The resolution criticizes the District’s current cluster staffing model - which, as the resolution points out, leaves many DC students with inadequate access to a school nurse during the school day - and suggests tactics to support, grow and strengthen school nursing within the District.
The School Safety Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 (SSOAA) requires schools to take steps to prevent and address student sexual abuse by school staff and student-on-student acts of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and dating violence. At the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the vision is to ensure children who matriculate through the District’s schools of all ages and backgrounds are prepared to succeed in school and in life. SSOAA represents an opportunity and an obligatio
D.C. Act includes the establishment of a school safety enhancement committee; SUBTITLE B. SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS; SUBTITLE T. SCHOOL SAFETY COORDINATION; SUBTITLE M. SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL ACTION PLAN CLARIFICATION.
Bill 25-998 would require the assignment of nurses to each public and public charter school for a minimum of 40 hours per week during each week school is open to students. It also establishes a student loan repayment program for school nurses.
Recognizes the important work being done in the District to provide mental health supports in schools and calls for further investment in this key issue area
Recognizes the challenges that children experiencing homelessness in D.C. cope with, recommends that OSSE break down the use of funds to support students experiencing homelessness, and urges OSSE to create a publicly available annual transportation plan for students and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Recognizes the negative effects of policing on students, particularly on Black and Brown youth. It recommends that the Deputy Mayor of Education (DME) work with community members to create a student-centered set of recommendations for creating and maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment in police-free public schools in D.C., that the Mayor develop a plan to remove School Resource Officers from D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), and to encourage public charter schools to do the same.
Recognizes that gun violence is a pressing national health emergency and commemorates the lives of youth who have been killed in D.C. in 2020. Calls on the Mayor and D.C. Council to take immediate steps to address gun violence comprehensively in the District.
Resolves that upon the next revision of any District of Columbia state education standards, the State Board should adapt standards, when appropriate, that reflect on the political, economic, social, cultural, and scientific contributions and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to provide guidance to teachers and school-based leaders and staff on creating inclusive lessons in science and English language
Calls on the Deputy Mayor of Education (DME) to clearly define what safety means at all traditional public and public charter schools in the District, requests the Office of the State Superintendent on Education (OSSE) to provide guidance to LEAs regarding protocols for students entering and exiting school buildings, including but not limited to ample coverage of school-connected adults charged with monitoring student safety, advises that all District schools should have crossing guards at all p
Resolution passed on November 16, 2022 that puts forth recommendations related to public safety, accompanied by its equity statement and Student Advisory Committee (SAC) statement.
Recommends that the D.C. Council authorize the State Board to obtain data upon request from D.C.’s education agencies, such as OSSE and DME, and authorize the State Board to initiate policy in the areas in which it currently has statutory approval authority as enumerated under § 38–2652; encourages the D.C. Council to explore ways to improve the capacity for education stakeholders, such as students, families, and educators, to participate in advisory capacities in a more equitable way.
Recognizes National Mental Health Awareness Month and values the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of mental health, reducing stigma and discrimination of people living with mental illnesses, promoting overall mental health for all, and ensuring that anyone living with a mental illness has access to appropriate services; and resolves that the State Board's Student Advisory Committee (SAC) continues its work on mental health for students of the District through town halls and a
Recognizes LGBTQ+ Pride Month and commits to supporting and fighting alongside the LGBTQ+ community in their pursuit of full equality, representation, safety, and visibility, not only within this month of June but every day thereafter.
Makes several recommendations related to sexual assault and abuse allegations in schools, such as requesting OSSE and other District agencies to make data on sexual assault and abuse in schools publicly available and complete strategic plans that aid in the prevention of instances of misconduct across the city, and more.
Recognizes National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week and works to advocate and inform preventative education within schools and throughout communities to raise awareness of suicide.
Ceremonial resolution passed on October 19, 2022 that recognizes National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month.
Recognizes and observes National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and works towards promoting quality preventative education at all levels of school to raise awareness and thwart continued instances of domestic violence.
SBOE advocates that every school in the District of Columbia has access to a full-time nurse who can care for students and offer resources to families
Establishes that the State Board's HSFN Team will explore state-level public school facility standards for school location, design, condition, and utilization.
Calls on OSSE to explore methods for sharing sexual assault and harassment data to increase transparency, and provide an annual report to D.C. Council on sexual assault cases in schools.
The State Board looks forward to working with the D.C. Council to develop legislation on seizure safe schools, ensuring the incorporation of five (5) key components recommended by the Epilepsy Foundation.
Recognizes the importance of seizure-safe schools and highlights five (5) key components of seizure safety recommended by the Epilepsy Foundation.
Recognizes problems caused by the shortage in bus drivers for DC special education students and recommends action steps to remedy the issue.
Calls on DCPS, DCIAA, and DCSAA to officially sanction and fully fund wrestling as a sponsored girls interscholastic sport in all DCPS middle and high schools that sponsor wrestling, starting in the 2023-24 season.
D.C. State Board of Education urges the OST Office to ensure full funding for an equitably distributed network of universally accessible, convenient, high-quality, and free OST programs by June 2030 in the District of Columbia; that OSSE and the OST Office should — by May 2024 — engage
Calling for a Green New Deal for Schools, calls for improvements in the District’s approach to school meals, curriculum, career development, local infrastructure, and disaster preparedness to ensure students, teachers, and school buildings are equipped to face the climate crisis, the impacts of which are not distributed evenly.
The State Board recognizes the ongoing work of D.C. Councilmembers and the Committee of the Whole to better understand and address chronic absenteeism and truancy. The State Board has representation on the Every Day Counts! Taskforce,23 a partnership of District of Columbia agencies and stakeholders chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME), that is working to collectively advance and coordinate strategies to increase student attendance and reduce truancy.
The resolution criticizes the District’s current cluster staffing model - which, as the resolution points out, leaves many DC students with inadequate access to a school nurse during the school day - and suggests tactics to support, grow and strengthen school nursing within the District.
Outlines the project that involved planning, researching, designing, and executing the annual, 23-indicator Indicators of School Crime and Safety report. Topics include school shootings, bullying, suspensions, expulsions, violence, firearm possession, and threats against teachers.
Report put out by the National Center for Education Statistics, American Institutes for Research, and Bureau of Justice Statistics stating most recent national indicators on school crime and safety, with the goal of aiding policymakers and practitioners in the development of programs and policies that prevent violence and school crime.
Details the National Association of State Boards of Education's creation of the Healthy School Facilities Network (HSFN). The HSFN encourages the understanding of the interconnectedness between physical learning environments and student health/academic performance, increased inter-agency communication efforts, and the establishment of technical support during action plan development.
Explains the benefits of a positive school climate and why it is imperative that policymakers consider the effects of providing school-based mental health services in efforts to improve school climate.
Acknowledges increased suicide rates among young people and encourages state boards of education to craft policies that ensure students have the necessary supports, environments, and education to not only survive, but to thrive.
Explores the increase in 12-17 year old's' emergency room visits as the result of suspected suicide attempts that occurred during the pandemic; explores solutions and suggestions to address this going forward
Addresses the decline in youth mental health that occurred during the pandemic that ultimately resulted in more mental health-related emergency department visits. Includes recommendations for school boards in terms of how to best approach addressing declines in student mental health quality.
President of Alliance for Excellent Education, Deb Delisle, outlines ideas of All4Ed that promote safety, and feelings of safety, for educators and students.
Addresses the importance of caring for student health amidst the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting different approaches and concerns had among families across the district.
Article written by K-12 Dive about federal efforts to support student mental health programs. NASBE's Supporting Student Mental Health during the Return to School webinar is cited in the context of why student mental health must be made a priority, especially in the wake of COVID-19.
Acknowledges the significance of increased funding for school-based mental health programs while giving voice to students, researchers, and administrators who speak on the accessibility of the outlined services.
Addresses the increased community violence in D.C. and how it exacerbates preexisting issues faced by students during recovery from COVID. Explores how schools and the D.C. community can be part of the solution in supporting students navigating community violence.
In March of 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates for students and school staff, featuring specific recommendations for evidence-based practices that allow students to learn, grow, and be successful. To enhance state and local implementation of these guiding principles, a collaborative of technical assistance centers serving the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Educatio
Report commissioned by the DC SBOE; produced a list of significant, education-related research questions that can be answered with publicly available data.
Outlines the the required Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education's ten-year plan to develop adequate public school facilities.
Explores behavioral health in the context of DC and provides advice and resources for parents and educators about identifying and addressing issues relating to behavioral health.
Request to the mayor and DC Council that included providing funding for a cost study for SBBH, increasing investments in order to stabilize CBO grant funding, and expanding family engagement efforts.
Findings from study conducted by Bane LLC on teacher attrition in the District of Columbia
Results of a survey conducted by Resonant Education of public-school teachers in D.C., with results from 1,060 teachers from 185 different schools. The survey covers experiences in a virtual setting, comfort returning to in-person instruction, and types of supports needed. Also included are items related to well-rounded education and teacher retention.
The majority of children and teens who access mental health services do so in a school-based setting. The way in which schools and districts provide these services involves an intricate and coordinated web of federal, state and local agencies — both education and health and human services. This Policy Outline illustrates the ecosystem of agencies that support student mental health, and it includes examples from six states that intentionally coordinate these agencies and services.
Organizations and agencies collaborated to research how DC students and educators feel about and experience life and school. Topics addressed include teaching experience, trustworthiness of adults in schools, feelings towards life, and diet choices.
Education Commission of the States researched K-12 school safety policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to provide this comprehensive resource. This resource does not include district- or school-level policies, handbooks, manuals or other sources outside of state statute or regulations. Education Commission of the States does not provide legal advice on specific circumstances. The information here gives an overview of relevant laws in each state and does not reflect how these law
Findings of audit conducted by the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor (ODCA) on the Department of General Services. Recommendations include increased supervision, independent oversight, and more transparency.
This report provides policymakers and the public with an overview of the policies, regulations, and standards that govern the District’s Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade (PK-12) public education buildings and grounds. It also includes recommendations for how leaders in DC can collaborate across agencies to ensure all of DC’s public school facilities are safe, healthy, educationally appropriate, and equitable.
As of June 2024, four (4) bills related to chronic absenteeism and truancy have been introduced for consideration by the D.C. Council. In parallel to those bills, the State Board unanimously passed SR24-7, Recommending Policies that Address Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy, in April 2024. The analysis within this policy brief highlights where these documents align and offer recommendations to collaboratively address these issues
funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary School's Office of Safe and Supportive Schools. The Center offers information and technical assistance to states, districts, schools, institutions of higher education, and communities focused on improving school climate and conditions for learning.
Johns Hopkins University’s new Center for Safe and Healthy Schools is taking on the complex, urgent issue of school safety with comprehensive, evidence-based solutions focused on student well-being, safety and learning success. At its core, our work is driven by the belief that all students deserve to go to school in safe and healthy environments where they can learn and thrive.
List of indicators present in relation to school crime and safety; each indicator links to more information about it (its prevalence, how to reduce it, etc.)
This site following tools: Written guidance to assist local education agencies in developing and adopting policies and procedures for handling aspects of mental and behavioral health for students; A catalogue of all professional development and training programs offered; and Curriculum and implementation resources to support schools with implementing high-quality, multi-tiered mental health systems of support.
DME has compiled a resource guide to help schools navigate available resources and supports to enhance safety and wellness for their campuses.
A resource on Restorative Justice is provided.
Created in 2023, this site provides academic supports and mental health services to students and families.
This interactive, up-to-date map provides Safe Passage Priority Areas
Website with testimony and annual reports from the OSA.
This website serves as a central location for the Center. In particular, it includes information about the Center’s training and technical assistance, products and tools, and latest research findings. We welcome you to explore and discover, ask questions, and share your perspective.
Testimony by State Board President and Ward 7 Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson on June 26, 2024. The DC Council Committee of the Whole held a public hearing to discuss the following proposed bills:
Testimony by State Board President and Ward 7 Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson on November 13, 2024. The DC Council Committee of the Whole held a public oversight hearing to discuss chronic absenteeism and truancy in the District of Columbia.