effectiveness. Following the adoption of social studies standards, OSSE will release supplemental guidance, including sample content and concepts, inquiry questions and supporting instructional materials for use by LEAs.
Naming Jermar "Coach" Rountree the 2022 DC Teacher of the Year
Jermar “Coach” Rountree thought it was an illusion when Mayor Bowser and State Superintendent Grant appeared during a science magic show to name him the 2023 DC Teacher of the Year. Coach Rountree, a pre-K through eighth grade health and physical education teacher at Center City Public Charter School’s Brightwood campus, got to celebrate the honor – and
the $7,500 prize – with students, colleagues and his sister. Teaching for 16 years, six of them at Center City PCS-Brightwood, Coach Rountree devotes his time and talents to positively impact the lives of every child in the building from pre-K to middle school and is hyperfocused on making sure every child has the health instruction they need to thrive.
As the 2023 DC Teacher of the Year, and a top-five National Teacher of the Year finalist, Coach Rountree has the opportunity to serve as the District’s ambassador for the profession. His new post also provides him a platform to amplify teacher voice among state and national leaders.
Redesigning Our Accountability Framework
In July 2022, the SBOE approved OSSE’s updated Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan to measure school performance using metrics such as academic achievement, student growth, attendance, graduation rates, and progress in attaining English language proficiency. OSSE drafted the plan after hearing extensive community input to increase the weight of student growth, add a measure of student growth for high school and increase the overall focus on economically disadvantaged students. In order to make these data more accessible to the public and understand any additional needs, OSSE looks forward to more public engagement on the redesign of the DC School Report Card in the fall of 2023.
