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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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Share Your Feedback on the 2019-20 Start of School Campaign (reminder)
With LEAs across the city in the thick of a new academic year, OSSE is wrapping up its third year of the Start of School Campaign. For the 2019-20 school year, the Start of School Campaign helped LEAs transition to the new academic year with a focus on data system connectivity and issue resolution, duplicative enrollment resolution, the enrollment audit, access to information for special populations, title funding allocation, and transportation for eligible students. To ensure that LEA-level stakeholders are partners in this work as OSSE begins to plan for the 2020-21 Start of School Campaign, OSSE is asking for your feedback on how we did this year and how we can improve for the next.
Through Friday, Sept. 20, please take 5 minutes to complete this survey to share your thoughts on our efforts this year and on what we should focus on for the next start of school. Please also share the survey with your LEA-level colleagues to ensure that we hear as much feedback as possible.
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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Help Shape DC Education Policy - Join OSSE Title I Committee of Practitioners Today
OSSE seeks applicants for three vacancies on the State Title I Committee of Practitioners. This committee meets quarterly to advise OSSE on a wide variety of education policies, such as DC’s accountability system; school report cards; LEA monitoring; parent engagement; early learning coordination; federal funding for schools; and English learners. Currently, OSSE has vacancies for 1) a charter school leader, including principal, assistant principal, or other school building leader with instructional and management responsibilities; 2) a private school representative; and 3) a career and technical education teacher. OSSE seeks applicants who currently work at a DC Title I school and plan to remain in their role at least through the 2020-21 school year. Please consider applying, and/or distribute this widely.
All application materials can be found on the OSSE website. Short applications (three paragraphs) must be submitted, with a current résumé, to OSSE.CoP@dc.gov by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. OSSE will appoint members to terms of two or three years, depending on applicants’ interest and availability. All quarterly meetings are held at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE.
For more information or questions, please contact Jonathan Elkin at Jonathan.Elkin@dc.gov.
Special Education Points of Contact: Changes to Correction of Noncompliance in DC Corrective Action Tracking System Webinar
On Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m., the IDEA Monitoring and Compliance team will host a webinar on how to navigate changes in DC Corrective Action Tracking System (DC CATS), the online system LEAs use to correct special education noncompliance. As discussed at the Start of School summit this summer, changes are now in effect for recent monitoring reports issued after July 1, 2019. All special education points of contact are strongly encouraged to participate in this webinar. Register
For questions, please contact please contact Megan Williams at Megan.Williams@dc.gov.
School Behavioral Health Community of Practice Initiative Launch
The DC Department of Behavioral Health and the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools are pleased to announce the School Behavioral Health Community of Practice (CoP) Initiative. The CoP is part of the District’s plan to expand comprehensive school behavioral health supports to benefit all public school children in DC. The launch meeting will provide an overview of the initiative and facilitate discussion among school and community-based organizations and members of the technical assistance team.
So that all critical stakeholder voices help to shape this initiative, schools are encouraged to identify at least one administrator, one school mental health provider, one parent and one student to participate in this meeting.
The launch will be held on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, from 2:30-5 p.m. at The National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW. Register
For more information or questions, please contact DCCOP@crpcorp.com.
2020 State Title III Advisory Committee Recruitment
OSSE requests applications from candidates interested in serving on the 2020 State ESEA Title III Advisory Committee. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) provides funding to ensure that English learners attain English proficiency and achieve at high academic levels and can meet the same challenging state academic standards that all children meet. In addition to providing consultation on the state plan, the State Title III Advisory Committee serves as an advisory body to support OSSE in carrying out its responsibilities under Title III of the ESEA for the District of Columbia.
To ensure that a range of stakeholders are represented, OSSE seeks applications from:
- School and LEA administrators
- Educators from institutions of higher education
- Other members of community organizations
For more information and to submit an application, please visit OSSE's website. Applications are due Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.
For questions, please contact Jennifer Norton at Jennifer.Norton@dc.gov.
Attend OSSE’s Next Generation Assessment 2019-20 School Year Kickoff Meeting
Please join OSSE’s Office of Assessment on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2-4 p.m. as we host our first Next Generation Assessment (NGA) stakeholder meeting of the 2019-20 school year. We hope to see each LEA represented at the event, especially our newer LEAs and those that have not previously attended.
The October NGA meeting will kick off the assessment planning cycle for the 2019-20 school year. Participants will receive an overview of administrative expectations and assessment policies, as well as resources and updates to share with LEA leaders and school staff. Topics will include participation policy updates, testing platform improvements, assessment schedules, administration procedures, and timelines for required submissions.
Once a representative from your LEA has been selected, please ask them to register. Additional representatives from your LEA are also welcome to attend.
OSSE’s Office of Assessment will host NGA meetings on a bi-monthly basis for the 2019-20 school year. Office hours, trainings, and other events will occur during the off months, and details of all events and meetings will be provided in advance through the NGA Bulletin. To receive the NGA Bulletin, register in eSchoolPLUS as an LEA Assessment Manager, MSAA Coordinator, ACCESS for ELLs Coordinator, and/or Assessment POC.
For questions about the October NGA meeting, please contact Cassie Lynott at Cassie.Lynott@dc.gov or (202) 535-2651.
Newly Released Youth Risk Behavior Survey Fact Sheet: Sexual Health among DC and US High School Population
OSSE’s Division of Health and Wellness has published a new fact sheet on local and national sexual health trends among high school youth. The fact sheet includes DC high school students’ sexual health data and community resources related to sexual and reproductive health. DC families, educators, school administrators, and health stakeholders are encouraged to be aware of the data presented on the fact sheet and spread awareness about the importance of sexual health promotion and HIV and STD prevention, particularly among LGB students who engage in sexual contact. The sexual health fact sheet also includes practical resources for schools, families, and youth to support positive sexual and reproductive health.
Schools and LEAs with questions about the fact sheet or other ways to support student sexual health should contact OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov.
Fall Learn24 Conference
Join Learn24 on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for a day of learning and reflecting that will feature keynote speaker Michael Lamb, executive director of Turnaround for Children DC. This conference will provide practical information and resources that youth development professionals can use to enhance the daily interactions between youth and adults.
Conference Objectives:
- Learn - An opportunity to learn about best practices that can be integrated into out-of-school time programming
- Network - Network with others in the field and strengthen relationships across programs
- Equip - Provide valuable tools, resources and experiences that equip out-of-school time providers with essential information that will help improve daily interactions with youth in an out-of-school time setting.
Register early as space is limited!
For more information or questions, please contact Alex Brown at Alex.Brown@dc.gov.
K-6 School Leaders: Help Remove Access to Clean Clothes through the Whirlpool Care CountsTM
The Care CountsTM laundry program by Whirlpool presents an opportunity for schools to combat chronic absenteeism through one small but simple solution to a piece of the absenteeism problem: access to clean clothes. Does your school serve students in grades K-6? Nominate your school. It takes around 10 minutes to complete an application for a discounted combination washer/dryer. Once you submit the form, Whirlpool will follow up directly about the status of your application.
For more information or questions, please contact OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov.
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Career and Technical Education State Determined Performance Level Open for Public Comment
OSSE must submit a State Career and Technical Education (CTE) Plan to the US Department of Education that outlines the District’s CTE strategy, and includes the levels of performance on required core indicators for secondary and postsecondary programs receiving Carl D. Perkins funds as developed by OSSE in coordination with a diverse group of stakeholders.
The proposed levels of performance on the required core indicators for secondary and postsecondary programs receiving Carl D. Perkins funds are available on the OSSE website.
To ensure an opportunity for the public to provide input prior to submission, the proposed State Determined Performance Levels will be posted on OSSE’s website for 60 calendar days and open for written public comment within the same period. The public comment period on the District of Columbia’s CTE State Determined Performance Levels will close on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019.
Specifically, OSSE is soliciting comments regarding the following:
- How the levels of performance meet the requirements of the law;
- Support the improvement of performance of all CTE concentrators, including subgroups of students and special populations; and
- Support the needs of the local education and business community.
All persons desiring to comment on the proposed State Determined Performance Levels should submit comments in writing not later than Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 to: OSSEcomments.Proposedregulations@dc.gov.
For more information or questions regarding the proposed State Determined Performance Levels or the public comment period, please contact Richard Kincaid, state director of Career and Technical Education, at Richard.Kincaid@dc.gov or (202) 442-4008.
Action Needed: Child Outcomes Summary Exit Data Verification – Due Sept. 19, 2019
OSSE has completed a review of the Child Outcome Summary (COS) data submitted by LEAs serving preschool-age students receiving special education services. The extended deadline of Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, for submission of COS exit data into the DC Corrective Action Tracking System (DC CATS) database has passed. We have noted some discrepancies with required exit score submission for some LEAs. For LEAs with discrepancies, we will be uploading two files to their COS folder on the OSSE Box site and LEAs need action to address the data discrepancies by Thursday, Sept. 19:
- “August 2019 COS Checkpoint – [LEA Name]” – This is an Excel file detailing the discrepancies.
- “Part B-619 Child Outcome Summary (COS) Exit Data Verification Certification – August 2019” – This is a COS data collection certification document that we’re adding as part of the accountability process for LEAs’ COS data. As a reminder, COS data collection is a federally required process under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B.
Both completed files should be uploaded by LEAs into Box no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019.
For questions, please contact Charmaine Llagas-Mulhern at Charmaine.Llagas-Mulhern@dc.gov.
Public Meeting for the DC Public Charter School Credit Enhancement Committee
OSSE will hold a public meeting for the DC Public Charter School Credit Enhancement Committee on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, from 12:30-2 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Fifth Floor, Capitol Hill (Room 535).
The draft agenda for the meeting will be:
- Call to Order
- Approval of agenda for the Sept. 19, 2019, committee meeting
- Approval of minutes from Aug. 22, 2019, committee meeting
- Review Conflict of Interest - Transaction Disclosure Checklist
- Kingsman Academy PCS - $2 million direct loan
- Charter School Incubator Initiative (Birney School) - $1,637,494 funded credit enhancement
Any changes made to the agenda that are unable to be submitted to the DC Register in time for publication prior to the meeting will be posted on the public meetings calendar no later than two business days prior to the meeting.
For additional information, please contact Debra Roane at Debra.Roane@dc.gov or (202) 478-5940.
2019-20 School Year Faculty and Staff Data Collection Timeline and Training Opportunities
Each year, every District of Columbia LEA must complete the Faculty and Staff Data Collection. LEAs must report faculty and staff roster information, including the role and FTE percentage, for all instructional, administrative, and support staff in LEAs and schools filled by direct hire or by contracting. This school year’s data collection consolidates several faculty and staff data collections into a single collection which will satisfy a number of federal, local, and Staffing Data Collaborative reporting requirements. The roster data collection window begins Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 with a roster due date of Friday, Oct. 25, 2019. Please visit OSSE's website for additional details, including the 2019-20 school year timeline, blank roster template and technical guide.
In order to support LEAs with this collection, OSSE is offering a training session as well as office hours. The Data Collection Training will be held in-person on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, 12:30-1:30 p.m. at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Fourth Floor, Bill Nye Training Lab (Room 422). [Register] The same training will be held via online webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, 9-10:30 a.m. [Register] and repeated on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, 1-2:30 p.m. [Register]
Office hours will be held in-person on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, 12-4 p.m. at OSSE, Fifth Floor, Nannie Helen Burroughs (Room 523). [Register] Virtual office hours will be held via online webinar on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, 1-4 p.m. [Register]
For questions about the Faculty and Staff Collection, or the accompanying trainings and office hours, please contact Laura Montas-Brown at Laura.Montas@dc.gov.
New TOTE Application Platform and Scheduled Training Workshops
OSSE’s Division of Student Transportation (DOT) will host a series of trainings on navigating the newly upgraded Transportation Online Tool for Education (TOTE) platform for the 2019-20 school year. This training is intended for LEAs and special education transportation coordinators to help support them on how to accurately enter transportation information and requests into the TOTE system for students requiring transportation for the regular school year.
Training is in-person and required for TOTE users who are new to the platform or would like to refresh their skills. These training sessions are a continuation of the same spring 2019 training series. Please forward this invitation to coordinators who are responsible for your school’s transportation needs or require access to the new system. Scheduled training workshop dates are listed below. All trainings will be held at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, Fourth Floor, Bill Nye Training Room, (Room 422). All attendees are asked to please bring laptops.
- Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Register
The training workshops will cover:
- An overview of the new TOTE Application Platform;
- Updating and effecting changes to calendars on the new application platform;
- Submitting a transportation request form (TRF) on the new application platform; and
- LEA certification process for the new application platform.
If you or someone within your LEA requires assistance, please contact the TOTE Helpdesk at (202) 576-5520 or DOT.Data@dc.gov.
Eat Up Documentary Screening and Q&A
OSSE invites LEA and school leaders and food service directors to join us for a screening of the film Eat Up, documenting Boston Public Schools’ transition from serving unitized, pre-packaged meals to cooking food in schools - resulting in increased participation at significantly lower cost. After the screening, there will be an opportunity to hear a panel discussion and Q&A with individuals in Boston and DC who have made this transition including:
- Jill Shah, Shah Family Foundation, president
- Ross Wilson, Shah Family Foundation, executive director
- Robert Jaber, DC Public Schools director, Food & Nutrition Services
- Lola Bloom, DC Bilingual PCS director of Food and Wellness
The screening will take place on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, from 2-5 p.m. at the DC Department of Human Services, 64 New York Ave. NE, Sixth Floor, NoMa Conference Room C. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Sept. 25.
If you are unable to join us but are interested in staying involved or learning more, please contact Elizabeth Leach at Elizabeth.Leach@dc.gov.
Fall 2019 Grant Management Training Series
OSSE is excited to announce its Grant Management Training series for fall 2019. The session topics that will be discussed during the training were determined by the feedback we received from LEA leadership and staff on areas that would assist in planning and implementing grants more effectively and maximizing the use of funds.
All LEA staff are welcome to attend and individuals who oversee grants are strongly encouraged to attend. All trainings will be held at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE, First Floor, Eleanor Holmes Norton Conference Room.
- Implementing the Uniform Grants Guidance (UGG) includes topics such as procurement, cost principles and record-keeping, held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- The Effective Grant Manager includes best practices on applications, amendments, and reimbursements; and preparing for audits and monitoring, held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, 1-4 p.m.
- IDEA Schoolwide Consolidation includes best practices on how to include IDEA funds in an LEA’s school wide program, held on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Effectively Planning Grant Expenditures includes use of federal and local funds and supplement not supplant, held on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, 1-3:30 p.m.
Register
For more information or questions, please contact Renu Oliver at Renu.Oliver@dc.gov.
Demographic Conflict Management Application Training
OSSE's Division of Data, Assessment and Research (DAR) will host two online trainings on how to resolve Demographic Conflicts located in the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) system.
This application will help LEA’s understand and navigate the Demographic Conflicts Management Application to support a streamlined and successful Enrollment Audit.
OSSE is offering training sessions. The same content will be covered at each of these sessions:
- Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 9-10 a.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 9-10 a.m.
Register
Pre-requisites:
Attendees should have the following completed prior to attending the trainings:
- SLED credentials
- Designation of LEA or School Approver in eSchoolPLUS Points of Contact
View the schedule of upcoming SLED trainings to obtain SLED credentials.
For assistance with entering information into eSchoolPLUS, please read the guidance on OSSE's website.
For more information or questions, please contact your LEA Liaison.
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Professional Development Opportunities
(Unless stated otherwise, all trainings are held at OSSE, 1050 First St. NE)
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Subscribe Today! New Teaching and Learning Professional Development Newsletter for Educators
Subscribe to OSSE's Teaching and Learning PD Bulletin and provide your first name, last name, and school email address. To connect with a member of the Teaching and Learning team about professional development opportunities, please view their contact information. To view a full calendar of all upcoming training opportunities, please visit osse.dc.gov/events.
Upcoming Teaching and Learning Professional Development Trainings
Peer Court Program as an Alternative to Suspension: Showcase for Interested Schools
Restorative practices in schools are a critical component of school culture and climate. This past spring and summer, schools across the District worked closely with YouthJustice, Inc. and OSSE in the Peer Court Learning Group program to create Peer Court programs based in restorative practices for their respective schools. The Peer Court program can be used as an alternative to suspension.
On Monday, Sept. 30, participating schools will gather at the Peer Court Learning Group Culture Conference to showcase their unique peer court designs, view a mock trial and engage with one another around operating restorative practice-based peer courts. This showcase is open to school leaders and staff across all DC schools that are interested in learning more about this program, and may be of particular interest to educators, counselors, deans, social workers, and behavior support staff serving grades 6-12. There will be opportunities to interact with the Peer Court schools and ask questions regarding their experiences and work.
This convening will take place on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at One Judiciary Square, 441 Fourth St. NW, Old Council Chambers. Register
For questions, please contact Jessica Dulay at Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
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