March 20, 2008: The State Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution, advanced by the OSSE, to change the federally mandated definition of a “highly qualified teacher,” enabling the District to expand the recruitment pipeline and boost retention of effective, credentialed teachers.
April 1, 2008: The OSSE assumed responsibility for the Early Care and Education Administration (ECEA), previously part of the DC Department of Human Services. The Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 (DC Act 17-38) conferred authority for ECEA to the OSSE as part of the OSSE’s state-level responsibilities for public education.
May 23, 2008: Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2008, ensuring that all 3 and 4 year olds in the District have access to high-quality pre-Kindergarten programs. The legislation, which was developed and approved by the DC Council, requires the OSSE to set policies and plan for the expansion of pre-K programs in the District.
July 9, 2008: Mayor Adrian M. Fenty released preliminary data that show significant gains in DC student achievement in both reading and math. The data reflect achievement for students attending DC public and public charter schools based on the results of the 2007-2008 DC Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS). The OSSE developed and annually administer the DC-CAS tests.
July 16, 2008: The State Board of Education approved the OSSE’s new regulations for homeschooling in the District that enable the office to ensure that high-quality instruction is taking place in the home and that homeschooling families receive the support they need.
The DCTAG Program had 5,408 applicants and 5,038 awards being made for the 2003-2004 school year. This figure compares with 5,052 applicants and 4,483 awards for 2002-2003 School Year.2
Over 600 colleges and universities have signed participation agreements for the DCTAG Program. Colleges range from the University of Alaska to the University of Puerto Rico.2
The DC Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG) has increased the amount of grant aid to District residents, from $20 million in the 2002-2003 school year to almost $25 million during the current 2003-2004 school year. Nearly 4,300 District residents have used the DCTAG to attend 258 colleges and universities throughout the United States.2
Sources:1 Education Trust; 2 Office of the State Superintendent of Education, 3 Urban Institute, 4 DC Public Schools
Agencies 
