OSSE Launches the DC Social Studies Standards Technical Writing Committee
OSSE is pleased to announce the launch of the DC Social Studies Standards Technical Writing Committee, which will review and update the existing DC Social Studies State Standards and submit a revised draft to the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) for approval later in 2021. The writing committee is comprised of K-12 social studies educators from DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools, as well as local and national technical experts in social studies.
The SBOE, in partnership with OSSE, began its review and update of the social studies standards in July 2020. The SBOE convened a Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee, which was responsible for drafting guiding principles and making recommendations to the SBOE and OSSE on how the state standards should be revised and updated to reflect the needs of students and teachers in the District. In December 2020, the Advisory Committee finalized and published the Social Studies Standards Guiding Principles, which document will guide the writing committee in their revision work.
Visit the SBOE website to learn more about the overall revision process for the District's Social Studies State Standards. For questions about the writing committee, please contact Annette Thacker-Bartlett at Annette.Thacker@dc.gov.
Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program
As LEAs plans for summer learning, schools have the opportunity to partner with the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP) this summer to support high school and young adult students in need of additional summer acceleration or credit recovery.
Through this partnership, students can have their summer school site serve as their MBSYEP placement and be paid through MBSYEP for their participation in a school-coordinated workforce component.
What steps do interested LEAs need to take?
Encourage all students that you would like to have participate in summer school to apply to SYEP by Saturday, March 6. Ensure that students have certified their application by Saturday, March 13.
Consider hosting office hours to support your students with the application or certification process.
Submit an application for your school to serve as a MBSYEP host site.
Plan your summer learning experience to include academic and workforce development components.
School Health and Safety Guidance Technical Assistance OSSE's Health and Wellness Division is offering the following technical assistance:
Biweekly technical assistance calls led by OSSE and in partnership with DC Health, PCSB, DCPS, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. The online calls provide support regarding the implementation of health and safety guidance during the COVID-19 recovery period. These Monday calls take place from 1-2 p.m. every other week. The next call is scheduled for Monday, March 8.Register for this and all upcoming calls.
Resources, including resources on PPE requirements, exclusion and dismissal criteria and protocols, and return to school criteria, are available on the COVID-19 guidance and resources webpage.
Question submission form for schools and LEAs to submit questions to OSSE regarding health and safety reopening guidance. Submit a question via this Google Form.
You Can Hear the Crunch, Too
In celebration of National School Breakfast Week, OSSE is partnering with DC Hunger Solutions to promote Hear the DC Crunch throughout schools in the District on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. If you’re stocked up with apples at home, grab one, and take a bite at 10 a.m. to show support for the School Breakfast Program and recognize all the benefits it has to offer. Show us your School Breakfast Program pride by sharing a picture of your apple crunch with #HearTheCrunch and tag OSSE on Twitter @OSSEDC.
For more information or questions, please contact Alysia Dicamillo at Alysia.Dicamillo@dc.gov.
FY20 National Public Financial Education Survey
The National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) is the US Department of Education’s Annual Survey of School System Finances.
LEA Chief Financial Officers and LEA fiscal staff are encouraged to attend one of the webinars.
The data from NPEFS are used to calculate a state per pupil expenditure amount that is used in the formula for allocating a number of federal program funds to states and school districts.
The data collection is for fiscal year 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019 - Sept. 30, 2020)
The data collection is required for all local education agencies servicing elementary and secondary students.
Two webinar sessions will be held on the following dates:
For more information or questions, please contact Ometta Riggins at (202) 262-1677.
Nominate an Outstanding Teacher Today! 2022 DC Teacher of the Year
OSSE is searching for the 2022 DC Teacher of the Year. We are seeking nominations for outstanding teachers who:
Inspire and accelerate growth for all students
Build strong partnerships with families and communities
Champion the teaching profession
Administrators, colleagues, LEA and school staff, parents, students, and community members can all submit nominations. Self-nominations are also acceptable. Please complete the 2022 DC TOY Nomination Formby Friday, April 30, 2021.
To be eligible for this award, a candidate must be a current teacher in a DC public school or public charter school, have five years’ teaching experience, and must plan to continue as a teacher in DC for the 2021-22 school year. The 2022 DC Teacher of the Year will receive a $7,500 award, professional development and leadership opportunities, and will represent DC in the 2022 National Teacher of the Year competition.
LEAs have a deadline of 10 days after returning to full-time, in-person instruction and by Monday, March 1, 2021 at the latest to complete full identification or submit documentation for an appeal, otherwise those students’ UPSFF English learner (EL) supplement will be returned to OSSE. As March 1, 2021 grows closer and many students continue with full-time remote learning or transition to hybrid or full-time, in-person learning environments, we are providing additional detail on the procedures for reconciling PEL and PNEL statuses.
This communication clarifies that (a) students in pre-K 3 and 4 must be screened by Monday, March 1, 2021 because there are both remote and in-person screener assessments available for these grades; and (b) clarifies that grades K-12 students with PEL status should be included in any scheduled ACCESS testing.
For questions about EL screening, programs, and policies, please contact Dr. Jennifer Norton at Jennifer.Norton@dc.gov. For questions about ACCESS test administration, please contact Michael Craig at Michael.Craig@dc.gov.
Learn from What is Working Nationally for On-Site, Hybrid and Distance Learning (reminder)
There are three ways to take advantage of national support provided to DC Public Schools from the National Charter Schools Institute and its partner organizations Leading Educators, Diverse Learners Cooperative, and StartOps:
Sign up for one-on-one consultancies in the areas of special education, English learners, student engagement in a virtual setting, operations, facilities and more.
Join your DC colleagues in group consultancies in order to learn from us and each other. Upcoming consultancies include: Tech Tip Tuesdays for Teachers, Supporting Diverse Learners' Reading Comprehension Across Content Areas, and Engaging Learners with ADHD.
Brainstorm, troubleshoot or seek research from someone familiar with DC, but not "in it" - make an appointment with Naomi Rubin DeVeaux.
Also, please take this survey to help identify what further support will be helpful to your team! For more information or questions, please contact Wendy Larvick at Wlarvick@charterinstitute.org.
Stay on Track with Routine Childhood Immunization Requirements for In-Person Learning (reminder)
With students returning to school for in-person learning, school health teams should be checking immunization compliance status before students return to the building. All students must be up-to-date with their childhood immunizations in order to attend any in-person activities. Enforcement of routine childhood immunization requirements is critical in order to prevent an epidemic in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
To protect the health and safety of all students, DC Health and OSSE have advised that all schools adopt the Immunization Policy for In-Person Attendancefor the 2020-21 school year. This is due to the public health risks of in-person congregation without up-to-date routine childhood immunizations. As part of the return to in-person schooling process, parents/guardians should be notified immediately by the school if their student is not up-to-date on their routine childhood immunizations. Students who have been in the distance learning posture this school year must be up-to-date on their childhood immunizations before returning for in-person instruction.
OSSE's website has resources, training and information available for schools and families to support meeting immunization requirements. For questions about the Immunization Policy for In-Person Attendance, please contact OSSE.SchoolHealth@dc.gov. For questions about immunization information, data, and locations where families can receive immunizations, schools can contact DC Health at DOH.Immunization@dc.gov or visit the DC Health Immunization Program webpage.
Special Education Transportation Reminders in Preparation for Return to Service(reminder)
OSSE's Division of Student Transportation (OSSE DOT) is providing transportation services for the 2020-21 school year, for schools offering “hybrid” (combination of distance and in-person) or “in-person” learning. While we recognize and appreciate the updates we have received for school calendars to reflect a model that includes in-person services, we wanted to remind you of our timeline for submitting your school calendars, to include the day you will begin in-person learning and the associated Transportation Request Forms (TRFs) for your eligible students who will use transportation services.
According to our Special Education Transportation Policy, OSSE DOT has 10 business days to process transportation requests. However, given the higher volume of requests at the start of the school year along with the need for data verification, staff notifications, and various other preparation activities, DOT requests that all calendar updates and TRFs be submitted no less than 20 business days (four weeks) prior to your first day of in-person learning for the applicable student group to ensure transportation services are provided. Once services begin, requests will be processed on a rolling basis according to our policy.
OSSE DOT has made several changes based on federal and local health guidance to ensure the protection, safety and well-being of our students, staff, and the school communities we serve. As a part of our reopening plan, we will provide families with information regarding the internal measures OSSE DOT will be taking to create a safe transportation environment with student-specific routing information prior to the first day of service. LEAs and schools can access this information on OSSE's website and are welcome to share it with families as well. Additionally, all school buses are now named, “District of Columbia Student Transportation,” to be more inclusive of all educational programs supported by transportation services.
It is our goal to make the transition to school-based learning as safe and seamless as possible for the families and schools we serve. For additional questions or concerns, please contact our TOTE Support Line at (202) 576-5520 or DOT.Data@dc.gov.
Upcoming Virtual Professional Learning for DC Educators
OSSE's Division of Teaching and Learning (TAL) has a robust offering of professional learning opportunities that are now open for registration, including live virtual sessions, multi-session series, and asynchronous modules. Upcoming sessions include:
2021-22 School Year Residency Verification Training (reminder)
The residency of each student enrolled in a District public school must be verified by the current LEA of enrollment and LEAs do not receive Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) funds for unverified residents. This training will cover residency verification requirements and related topics for the upcoming 2021-22 school year. Participants will be informed of their responsibility to complete residency verification as well as guidance on how to enroll District residents and non-residents. Additionally, participants will receive information on updated residency policies as well as the 2021-22 residency verification forms. Partners will also provide guidance on the home language survey and enrolling students who are experiencing homelessness.
This training is mandatory, and each LEA must have at least one designee in attendance:
2020-21 School Year Community Schools Community of Practice (reminder)
For the 2020-21 school year, OSSE, will host a series of community of practices (CoPs) related to community schools. The CoPs will be offered on a bi-monthly basis through April 2021. The sessions are open to all District of Columbia schools that are interested in receiving training and technical assistance on creating and sustaining a community school model.
The next virtual community schools CoP meeting will be on Thursday, April 22, 2021, from 1-3 p.m. and will focus on supporting community schools through the topic, Evaluating Community Schools. Register
For more information or questions, please contact Melissa Harper-Butler at Melissa.Harper-Butler@dc.gov or (202) 478-2409.
2021-22 School Year Grant Forecast
OSSE is pleased to share a new tool to help LEAs plan their budgets for the next school year: the 2021-22 School Year Grant Forecast. This tool lists most of the formula and competitive grants that OSSE expects to release in the coming months. LEAs can use this tool to anticipate what grant opportunities will be available for the upcoming school year and inform budget development and strategic planning.
The forecast tool lists upcoming grant opportunities and includes anticipated application release and award dates, as well as anticipated funding amounts. It is important to note, however, that the information included in the forecast is subject to change. This forecast tool is not an official notice of availability and is only for planning purposes. Grant releases and awards are subject to funding availability and could change based on the fiscal year 2022 budget and any applicable legislation. LEAs will need to apply for grants in order to be considered for an award.
OSSE will provide regular updates to the grant forecast tool to provide LEAs with the most current grant information. For questions or feedback regarding this new forecast tool, please contact OSSE.Grants@dc.gov.
Request for Applications: Healthy Schools Grant
OSSE’s Division of Health and Wellness is soliciting applications for the District of Columbia Healthy Schools Grant. The purpose of this grant is to increase OSSE’s capacity to support District schools with implementing high-quality 1) health education and physical education; and 2) place-based education programs.
OSSE will accept applications from entities in the District of Columbia having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Eligible entities may apply for an award up to $120,000. The deadline for application submission is Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at 3 p.m. OSSE anticipates announcing award decisions on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.
For more information including the Request for Funding, please visit the Healthy Schools Grant webpage. Please share this grant opportunity with your network. For additional information regarding this competition, please contact OSSE.Nutritionprogram@dc.gov.
2021 FY20 Carryover Notice (reminder) Carryover funds for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Titles I-A, II-A, III-A, IV-A and IDEA have been loaded in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). LEAs may now amend their fiscal year 2021 (FY21) plan and budget in EGMS to account for carryover funds.
All LEAs must amend FY21 ESEA and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grant budgets in EGMS before submitting new reimbursement requests. If you plan to consolidate Title funds in FY21, please note that carryover is loaded by Title and must be transferred to align with your amendment.
FFY19 SOAR Academic Quality/Early Childhood (as an amendment to SOAR Formula Combined);
FFY18 SOAR Academic Quality/Early Childhood;
FFY18 and FFY17 SOAR Facilities;
FFY18 SOAR Teacher Pipeline;
FFY17, FFY18, and FFY19 SOAR Third Party (cohorts 1, 2 and 3);
Title V-B Dissemination Cohort 2; and
Title V-B Replication and Expansion Continuation Cohorts 2 and 3.
If you had outstanding balances on any of these awards after completing fiscal year 2020 (FY20) closeout, you will see the continuation grant(s) in your FY21 EGMS dashboard to complete. Applications are due byTuesday, March 16, 2021. Applications must be submitted and approved by OSSE before submitting reimbursement requests for the FY21 grant period.
Additional details on actions to access remaining funds and key timelines are provided in emails sent to grant managers on Friday, Feb. 5. For questions, please contact OSSE.Grants@dc.gov.
Help Your Students Get Up to $10,000 in DCTAG Funds (reminder)
Did you know that OSSE's DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) provides up to $10,000 in tuition assistance to eligible DC residents attending out-of-state public institutions of higher education? Eligible students attending private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and select private local institutions are eligible for up to $2,500. The DCTAG application is now open! Apply today at dconeapp.dc.gov. Don’t miss this funding opportunity that is available to only residents of the District of Columbia! Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021.
For more information, please visit the DCTAG website.
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.
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