 Upcoming Epinephrine Administration Training
OSSE Allergy Management Team within the Division of Health and Wellness is holding Epinephrine Administration Trainings to provide one-year certification for public and public charter school employees as required by the Access to Emergency Epinephrine in Schools Amendment Act of 2015.
Course participants will learn how to identify and prevent severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), properly store epinephrine auto-injectors, and safely administer epinephrine during an emergency.
The next live training will be offered virtually on:
- Thursday, March 14, from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
School staff may also choose to receive certification at their convenience via a recorded Online Certification Course. To register for either a live or recorded training, complete this training sign-up form. Questions? Email OSSE.Epi@dc.gov.
Vaping Prevention in Schools
OSSE partnered with DC Health to present Youth Vaping Prevention: Tools and Strategies to Use in Your Classroom and Community on Feb. 21, 2024. Truth Initiative – a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to a future free of smoking and nicotine – provided information and resources to better address nicotine use in and around the school setting. Attendees received information on tools for use within the classroom, tools to help students quit smoking or vaping, ways to better support students dealing with addiction and opportunities to get involved in community organizing and advocacy efforts on this topic. Access the recorded session here.
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Revised McKinney-Vento Dispute Resolution Policy Guidelines and Forms
Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKV), if a dispute arises between a school and a student, parent, or guardian experiencing homelessness over eligibility, enrollment, or school selection, a child or youth has a right to access a dispute resolution policy. OSSE’s Homeless Education Program (HEP) has released revised Dispute Resolution Policy - Guide and Forms and Informational Guide on Appeal Requests for LEAs which describe the protocol for informing a parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness of their right to request an appeal and when a request for dispute resolution can and cannot be granted. LEAs that have their own written dispute resolution policy must ensure that it is in alignment with OSSE’s revised guidance and forms.
For more information on resolving disputes relative to students experiencing homelessness, please visit OSSE’s Homeless Education Program Dispute Resolution webpage or contact HEP.OSSE@dc.gov.
LEA and school-based homeless liaisons are encouraged to attend the upcoming Homeless Education Program McKinney-Vento Monthly Webinar: SY23-24 MKV Dispute Resolution Policy Revisions Overview. This training will take place via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Please register using this link. Once registered, attendees may use the following Teams link to join this webinar session.
ARROW First Year Cadre – Inaugural Cohort Communications (reminder)
OSSE's Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce (ARROW) is announcing the launch of the First Year Cadre for school-based behavioral health providers, i.e., school social workers, school psychologists and counselors (school counselors and licensed counselors), who are new to working in a school-based setting and have an employment start date of Nov. 1, 2022 or after. The First Year Cadre is an opportunity for providers in their first year working in a school-based setting to build foundational skills necessary to be successful in the school environment. This cohort will serve as the inaugural cadre and run from April to June 2024.
Please see this one pager for more information and the eligibility criteria. Applications are now open and close Friday, March 8, 2024.
Participants who successfully complete the cadre will be eligible for a $500 stipend.
Questions? Reach out to OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
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Mathematical Reasoning for All Students – Enrolling Now!
OSSE is excited to offer professional learning to increase mathematical reasoning for all students. This training will be a two-day course on March 26 and 27, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and will provide participants with five research-based strategies to teach all students how to think and reason mathematically. Participants will learn what it looks like when students reason mathematically, as well as different ways in which students access and develop mathematical thinking. They will learn teaching strategies for engaging students in mathematical thinking and discourse, supporting their students’ development of mathematical thinking and helping their students develop independence as learners. Finally, participants will leave the course ready to support every learner to develop as mathematicians based on their individual learning profiles. Participants must attend both days and will receive 12 professional learning units. Register here or contact Miryam.Oziel@dc.gov for more information.
Attention DC EPP Completers - 1:1 Coaching Support for Teachers Now Available
For all teachers who have completed a DC educator preparation program (EPP) and are in their first five years of teaching in a DC public or public charter school, OSSE is offering an exciting opportunity for access to a personalized non-evaluative coaching partner from EdConnective. More than 250 DC leaders have participated in 1:1 coaching over the past three years, and OSSE is excited to expand this partnership to support teachers!
This unique benefit gives you personalized access to a coach focused on your specific needs in your classroom(s). Your personal coach will work with you to develop goals and support professional growth with specific, practical strategies that YOU want to work on.
Here’s what other teachers have said about EdConnective coaching:
“This coaching experience was very different from the beginning. This is true colleague collaboration and learning from one another.”
“I really struggled with classroom management, and my instructional coach helped me connect with my classroom in a short period of time. It was like night and day from one week to the next!”
Eligibility: If you meet these two criteria, you’re in:
- A teacher who has completed a DC-based educator preparation provider program (list of providers)
- Teaching in a DC public or public charter school for less than five years (0-5 years teaching experience)
Register here NOW to be matched with a coach this spring!
For questions, please contact Jhatia McKnight at: Jhatia.McKnight@dc.gov.
Media Youth Power Educator Advisory Board
Media Power Youth is looking for new members for their advisory board to guide the creation of meaningful media literacy resources. If you work with K-8 students, you are invited to join. The board meets on Zoom quarterly, with the occasional Google Form for feedback in between. For attending meetings and providing feedback, a $200 Amazon gift card stipend is provided! Learn more here.
Adolescent Literacy Training: Addressing Learning Gaps with Syllable Instruction (reminder)
OSSE is pleased to announce the first of a series of trainings on adolescent literacy. This first offering is an opportunity for 4th–12th-grade teachers, literacy coaches, special educators, multilingual educators, and administrators to undergo training on multisyllabic word instruction by The Literacy Architects. This course provides teachers with information about the six syllable types and multiple syllable division patterns, which can serve as a first step to helping readers read and spell multisyllabic words. Participants will learn how to implement instructional routines that can be used in whole or small group settings to help students tackle multisyllabic words and will receive access to diagnostic assessments and lesson plan templates to assist with classroom application.
This training includes:
- Approximately six hours of asynchronous coursework
- Time dedicated to applying learned skills in their classrooms (approximately six hours)
- Opportunity to attend two 90-minute synchronous sessions to explore and practice instructional routines in more detail (Session 1: covering Modules 1–3; Session 2: covering Modules 4–6) (three hours total)
- The total time commitment is approximately 12–15 hours.
Register Here. Participants will receive 12 PLUs for the asynchronous coursework and an additional 4 PLUs for the facilitated sessions. For questions, please email Vaani Gupta at Vaani.Gupta@dc.gov
Foundations of Second Language Acquisition for All Educators Serving ELs (reminder)
OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning (TAL) is pleased offer a professional learning pathway for District educators including school leaders and service providers serving English learners (ELs) grades pre-K through 12 in DC public and public charter schools. The Foundations of Second Language Acquisition for all Educators Serving English Learners course provides the foundational knowledge and skills needed to effectively serve ELs and build the capacity of educators through eight meaningful and engaging virtual sessions.
Session: Teaching Academic Vocabulary
The development of vocabulary plays a pivotal role in language acquisition and overall academic achievement. According to Michael Graves, while much of the support given to ELs mirrors that provided to monolingual English students, ELs often need instruction on a larger variety of words, more comprehensive teaching approaches, and targeted assistance in mastering strategies for learning new words. This principle also applies to students with limited vocabulary who are not ELs. During this session, participants will understand how linguistic awareness plays a role in vocabulary selection and identify ways to teach new vocabulary while aiding comprehension and memorization.
Participants will earn one professional learning unit for full attendance and participation. Register here to attend on Wednesday, March 13, from 3-3:45 p.m. For questions, contact Lucia Cuomo at Lucia.Cuomo@dc.gov.
Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice
OSSE is excited to announce the Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice. This community of practice is designed to create authentic opportunities for LEA pre-K special education points of contact (POCs) and those who support this population to collaborate with others and improve learning outcomes for children with disabilities, ages 3-5, who are enrolled in early childhood special education programs. Participants will discuss topics identified by those currently serving children in our local early childhood programs. The sessions will occur on the fourth Wednesday of each month, from 10-11 a.m., and began Feb. 28. The identified topics are listed below.
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March 27 – Family Engagement Activities
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April 24 – Instructional Practices and Strategies for Specific Disability Categories
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May 22 – Data Tracking and Reporting
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Aug. 28 – Early Childhood Developmental Screening and Child Find Obligations
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Oct. 23 – Instructional Practices and Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goal Writing
Please register for the community practice sessions using the links above. For questions, please contact Dawn Hilton, Supervisory Coordinator for Special Education (Part B-619), at Dawn.Hilton1@dc.gov.
Educator Wellness – Blueprint Resource Feedback Sessions (reminder)
OSSE’s Division of Health and Wellness has released an updated one-pager on its Whole School Approach to Educator Wellness and The Blueprint for a Whole School Approach to Educator Wellness. As these resources are in their initial version, we want to hear from DC public and public charter school educators, school leaders and community-based organization (CBO) staff who support educator wellness work to better: 1) understand its usefulness in supporting schools to address educator wellness; 2) identify questions or areas of ambiguity about the content or process; and 3) gather additional information or resources that could be added to further support educator wellness. Please register for one of the sessions below to share your voice and to contribute to future updates of these resources:
If you’re interested in providing feedback but can’t attend a session or have questions, please contact OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
Additional Information on the Blueprint
The Blueprint is a quick reference guide that provides LEAs, school leaders, educators and CBOs a roadmap for integrating educator wellness policies, practices and processes into their school system. The Blueprint uses a whole school approach, centered on educator voice and equity, to implement approaches at the individual, interpersonal and organizational levels. It is built from growing research and evidence-based practice in educator wellness and the use of a whole school approach to educator wellness in DC public and public charter schools.
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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FY23 ESSER Annual Reporting Window and Webinar for Phase III
The previously advertised ESSER Annual Reporting Phase III webinar has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 12, at 10 a.m. We appreciate your flexibility as we work to ensure that you are fully prepared for the Phase III data collection process. LEAs are strongly encouraged to send at least one representative to this webinar. Please register to attend here.
The Phase III reporting window will now open on March 18, and close on April 5. This change ensures that LEAs have adequate time to incorporate the latest guidelines from the US Department of Education (USED).
In Phase III, LEAs are required to report aggregate numbers of students eligible for and participating in programs and interventions as identified by USED. This also includes reporting the aggregate number of students eligible and participating by subgroup. To assist LEAs in gathering and organizing data, a list of the specific interventions and subgroups required for this reporting can be found below.
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Evidence-Based Interventions
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Subgroups
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- Evidence-based summer learning or summer enrichment program
- Evidence-based afterschool programs
- Extended instructional time
- Evidence-based high dosage tutoring
- Early childhood education program expansion or enhancement
- Full-service community schools
- Purchasing educational technology
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- Students with one or more disabilities
- Low-income students
- English learners
- Students in foster care
- Migratory students
- Students experiencing homelessness
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Hispanic/Latino
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
- Two or more races
- Other student subpopulation
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For questions about ESSER reporting, please contact the OSSE ESSER team at OSSE.ESSER@dc.gov.
SOAR Act FY23 Facilities Reporting Deadline – Friday, March 29, 2024
The first semi-annual narrative report for the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Facilities grant is due via email to Marie Hutchins no later than Friday, March 29. The reporting template is available on the SOAR website.
For questions or additional information about SOAR Facilities semi-annual reporting, please reach out to Marie Hutchins at Marie.Hutchins@dc.gov.
FY24 ESEA Final Allocations (reminder)
Final allocations for FY24 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I-A, II-A, III-A, and IV-A grants are published on OSSE’s website. Awards in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) now reflect FY24 allocations for these grants.
If you have questions or need technical assistance for the FY24 ESEA ConApp, please contact the ConApp team at Con.App@dc.gov.
FY24 Stronger Connections Grant Continuation Application Open (reminder)
Stronger Connections grantees may now access FY24 applications in the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). If you are eligible to carry over funding from your FY23 grant, your LEA must complete this application before you can access carryover funds. After your application is approved, you may reimburse Stronger Connections grant expenditures from Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024.
The deadline to submit FY24 Stronger Connections grant application is Friday, March 15, 2024, by 3 p.m. EST. For questions or additional information, please contact Mildred Washington at Mildred.Washington@dc.gov or (202) 724-7870.
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March 2024
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