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In this issue...
2019-20 Start of School Campaign
New
Reminders
Professional Development Opportunities
Dates to Remember
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2019-20 Start of School Campaign
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Early Access to ELs Qlik Application Now Available
OSSE is pleased to announce that the Early Access to ELs Qlik application has been refreshed. The following information is now available:
- 2019-20 EL statuses
- 2019-20 EL Monitored statuses
- 2018-19 ACCESS scores
- 2019-20 ACCESS Growth targets
Heads of school, principals, LEA data managers, ACCESS for ELLs coordinators, and ELL/LEP coordinators can now access the refreshed data on their Qlik dashboard.
For questions about the EL Qlik application, please contact Chandi Wagner at Chandi.Wagner@dc.gov or (202) 727-7545.
2019-20 Duplicative Enrollment Application
OSSE’s Division of Data, Assessment, and Research (DAR) will release a new Duplicative Enrollment application on Monday, Sept. 9.
The new Duplicative Enrollment application will take the majority of the duplicative enrollment resolution process out of the Enrollment Audit and Child Count Application to allow for a year-round resolution process. The application will also allow LEAs to view duplicative enrollments between different LEAs in near-real time, as well as current status.
Please note that LEA data managers and enrollment audit POCs must have Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) system credentials to access the application. To obtain SLED credentials, please register for a SLED training.
Duplicative Enrollment Application Training
OSSE’s Division of Data, Assessment, and Research (DAR) will host three trainings on the new Duplicative Enrollment application.
Users who attend the training will learn how to navigate the application, request appeals, upload documentation, and review OSSE determination. Three trainings will be held:
- Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 10-11 a.m. at OSSE, Fourth Floor, Bill Nye Training Room 422
- Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (webinar)
- Friday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (webinar)
Interested participants should visit OSSE's Data System Training Registration Dashboard to register. The same content will be covered in all trainings.
Prerequisites: Attendees must have SLED credentials and be designated the LEA data manager or enrollment audit POC in eSchoolPLUS prior to attending training. To obtain SLED credentials, please register for a SLED training.
2019-20 National School Lunch Program Applications (reminder)
The 2019-20 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) applications are available in Orchard, OSSE’s online software for child nutrition programs. All School Food Authorities participating in the NSLP are required to submit a new or renewal application annually. Applications are due from all School Food Authorities by Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.
School Food Authorities are encouraged to utilize the following resources while completing their applications:
For questions, please contact your school nutrition program specialist.
What’s Coming Up
For more information, including new updates, see the complete 2019-20 school year Start of School calendar.
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Important Praxis Updates: New Math and School Leader Exams and New Registration Codes Coming Sept. 1, 2019
OSSE works to ensure that our educators have the strongest credentials and preparation needed to serve students in DC schools. Therefore, OSSE's Educator Licensure and Credentialing Team announces key updates to the required exams for school teacher and school principal credentialing in the District of Columbia that will take effect on Sept. 1, 2019.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) will offer a new mathematics component of the Praxis® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Praxis® Core) assessment. To learn more about this change and how the new math test is different, view the message from ETS. As of Sept. 1, 2019, all test-takers for the Praxis Core exam may only register for the new version. However, OSSE shall continue to accept scores up through Aug. 31, 2021 from applicants who took and passed the previous version of the Praxis Core exam.
As of Sept. 1, 2019, ETS will change the test registration codes for all three components of the Praxis Core assessments. Visit OSSE's website for further details.
ETS has announced that as of Sept. 1, 2019, the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) 6011 exam will be discontinued and that all test-takers for the SLLA exam may only register for the SLLA 6990 exam. OSSE shall continue to accept scores up through Aug. 31, 2021 from applicants who took and passed the SLLA 6011 exam.
For more information regarding DC educator credentialing and requirements, please visit OSSE’s website or contact OSSE.Asklicensure@dc.gov.
OSSE Seeks Feedback on School Discipline Policy, Practices, and Data Systems
There is one more week to complete OSSE’s School Discipline Policy and Practices Survey and School Discipline and Safety Data Systems Survey.
The School Discipline Policy and Practices Survey is designed to collect information on school-level discipline policies and behavioral interventions. We invite individuals who manage or oversee school-level discipline policies such as social workers, school psychologists, and school administrators to complete this survey.
The School Discipline and Safety Data Systems Survey is designed to explore how LEA’s collect and store their discipline data. We invite LEA- and school-level data managers to complete this survey.
Our goal is to learn more about the discipline practices used by schools to promote positive school climates and what schools are doing to reduce the use of exclusionary practices. Please help spread the word among colleagues at your LEA. Both surveys will close on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
For questions, please contact Troy Shine at Troy.Shine@dc.gov or (202) 899-6202.
Emergency Epinephrine Administration Training
OSSE’s Allergy Management Team will offer epinephrine administration trainings this fall to equip public and public charter school staff with the tools and knowledge they need to safely manage food allergies and anaphylaxis in schools. Employees who complete this training will be certified by OSSE to administer emergency epinephrine for one year. Every public and public charter school is required by law to have a minimum of two staff certified in the epinephrine administration each year.
As part of this course, participants will learn how to identify and prevent severe allergic reactions, the proper storage of epinephrine auto-injectors, and protocols for safely administering epinephrine during an emergency.
The first training will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 1-3 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Sixth Floor, Charles Drew (Room 622) and Bloomingdale (Room 623).
To register and see more details about future training dates, please complete the training sign up form at least three days prior to the selected training date. OSSE also supports schools that wish to train more than the required minimum of two staff by conducting on-site trainings at schools for groups of 10-20 individuals. To request an on-site training, please complete the training sign up form.
For questions, contact OSSE’s Allergy Management Team at OSSE.Epi@dc.gov.
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Call for Presenters - Fall 2019 Learn24 Conference
Learn24 is now accepting interactive and engaging workshop presenters for the Fall 2019 Learn24 Conference on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. Presenters are invited to share their expertise, best practices, innovative ideas, and knowledge with fellow youth development professionals. Proposals that include youths are strongly encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Submit a proposal
For more information, please contact Alex Brown at Alex.Brown@dc.gov.
Notice of Final Rulemaking: Chapter 75 Alternative Program Designation
On June 14, 2019, OSSE released a Notice of Final Rulemaking proposing a new chapter titled “Alternative Program” to Subtitle A “Office of the State Superintendent of Education” of Title 5 “Education” in the DC Municipal Regulations. This chapter sets forth the eligibility criteria for a school or specialized program within a school to be designated as an alternative education program and establishes the application process.
The final rulemaking can be found in the DC Register and on the OSSE website.
For LEAs applying for alternative program designation for the 2020-21 school year, the application can be found on the OSSE website and will close on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.
For more information, please contact Byra Cole at Byra.Cole@dc.gov.
Don’t Wait, Vaccinate
Families should plan their back-to-school checkups today. All District students must submit both the Universal Health Certificate and Oral Health Assessment Form, including immunizations, before going back to school. More information, including accessing the health forms and finding locations where students can receive free immunizations, is available on the DC Health website.
As a reminder, the school health forms have been updated for the 2019-20 school year. Schools and LEAs are encouraged to include the new school health forms as part of enrollment packages for the 2019-20 school year. Schools and LEAs are also encouraged to update their websites if the old school health forms are posted.
When families complete the Universal Health Certificate and Oral Health Assessment, the forms should be taken to the school's Registrar’s Office. The registrar should document this action by signing the bottom of the form, entering it into the school’s enrollment data system, and then taking it to the school nurse for further processing. Completed Medication and Treatment Authorization Forms can be taken directly to the school nurse. If families need access to a doctor or insurance plan, please direct them to DC Health Link.
For more information on the revised school health forms and immunization requirements, please contact SHS.program@dc.gov.
Help Craft DC’s Strategic Plan for Supporting Families with Children from Birth to Age 5
The District of Columbia was awarded a Preschool Development Grant and is creating a five-year strategic plan for how to coordinate benefits for families and young children, including child care, educational, financial and social supports.
We’re inviting you to participate in an upcoming workshop where you will provide input to help shape the District’s plan to support our city’s families with young children.
We are particularly interested in hearing from families with children from birth to age 5, who have children with developmental delays and/or disabilities, have children in foster care, have experienced homelessness or have low incomes, and from professionals who work with these families.
Participants may choose to participate in any of the upcoming workshops to provide feedback on strategic plan content:
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, during Mayor Bowser's Maternal and Infant Health Summit, which will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the WEalter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Specific session time is to be determined.
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019 | 6-8 p.m.
Benning (Dorothy I Height) Library, Large Meeting Room, 3935 Benning Road NE
Register
For questions, please contact Dr. Lynnell Johnson at Lynnell.Johnson@dc.gov or (202) 517-6537.
School Discipline Working Sessions: Updating Policy and Procedures
OSSE would like to invite you to take part in upcoming working sessions on school discipline. While we invite school administrators and educators from a broad variety of roles, some sessions, noted below, may be of particular interest to specific staff members. All working sessions will take place from 1-3 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE.
The school discipline working sessions will focus on:
- Identifying and Redefining Data Elements on Wednesday, Sept. 18 (school leaders, data managers)
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on Wednesday, Oct. 23 (school leaders, data managers, school psychologists, special education staff, social workers, teachers, and behavioral support staff)
- Involuntary Withdrawals, Transfers and Students with Disabilities on Wednesday, Nov. 20 (school leaders, data managers, special education coordinators)
- Trauma-Informed Practices and Looking Ahead to the 2020-21 school year on Wednesday, Dec. 18 (school leaders, data managers, school psychologists, social workers, teachers, and behavioral support staff)
Register
The working sessions will provide OSSE the opportunity to collaborate with LEA and school-level personnel to explore school discipline policies and procedures. For more information or questions, please contact Troy Shine at Troy.Shine@dc.gov or (202) 899-6202.
United States Senate Youth Program - $10,000 Scholarship Opportunity
OSSE seeks high-achieving student leaders interested in government, history and public service to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). DC public, public charter and private high school juniors and seniors who will serve in an elected or appointed position during the 2019-20 school year and possess a strong interest in government and history are encouraged to apply. Each applicant must be approved by their principal or school counselor prior to the submission of their application. The USSYP application is open now through Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. To view the application and instructions, please visit OSSE's website.
Established in 1962 by US Senate Resolution, USSYP is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The annual program will be held in Washington, DC, March 7-14, 2020. Two student leaders from Washington, DC will spend a week in Washington experiencing their national government in action. Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the departments of State and Defense, and directors of other federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a justice of the US Supreme Court. All transportation, hotel and meal expenses will be provided by The Hearst Foundations. In addition, each delegate will also be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science.
For more information, please contact Janae Eason at Janae.Eason@dc.gov.
Teachers: Help Your Students Apply for a New STEM Scholarship Offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship for students training in high-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.
Recipients will receive up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement or a maximum of $30,000. Eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill students must have either exhausted their entitlement or will exhaust their entitlement within 180 days. Eligibility for the scholarship has two paths:
- A student enrolled in a STEM program leading to an undergraduate degree who has completed 60 credit hours of their program and requires at least 120 semester (or 180 quarter) credit hours to graduate.
- A student who has earned a STEM undergraduate degree and has enrolled in a teaching certification program.
VA will begin notifying Rogers STEM Scholarship applicants by November 2019. Priority will be given to individuals who are entitled to 100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and to those who require the most credit hours.
Interested LEAs and schools can refer to this one-pager to learn more and help students apply for the Rogers STEM Scholarship. For additional information including how to apply, please visit the Rogers STEM Scholarship website.
Duplicative Enrollment Resolution Policy
In the past, duplicative enrollment resolution was handled in different ways at different points in the year, specifically during the enrollment audit, assessment season, and data validation. Starting in the 2019-20 school year, OSSE will implement a year-round de-duplication policy and process. Read more on OSSE's website.
For more information or questions, please contact the Office of Enrollment and Residency at OSSE.Enrollmentaudit@dc.gov.
Policy to Amend Unaudited Enrollment Roster
The purpose of this policy is to outline the process and requirements that an LEA needs to follow to make a request to OSSE to add students to the Enrollment Audit & Child Count Application after the first enrollment audit certification. Read more on OSSE's website.
For questions, please contact the Office of Enrollment and Residency at OSSE.Enrollmentaudit@dc.gov.
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Professional Development Opportunities
(Unless stated otherwise, all trainings are held at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE)
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Harnessing Student Collaboration in Community Advocacy and Involvement
Join OSSE and YouthJustice, Inc. for a powerful two-hour training. Student engagement is an effective and powerful way to incorporate restorative efforts into school culture. Furthermore, student-led community advocacy is a remarkable mechanism to improve school culture and climate. Workshop participants will survey YouthJustice, Inc.’s student-led, restorative justice-based Peer Court program and its community advocacy efforts. Participants will identify potential student advocacy opportunities within their own unique school environments.
School leaders and behavior support staff serving students in grades 6-12 in public and public charter schools in DC are invited to attend. The workshop will take place on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton III (Room 110). Register
For questions, please contact Jessica Dulay at Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
Secondary ELA Standards Bootcamp Series: Seats Available in Cohort
OSSE invites high school, English language arts (ELA) grades 9-12 teachers and instructional coaches to register for a standards bootcamp series, which includes half-day professional development opportunities throughout the 2019-20 school year focused on deepening instructional practice of the ELA Common Core State Standards. Through these sessions, participants will understand the intersection of reading and writing standards in the role they play in close and volume reading. Participants will be prepared to increase engagement and access to rigorous and complex texts and tasks using evidence-based practices, strategies, and tools. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with colleagues across the city to enhance and strengthen practice. Participants of the cohort will have the opportunity to receive technical assistance in conjunction with participating in four in-person sessions.
The next half-day session will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton III (Room 110). Register - space is limited, early registration is strongly encouraged. Attendance at the October session is required for participation in later sessions.
For questions, please contact Ashleigh Tillman at Ashleigh.Tillman@dc.gov.
Student Support Teams Foundations (reminder)
The Student Support Team (SST) is a collaborative, school-based, problem-solving team that is organized to address academic, medical, behavioral/emotional, and/or other problems that may interfere with a student’s ability to obtain an appropriate education. OSSE's Division of Teaching and Learning will provide an introduction and deep dive into the SST process with a two-part training to empower school teams to build and improve their SST teams and processes.
All public or public charter school staff members in the District who are interested in learning more about the SST process, or who are part of their school’s current SST process, are invited to participate. This training will be held on Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, 12:30-3:30 p.m. [Register] A repeated session will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. [Register] Both session are at OSSE, Fifth Floor, Nannie Helen Burroughs (Room 523).
For more information or questions, please contact Angela Awonaike at Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov or (202) 481-3870.
Leveraging Summative Writing Assessments to Inform Planning and Instruction (reminder)
OSSE invites English language arts (ELA) grades 6-12 teachers to register for a professional development session focusing on how to leverage summative assessments as an instructional tool during planning and instruction. Providing equitable learning experiences for all students should be at the forefront of all teachers’ minds as they create and deliver instruction each day. Part of doing that well includes understanding the nuances related to student needs, background, and supports to ensure the skills needed are transferable.
This will be a hands-on, interactive experience leveraging summative writing tasks to analyze and discuss in order to strengthen instructional practice and increase student achievement.
This half-day session will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton III (Room 110). [Register] Three OSSE professional learning units (PLUs) will provided.
For questions, please contact Ashleigh Tillman at Ashleigh.Tillman@dc.gov.
Preparation and Customization of a 6-12 Eureka Math Lesson (reminder)
Join OSSE and Eureka Math for a full-day professional development session focused on empowering teachers, studying the curriculum’s teaching sequences, and preparing teachers to customize lessons to meet the needs of their students. The afternoon portion of this training will be devoted to practice with the preparation and customization process. Guided by the facilitator, participants will work to prepare and customize a lesson of their choice. This session includes opportunities for vertical collaboration, interactive demonstration, and discourse. Participants must bring the Eureka Math module from which they are currently teaching, or from which they will teach next, as well as a laptop.
This training is for grade 6-12 educators and will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at OSSE, Fifth Floor, Brookland (Room 540). Participants are eligible to receive up to eight OSSE professional learning units (PLUs). Register
For questions, please contact Lauren Allen at Lauren.Allen@dc.gov.
Response to Intervention Foundations (reminder)
Response to Intervention (RtI) is a school-based, multi-level prevention system of identification and intervention for students at academic or behavioral risk. OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning will hold an RtI training with the following focus:
- RtI tiers;
- Academic and behavioral instruction and intervention;
- Progress monitoring and data analysis; and
- Structured problem-solving.
This training is open to LEA educators, administrators, and support staff who are interested in learning about RtI for the first time, or who would like a refresher. This training will be held on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, 12:30-3:30 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton I (Room 108). Register
For more information or questions, please contact Angela Awonaike at Angela.Awonaike@dc.gov or (202) 481-3870.
Using Educational Technology Platforms to Increase Engagement in the Writing Process (reminder)
OSSE invites English language arts (ELA) grades 6-12 teachers and instructional coaches to register for a half-day professional development opportunity that will highlight online platforms in order to increase teacher-to-student and peer-to-peer engagement throughout the writing process.
This will be a hands-on, interactive experience leveraging complex texts and rigorous writing tasks to provide meaningful, engaging, focused feedback opportunities for students in order to increase engagement and motivation throughout the writing process.
This half-day session will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton III (Room 110). [Register] Three OSSE professional learning units (PLUs) will provided.
For questions, please contact Ashleigh Tillman at Ashleigh.Tillman@dc.gov.
Deepening Reading Comprehension through STEM for Middle School Educators (reminder)
OSSE invites middle school science teachers, grades 5-8 teachers and instructional coaches to register for a half-day professional development opportunity exploring methodologies for improving reading comprehension and supporting Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) practices in alignment with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). View the event page for additional details.
Participants will receive three OSSE professional learning units (PLUs) for participation. This half-day session will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton III (Room 110). Register
For questions about this training, please contact Lauren Allen at Lauren.Allen@dc.gov or Ashleigh Tillman at Ashleigh.Tillman@dc.gov.
Cohort Series: What Teachers Need to Know About Teaching English Learners (reminder)
This professional development series is designed specifically for teachers of grades K-12 who are new to teaching English learners (ELs). This opportunity is ideal for general education teachers or new EL teachers. Using a cohort model, a group of up to 35 teachers will attend four, one-day professional development sessions (held monthly, October through December 2019), while using the time between sessions to apply the instructional strategies and practical skills they have learned.
The first session will take place on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton II (Room 109). [Register] To view details and dates for all four sessions, please visit the registration page.
For questions, please contact Anika Harris at Anika.Harris@dc.gov.
Special Topics in English Learner Programming October Webinar: Accommodations for English Learners (reminder)
OSSE is pleased to announce its next session in the 2019-20 Special Topics in English learner Programming Monthly Webinar Series, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2019, from 3-4 p.m. All LEA and school-level English Learner Points of Contact (EL POCs), as well as school leaders and teachers, are invited to participate in October’s session, which will provide an overview of state approved EL accommodations based on Part 2 of OSSE’s Testing Accommodations Manual. Register
For questions, please contact Anika Harris at Anika.Harris@dc.gov.
New Workshop: Supporting English Learners in the Four Language Domains (reminder)
OSSE invites all K-12 teachers who support English learners to a new workshop focused on deepening understanding of the four language domains and instructional practices to support English language development within each domain. This workshop will be framed within the context of the WIDA English Language Development Standards framework.
This workshop will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at OSSE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton II (Room 109). [Register] For questions, please contact Anika Harris at Anika.Harris@dc.gov.
The Potential of Biliteracy (reminder)
OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce a half-day professional development training for pre-K through grade 12 dual language teachers, teacher leaders, and instructional coaches. This training will provide guidance about research-based practices to plan and deliver instruction for biliteracy. Please visit the registration page to view full list of training objectives.
This training will take place Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 and offered again on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. Both sessions will take place 12:30-4:30 p.m. at OSSE, Sixth Floor, Charles Drew (Room 622). [Register] Participants will have the opportunity to choose one of the two dates available for this training and will be eligible to earn OSSE professional learning units (PLUs).
For questions, please contact Santiago Sanchez at Santiago.Sanchez@dc.gov or (202) 741-5311.
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