1. Who can be a member of the Committee of Practitioners?
District education stakeholders are invited to apply to serve on the Committee of Practitioners. In order to fill specific requirements set by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) encourages applications from various Title I education stakeholders, including the following:

• Principals and other school leaders;
• Representatives of authorized public chartering agencies (e.g. PCSB members or staff);
• Local education agency (LEA) and school administrators, including administrators of programs in Title I;
• Teachers in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and charter schools;
• Career and technical educators;
• Members of public charter school boards of directors;
• Members of the State Board of Education;
• Specialized instructional support personnel (including school social workers, psychologists, nurses, speech language pathologists, counselors, or other special education service providers); and
• Paraprofessionals.

2. What is the purpose of the State Title I Committee of Practitioners?
The required duties of the committee include the review, before publication, of any proposed or final OSSE rule or regulation pursuant to Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. More generally, the committee will provide recommendations to OSSE on policies related to Title I.

3. When and where are the meetings?
The committee will meet quarterly. Standing meetings will be held from 4-6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the following months: January, April, July, and September (unless otherwise stated). The first meeting of 2020 will be held on Sept. 17, 2020. All meetings will be held at OSSE.

4. What are the responsibilities?
The ultimate responsibility of those serving on the State Title I Committee of Practitioners is to inform and make recommendations for Title I policy for the District of Columbia. For a full list of responsibilities, please refer to the “Benefits and Responsibilities” document.

5. What are the benefits?
Serving on the State Title I Committee of Practitioners will allow you to directly influence policy and improve education in the District of Columbia. It will also be an opportunity to serve in a state-level advisory role. For a full list of benefits, please refer to the “Benefits and Responsibilities” document.

6. How is the Committee of Practitioners managed?
The Committee of Practitioners will have a system of internal management and responsibility governed by by-laws that have been drafted, revised, and approved by the full State Title I Committee of Practitioners. An OSSE staff member will serve as a non-member coordinator, acting as the point of contact between the committee and OSSE and managing logistics and support for the team. The coordinator will take any recommendations, concerns, or requests for support to leadership for internal review. All actions and deliverables are subject to final approval by the state superintendent or his/her designee.

7. How long is the term of service?
The state superintendent or his/her designee will appoint members to the State Title I Committee of Practitioners for a term of two or three years. The application requires prospective members to indicate a preference that may be considered in assigning term lengths.

8. How do decisions affect state policy?
The State Title I Committee of Practitioners will serve as an advisory board to OSSE. Recommendations from the Committee of Practitioners will be presented to the state superintendent or his/her designee, who has final approval. OSSE and its policies will benefit from the range of expertise on the committee.

9. How do I get more information?
For more information or questions, please contact [email protected].

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