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D.L. v. District of Columbia at a Glance
The D.L. v. District of Columbia lawsuit continues to impact OSSE’s special education policy, compliance monitoring and reporting. The D.L. v. District of Columbia at a Glance document includes background, relevant terms and contact information to provide context for LEAs.
The document is available on OSSE’s website. Please contact Sarah Peisch at Sarah.Peisch1@dc.gov with any questions.
New Resource: LEA Special Education Point of Contact Role Description (reminder)
OSSE published the LEA Special Education Point of Contact Role Description guidance, a resource intended to support LEAs in identifying appropriate staff to carry out special education organizational operations, liaise with OSSE and ensure implementation of all facets of special education. For questions about the LEA Special Education Role Description, please contact Christie Weaver-Harris at Christie.Weaver-Harris@dc.gov.
OSSE Seeks Nominations for the 2023-24 School Year US Presidential Scholars Program! (reminder)
Established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, the US Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors outstanding high school seniors for achieving educational excellence. As the official nominating body, OSSE would like your assistance in identifying these exceptional seniors.
Nominees must be US citizens or legal permanent residents, graduate from high school by August 2024 and preferably have the following:
- Strong involvement and service to the school or community;
- Strong leadership or character; and
- High academic achievement.
Nominate your outstanding 12th grade students for this prestigious award! Nomination materials and parent/guardian consent forms must be submitted via Box. Nominations are due by 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 20.
For more information, please contact Greg Palmer at Gregory.Palmer@dc.gov.
DC School Report Card Engagement (reminder)
OSSE is working in partnership with the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) to update the 2024 DC School Report Card site. We would love to hear feedback from you, your team and your school community.
Please take the survey and share it widely: DC School Report Card feedback survey.
In addition, we will be co-hosting three feedback sessions in the coming weeks:
- Session 1 – What Content Should the DC School Report Care Include? (MLK Library, 901 G St. NW, Fourth Floor Conference Center) Monday, Oct. 30 at 5:30–7 p.m. Register Here
- Session 2 – How Should the Report Card Display the Summative Score? (Virtual) Monday, Nov. 13 at 6–7 p.m. Register Here
- Session 3 – How Should Visual Elements and Features be Displayed? (Virtual) Monday, Dec. 4 at 6–7 p.m. Register Here
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Restorative Justice Fall 2023 Professional Development (reminder)
This fall, RestorativeDC is focusing on professional development and planning opportunities to help DC educators with restorative practices during this school year. Sessions will be conducted in person and coaching sessions offered virtually.
Please view this informational flyer for more information for the 2023-24 school year restorative justice professional development schedule. To register, please visit the RestorativeDC online calendar of events. For questions, please email Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
New Teacher Math Pedagogy Professional Development Boot Camp (Middle/High School) (reminder)
OSSE is partnering with a nationally recognized professional development provider to provide a math pedagogy boot camp for any middle or high school math teacher with fewer than five years of experience. Teachers who successfully complete this boot camp will receive a $1,000 stipend.
This training is a great opportunity for math teachers to build their understanding and facilitate quality implementation of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and develop instructional practices that support all students as thinkers and problem solvers. Teachers will also develop their own growth mindset approach and learn how to foster students’ growth mindsets when it comes to learning mathematics. The first part of this boot camp will be live and in person, while the second part will be asynchronous and virtual. Completion will require approximately 20 hours of work between October and February.
This opportunity is available to any middle or high school math teacher with fewer than five years of experience at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis. Register to participate in the Middle/High School Math New Teacher Boot camp here. For more information, please contact Miryam Oziel Miryam.Oziel@dc.gov.
Attention all Special Education Points of Contact: Registration for Stepwell Training is Open! (New Registration Links)
In mid-November, Stepwell will replace the District of Columbia Correction Action and Tracking System (DCCATS). LEAs will now access special education findings of noncompliance and document corrective actions in Stepwell. LEA special education points of contact are required to attend a Stepwell training to support the transition to this new monitoring and tracking system. Trainings will be held on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15, and both trainings will cover the same content. Please register for one of these training events by using the links provided below.
Nov. 14 | Stepwell LEA SPED POC Training, 9-10:30 a.m.
Register Here
Nov. 15 | Stepwell LEA SPED POC Training, 1-2:30 p.m.
Register Here
Please note that OSSE will no longer use DCCATS after Nov. 15. Therefore, it is essential that each LEA’s special education point of contact attend the live session. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive information for accessing the Stepwell system.
For questions or additional information, please contact LaShonda Wilson at LaShonda.Wilson@dc.gov.
Dyslexia Awareness Training (reminder)
OSSE is pleased to make available a three-part dyslexia awareness module that will focus on the characteristics and identification of dyslexia; understanding and recognizing reading difficulties; and implementation of instruction that is systemic, cumulative, explicit, diagnostic and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of students with reading difficulties as required by DC Code §§ 38-2581.02 and 38-2581.03. This interactive course is required for all educators directly involved in the regular creation of learning environments that foster the development of students. Participants can earn up to 16 professional learning units (PLUs) for completion of all three modules. Please register here in OSSE's LMS. (NOTE: Educators should follow the instructions here to activate their account with OSSE’s LMS in order to register for any of the sessions.)
For more information, please visit the OSSE Dyslexia DC webpage. For questions, please contact Dustin Tamsen, OSSE's Dyslexia Specialist, at Dustin.Tamsen@dc.gov.
Next Steps Fair for High School Students with Disabilities (reminder)
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, high school students with disabilities from across DC are invited to attend the DC Special Education Cooperative's Next Steps Fair. Next Steps is an annual event during which students with disabilities (age 14 and older) learn about career pathways, local education and training opportunities and community resources. This year's fair will be held in-person on the campus of Howard University. Learn more about the event and register your students!
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities with OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning (reminder)
OSSE's Division of Teaching and Learning is pleased to offer many upcoming professional learning opportunities for DC educators, including teachers, staff, school leaders and service providers serving students in grades pre-K through 12 in DC public and public charter schools. All DC educators are encouraged to subscribe to the monthly TAL PD Bulletin to receive additional announcements about professional learning opportunities and resources for educators. View the most recent bulletin here.
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SOAR Formula Semi-Annual and Final Narrative Reports Due Nov. 15 (reminder)
Semi-annual narrative reports for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Formula Consolidated grant and the FY23 SOAR Formula Combined (ESSER III Equivalent Continuation from FY22) grant are due via email to your SOAR grant manager no later than Wednesday, Nov. 15. The reporting templates are available on the SOAR website. Please see the applicable reporting periods for each grant below.
Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Healthy Schools Grant (reminder)
OSSE has released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) Healthy Schools Grant (HSG) competition. The purpose of the HSG program is to increase the capacity of DC public and public charter schools to support the implementation of health education, physical education, physical activity, nutrition education, environmental education, garden-based education and farm to school programs. OSSE will accept applications from community-based organizations (CBOs) with demonstrated expertise and success working with DC public and public charter schools to implement healthy schools programming. CBOs must partner with a minimum of five DC public and public charter schools. The NOFA can be found here.
The Request for Applications (RFA) will be available on Friday, Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. EST. A pre-application meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 9 and interested applicants can register here. Applications are due in EGMS by Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. EST. For questions or additional information, please contact Rachel Sadlon at Rachel.Sadlon@dc.gov.
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October 2023
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