High-Quality Instructional Materials Technical Assistance Opportunity for LEAs (reminder)
EdReports will offer technical assistance for up to 12 LEAs to support instructional materials adoption, which includes six, 120-minute synchronous virtual working sessions.
Topics for technical assistance sessions may include:
Establishing a materials adoption process
Developing your local instructional lens
Knowing and winnowing your instructional materials choices
Investigating the materials
Making a decision
Launching and implementing new materials
2022 Session Dates: July 11, 18 and 25, and Aug. 1, 8 and 15 (times will be based on participant availability)
Nationwide Waiver of Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessments in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (Reminder)
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service is establishing a nationwide waiver to support LEAs unable to complete a local wellness policy (LWP) triennial assessment by Thursday, June 30, 2022 as a result of challenges due to coronavirus (COVID-19). OSSE recognizes the impact COVID-19 continues to have on District LEAs’ ability to complete a LWP triennial assessment and has elected to use this waiver.
LEAs that are required to complete a LWP triennial assessment by Thursday, June 30, 2022 may elect to receive a one-year waiver with a new deadline of Friday, June 30, 2023.
LEAs wishing to accept a new deadline must inform OSSE on or before Thursday, June 30, 2022 by emailing OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov and citing “LWP waiver extension” in the subject line. OSSE will acknowledge receipt of the message.
OSSE must receive notice from LEAs wishing to utilize the one-year waiver by Friday, June 30, 2022.
LEAs are not required to utilize the one-year waiver and may choose to complete their LWP triennial assessment by Thursday, June 30, 2022. If you are not sure if your LEA LWP triennial assessment is due or if you have questions, please email OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov, citing “LWP waiver extension” in the subject line.
Technical assistance with completing triennial assessments and updates to LWPs may be requested of OSSE at OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov. OSSE has released additional resources to support LEAs in the development of high-quality LWPs.
Charter schools should continue to report cases to the OSSE Positive Case Response Team through July 30, 2022. After July 30, charters should report directly to DC Health. Training on reporting to DC Health will take place in July.
Effective immediately, and in accordance with the updated DC Health Guidance for Educational Facilities, schools are now required to report if a school has 25 or more positive cases tied to one single event.
COVID-19 Testing in Schools Update End of the 2021-22 School Year
OSSE’s centralized asymptomatic screening testing program with Shield T3 will end June 30, 2022.
LEAs that have received a subgrant from OSSE to conduct their own testing program will be granted a no-cost extension through Sept. 30, 2022. All reimbursement requests are due by Dec. 1, 2022. If you require an application amendment to adjust your planned spending, please submit it in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) by Dec. 1, 2022.
Summer 2022 Test to Return
DC Health and OSSE will ship test kits to your LEA in August in preparation for Test to Return to school based on enrollment numbers available as of Aug. 1, 2022.
Test to Stay
OSSE and DC Health will provide rapid antigen tests to support Test to Stay to participating LEAs during summer 2022. If your LEA is participating in Test to Stay during the summer, please submit requests using this form for up to a month supply of antigen tests. Requests are due by June 24 for July shipments and July 24 for August shipments. Tests will be shipped directly to your LEA.
Asymptomatic Screening Testing for Pre-K
LEAs will receive antigen test kits for weekly asymptomatic screening testing for pre-K students throughout the summer. These will be shipped directly to LEAs, and no action is required by the LEA to receive these kits.
Updated DC Health Guidance for Schools
DC Health released updated Guidance for Educational Facilities on June 13, 2022, which is available here and at coronavirus.dc.gov/healthguidance. Due to the expiration of the public emergency, DC Health guidance is now much shorter and consists of recommendations, as opposed to requirements. Updates include, but are not limited to, the following:
Transitioning all guidance to best practices recommendations, except for mandates that are otherwise required by federal or local regulations; and
Changing the guidance on reporting positive cases of COVID-19 to only require a report if a school has 25 or more positive cases tied to one single event.
During the last health and safety technical assistance call on June 21, we reviewed the key updates. You may access the call recording here.
The next School Health and Safety Community of Practice call is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, and will include an opportunity to discuss identifying and addressing barriers to vaccination. Advance registration not is required. The audience for these calls includes LEA leaders, principals and other administrators, and school health points of contact.
LEA leaders who cannot attend the upcoming call or who wish to have questions addressed on the call, can submit questions to the Division of Health and Wellness at OSSE.HealthandSafety@dc.gov.
Student Health Form Requirements for School Attendance – New Webpage (reminder)
Healthy bodies and minds are the foundation of academic success. Immunizations and regular visits to the doctor help protect students' health and readiness to learn. Make sure your students have everything they need to have a healthy school year on OSSE's new Student Health Form Requirements for School Attendance webpage. This one-stop site for families and school staff contains the required annual student health forms and requirements and resources about immunizations for students.
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Students in the 2022-23 School Year (reminder) Under the Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine is required for all students eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination that is fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their age, beginning in the 2022-23 school year. As of June 13, 2022, the FDA has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 16 and older and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 18 and older. If additional approvals occur, OSSE will communicate those updates as soon as possible.
Any student age 16 or older at the start of the 2022-23 school year must have received their primary COVID-19 vaccination series—or be proceeding in accordance with the series—or they risk removal from school.
Revised Immunization Attendance Policy and Resources for the 2022-23 School Year (reminder) Take action now to ensure all students are fully immunized before the next school year! To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, all students must be up to date on their required pediatric immunizations before the start of the 2022-23 school year. Schools should begin identifying non-compliant students now and informing families that they need to be up to date on their immunizations or risk being removed from school next year. Following District law and regulation, beginning next school year,students who are not up to date with their required immunizations risk being removed from school until they come into compliance.
The OSSE Immunization Attendance Policy has been revised for the 2022-23 school year. Schools may access training, frequently asked questions, flow charts, sample letters, best practices and resources on the OSSE website. This page also includes family resources, including flyers, frequently asked questions and facts about immunizations.
Schools are strongly encouraged to review the immunization attendance policy and supporting materials now to start planning and notifying non-compliant families. It's important for families to schedule their immunization and well-child appointments before the back-to-school rush.
Learn24 OST Youth Scholarship Program Looking for fun activities for your child to do this summer? Activity Scholarships for DC Students are now available through Learn24’s OST Youth Scholarship Program.
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education and the Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes is excited to partner with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to help provide out-of-school-time (OST) programs to students with specific needs. Examples of programs that the scholarship may support include, but are not limited to, programs designed specifically for students with disabilities, advanced learners and English learners. Individuals not considered at-risk may also be eligible to receive a scholarship based on need and availability of funding.
Scholarships of up to $10,000 are available for individual students for use in approved OST activities in the 2022 calendar year. The minimum scholarship award is $1,000.
OSSE Launches Course Data Collection Pilot
On June 8, OSSE officially launched its Course Data Collection Pilot. Fifteen LEAs representing 63 percent of schools in the District are participating during the 2022-23 school year. The pilot will inform OSSE’s process to collect course data from all LEAs in following school years.
Throughout the pilot, OSSE will provide LEAs with trainings, one-on-one support and opportunities to provide feedback to improve the process and technical supports provided when the collection scales up to all schools in the future.
Many thanks to the pilot LEAs:
Capital City PCS
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
E.L. Haynes PCS
Friendship PCS
Goodwill Excel Center PCS
IDEA PCS
KIPP DC PCS
Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) PCS
Maya Angelou PCS
Meridian PCS
Paul PCS
Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS
The Next Steps PCS
Washington Leadership Academy
Washington Yu Ying PCS
If you have any questions about this pilot before June 30, please contact Julie.Zhu@dc.gov. Starting in July, pilot participants should submit questions on the OSSE Support Tool (OST) under “Course Data Collection Q&A.”
2022-23 Continuous Education Plans (reminder)
Continuous Education Plan (CEP) questions for the 2022-23 school year will be released no later than the week of June 27, 2022, and responses will be due to OSSE on July 29, 2022. This year, LEAs are only required to answer five questions, rather than the 43 questions asked in the 2021-22 school year CEP. While LEAs are still expected to maintain health and safety plans, they will only need to submit the URL where their health and safety plans can be found rather than submitting a plan to OSSE for review.
More information and guidance on 2022-23 CEPs are forthcoming, but the timeline for the 2022 process is as follows:
2022-23 CEP Questions Released to LEAs: June 27
2022-23 CEP Application released to LEAs: July 5
2022-23 CEPs due to OSSE: By noon on July 29
2022-23 CEPs approved by OSSE: No later than Aug. 5
For additional information on 2022-23 CEPs, please contact Joseph Hood at Joseph.Hood@dc.gov.
Office Hours with the Office of Multilingual Education (reminder)
As part of the Start of School initiative, OSSE will host office hours with the Office of Multilingual Education. Feel free to drop into these informal virtual sessions to ask questions, express concerns, or just say, “Hi!” Office hours will be Thursdays from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on July 21 and Aug. 18, 2022. RSVP to Anika.Harris@dc.gov to get the meeting link.
Call for Education Preparation Provider (EPP) and EPP Subject Area Program Reviewers (reminder) Are you an experienced educator, subject area expert or passionate leader in education? Consider serving as an Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) or subject area program reviewer to support OSSE’s EPP and subject area program state approval and review process.
By participating in this review process, you will:
Review documents submitted by an EPP or subject area program, including narratives, a curriculum map and supporting materials described on this OSSE webpage.
Provide OSSE with a recommendation regarding whether an EPP or subject area program has met the required standards.
OSSE will host a training for all state program reviewers in August. The full review cycle may take up to 16 hours across multiple days, and current educators who complete at least one review are eligible to receive up to 16 professional learning units (PLUs) for their commitment and efforts.
If you are interested in participating as an OSSE EPP or subject area program reviewer, please email Sean.Elliott@dc.govby July 11, 2022. Please be sure to include your name, resume and contact information in that communication.
Data Submissions for the Bridge to High School Data Exchange due July 8, 2022 (reminder) The Bridge to High School Data Exchange equips participating high schools with key student-level data for their incoming ninth graders. Access to this data prior to the start of the school year assists LEAs with meaningful decision-making that positively impacts their incoming ninth-grade students and rising 10th-grade students. Each year, participating LEAs' data managers are responsible for completing the data collection templates from OSSE and ensuring the requested data is provided for all current eighth- and ninth-grade students.
Data managers at participating LEAs should have received an email describing the process for submitting data by Friday, July 8, 2022. This includes uploading and submitting completed templates to OSSE via Box (OSSE’s secure data sharing platform). For student privacy protection, submissions of completed Data Templates should not be sent via email.
Important Note: Deadline adherence is imperative to ensuring meaningful student data is made available to receiving LEAs via the Qlik applications in a timely fashion. If you have any questions regarding the process, or if you are having difficulty accessing or navigating Box, please contact Marquita Hardy at Marquita.Hardy@dc.gov or (202) 531-3943 for assistance. Marquita is also available to walk you through the process in a 1:1 meeting.
2022 Health and Physical Education Assessment (HPEA): Final Day of Administration
By today, June 24, 2022, all District public and public charter schools are required to have administered the Health and Physical Education Assessment (HPEA) for grades 5, 8 and high school (high school students enrolled in a health class in the 2021-22 school year).
Important Next Steps and Key Resources:
The 2022 LEA Guide, HPEA Proctor Script, and a 20-minute training are available here under 2021-22 School Year Resources.
Log in to the HPEA Qlik application to review completion rates and follow up with schools to ensure 100 percent assessment completion
Notice of Final Rulemaking – Special Education Regulations (reminder) On Friday, May 27, 2022, OSSE posted in the DC Register a Notice of Final Rulemaking for Chapter 30 of Title 5A in the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations governing the education of students with disabilities. The final rulemaking also makes conforming changes to Chapter 28 of Title 5A related to students with disabilities attending nonpublic schools. The final regulations go into effect on July 1, 2022, and replace the current Chapter 30 special education regulations found in Title 5E. Please access the final regulations in theDC Register, or onOSSE’s website. Prior to July 1, OSSE’s Office of Special Education will release trainings and resources to support LEAs in implementing the new regulations.
For questions regarding the final regulations, please contact Christie Weaver-Harris atChristie.Weaver-Harris@dc.gov.
Creating Culturally Affirming School Environments (Advanced Addressing Microaggressions in Pre-K-12 Settings) (reminder)
Given the harm that microaggressions cause to recipients, it is imperative that schools cultivate culturally affirming environments. The focus of this session is to provide an overview of the literature and identify strategies for school personnel to work toward creating school climates that are safe for all students, but especially for those who are members of racial and ethnic minoritized groups. Specifically, attendees will learn strategies to advocate for culturally affirming school environments, engage in culturally responsive practices and develop cultural humility.
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe microaggressions and other forms of discrimination;
Consider how racial microaggressions impact racial-ethnic minority students’ mental health, perceptions of school climate and other school outcomes; and
Implement school-based interventions to promote culturally affirming school environments.
This session will take place on Monday, June 27, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Register here. Participants will receive two PLUs for full participation. For questions, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
Upcoming Virtual Professional Learning for DC Educators
OSSE's Division of Teaching and Learning (TAL) offers a robust menu of virtual professional learning opportunities, including live virtual sessions, multi-session series, and asynchronous modules. Find more details and registration links in the OSSE Training Registration application. For questions, please contact therelevant member of the TAL Professional Learning Team.
ARP-Homeless II Application Due Date Extended to July 1, 2022 (reminder) The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-Homeless II) Fund application due date has been extended to July 1, 2022, at 3 p.m. This extension allows additional time for LEAs and consortia of LEAs to submit high-quality applications and supporting documentation.
For questions or additional information on ARP-Homeless II grants, please contact Danielle Rollins atDanielle.Rollins@dc.gov.
New Reimbursement Submission Policy for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) (reminder)
OSSE has created a new policy that outlines the minimum requirement for submitting reimbursement requests in EGMS that will go into effect with all FY23 grants. The policy can be found on OSSE’s websiteGrantee Reimbursement Request Submission Policy.The new minimum standard for submitting reimbursement requests will be quarterly, for all grants that have an application status of approved and have also expended funds in that quarter. This new requirement will be on all FY23 grant award notifications (GANs), except for grant programs that specifically state a more frequent reimbursement requirement submission on their GANs.
The quarters are as follows:
Q1.: Oct. 1-Dec. 31
Q2.: Jan. 1-March 31
Q3.: April 1-June 30
Q4.: July 1-Sept. 30
Final reimbursement requests are due Dec. 1 each year, unless the first falls on the weekend. On those years, the final reimbursements would be due the following business day. Reimbursement requests may certainly occur more often; however, this is the minimum standard. If you have any questions, please reach out to your grant manager or Nancy Mahon in the Office of Grants Management and Compliance atNancy.Mahon@dc.gov.
FY23 ESEA Titles I-IV ConApp and IDEA Part B Phase I Applications Now Open LEAs are required to submit assurances as the first step to applying for FY23 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants. These assurances are completed in EGMS as a Phase I application. Once Phase I assurances are approved, your LEA may complete the Phase II ESEA and IDEA grant applications when they are available on July 1, 2022.
The ESEA Phase I application includes assurances for Titles I-A, II-A, III-A and IV-A and is available in EGMS on June 1. IDEA Phase I applications will also be available on June 1. Both the ESEA and IDEA Phase I applications are due by June 30 at 3 p.m. EST.
For questions or additional information about ESEA Titles I-IV, Part A please contact Bonnie Bacon atBonnie.Bacon@dc.gov. For questions or additional information about IDEA Part B, please contact Kieran Bowen atKieran.Bowen@dc.gov.
OSSE will continue to update and redistribute these resources quarterly. If you have a question not addressed in these resources, please contact OSSE Communications at OSSE.Communications@dc.gov.
Subscribe to LEA Look Forward
To subscribe to OSSE's LEA Look Forward, please contact OSSE Communications at OSSE.Communications@dc.gov and provide your first name, last name, and email address.
