Mission

The Mission of the District of Columbia State Board of Education (DCSBOE) is to provide policy leadership, support, advocacy, and oversight of public education to ensure that every student is valued and learns the skills and knowledge necessary to become informed, competent, and contributing global citizens.

Statutory Roles and Responsibilities

The DCSBOE is responsible for advising the State Superintendent of Education on educational matters, including: state standards; state policies, including those governing special, academic, vocational, charter and other schools; state objectives; and state regulations proposed by the Mayor or the State Superintendent of Education. The State Board is also responsible for approving the following state-level policies:

  • State academic standards that standards meet the following qualifications: specify what children are expected to know and be able to do; contain coherent and rigorous content, encourage the teaching of advanced skills; and are updated on a regular basis;

  • High school graduation requirements;

  • Standards for high school equivalence credentials;

  • State definitions of “adequate yearly progress” and “proficiency” that will be applied consistently to all local education agencies;

  • State definition and standards for “highly qualified teachers,” pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act;

  • Standards for accreditation and certification of teacher preparation programs of colleges and universities;

  • The state accountability plan for the District of Columbia developed by the Chief State School Officer, pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act ensuring that: (A) the plan includes a single statewide accountability system that establishes ambitious long-term student achievement goals, which include measurements of interim progress toward meeting those goal; and (B) the statewide accountability system included in the plan is based on, but is not limited to, challenging state academic standards, academic assessments, and a standardized system of accountability across all local education agencies;

  • State policies for parental involvement;

  • State policies for supplemental education service providers operating in the District to ensure that providers have a demonstrated record of effectiveness and offer services that promote challenging academic achievement standards and that improve student achievement;

  • The rules for residency verification;

  • The list of charter school accreditation organizations;

  • The categories and format of the annual report card, pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act;

  • The list of private placement accreditation organizations, pursuant to Uniform Per Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax Conformity Clarification Amendment Act of 1998;

  • Approve state rules for enforcing school attendance requirements; and

  • Approve state standards for home schooling.