 Upcoming Virtual Epinephrine Administration Training
The OSSE Allergy Management Team within the Division of Health and Wellness will hold a live virtual Epinephrine Administration Training on Thursday, May 9 from 9:30 a.m.–11 a.m. Certification is valid for one calendar year. Share this training sign-up form with staff members at your school who need to get certified this school year. School staff may also choose to receive certification at their convenience via a recorded online certification course. Contact OSSE.Epi@dc.gov to coordinate a live virtual training session if you want more than the required certified staff at your school to receive the training.
2024 OSSE Health and Physical Education Survey (reminder)
OSSE invites health education teachers and physical education teachers from DC public and public charter schools to participate in a survey to understand professional development needs of the workforce. Feedback from this survey will be used to identify and plan professional development opportunities to support the implementation of high-quality health and physical education programming in District schools in the 2024-25 school year.
Eligibility: You must be an educator in health education and/or physical education employed at a DC public or public charter school during the 2023-24 school year.
You may access the survey here.
We ask that you please participate in this survey by Friday, May 17. This survey takes no more than 15 minutes to complete. For questions or feedback, please contact OSSE.HYDT@dc.gov.
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Learn More about OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching
OSSE is excited to announce a new, cost-free opportunity to becoming an elementary, early childhood or special education teacher in DC: the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program!
This innovative new program will remove financial barriers to entering the teaching profession by providing prospective DC educators with a tuition-free bachelor’s degree, flexible coursework offerings and paid on-the-job learning. Apprentices who successfully complete the program will also be eligible for an OSSE standard teaching credential. The program will provide pathways into teaching for current DC paraprofessionals and for graduates of DC high schools.
To learn more about the District Graduate pathway, visit the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching webpage.
For additional information or questions, please email Sean Elliott, Manager of Educator Preparation, Pipeline, and Support, at Sean.Elliott@dc.gov.
LEA Individualized Special Education Technical Assistance Available (reminder)
OSSE has partnered with the DC-based company, Onyx Therapy Group, to offer LEAs free individualized special education technical assistance to help improve special education programming, instruction and service delivery. Onyx Therapy Group’s special education experts are available to answer questions on topics, including:
- Individualizing lesson plans and accommodations
- Implementing student support strategies
- Meaningfully communicating with families
- Correcting noncompliant practices within the LEA
- Engaging in data-informed decision making in the instructional design process
- Consistently implementing OSSE and LEA policies with fidelity
To request this support, send your inquiries to SpecialeducationTA@onyxtherapygroup.com, or leave a voicemail at (240) 326-3648 and a consultant will get back to you within 48 hours. These supports are intended to serve as professional development; OSSE retains the authority and responsibility to ensure LEAs meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and enforce those requirements as appropriate. Accordingly, compliance-related questions should continue to be directed to OSSE. As a reminder, please DO NOT send any student personally identifiable information (PII) via email or leave PII in voicemail when requesting assistance.
Nominate an Outstanding K-12 Teacher of American History for the 2024 DC History Teacher of the Year Award (reminder)
OSSE, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, is seeking nominations for the 2024 DC History Teacher of the Year. Nominations are encouraged for a teacher that has made an impact – whether it be this year or from past years – and can be submitted using this nomination form. Each year, this award recognizes an outstanding K–12 teacher from a public, public charter or private DC school who finds creative ways to bring history to life in their classroom.
The deadline for 2024 nominations is April 30. Learn more and nominate a teacher at gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. For questions, contact Madison Kantzer at Madison.Kantzer@dc.gov or Megan Dumond at Megan.Dumond@dc.gov.
Home and Hospital Instruction Annual Data Collection for 2023-24 School Year (reminder)
LEAs are required to annually provide data to OSSE on parents’ requests for home and hospital instruction (HHI), per DC Law (5A 25 DCMR § 2510.1). Specifically, LEAs must report the following:
- All parent requests for home or hospital instruction including student names, Unique Student Identifier (USI), and date of request;
- Approvals and denials made by the LEA to provide home or hospital instruction, including the outcome of each reported request;
- The reason for each denial of a request for home or hospital instruction;
- A list of the names of each licensed pediatrician, licensed nurse practitioner, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed mental health counselor or therapist, or physician assistant who provided the medical certification of need for each request for home and hospital instruction; and
- Whether instruction was provided in-person or via real-time videotelephony for each approved request for home or hospital instruction.
In the coming weeks, OSSE will send each LEA the HHI Annual Data Collection Template to be completed and uploaded to your LEA’s HHI Data Collection folder in Box by June 30, 2024. Note: To maintain confidentiality of student information, LEAs should not submit the template via email.
Thank you in advance for your attention to these important requirements. LEAs should contact Cameron Martin with any questions as they complete the forthcoming data collection template.
2024 Extended School Year (ESY) Certification (reminder)
The deadline for summer Extended School Year (ESY) certification is Monday, May 6. LEAs must submit required data consistent with the 2024 Extended School Year (ESY) Preparation Guide. LEAs are also encouraged to review OSSE’s Special Education Policy Bulletin: Extended School Year (ESY) Services (Updated August 2023) guidance regarding LEA responsibilities and documentation requirements for ESY eligibility determinations and service provision for eligible students with disabilities. For questions about ESY, required tasks, or data systems, please refer to the points of contact provided in the preparation guide.
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May LEA Special Education Points of Contact Webinar
On Wednesday, May 15, from 10-11 a.m., OSSE will host the monthly webinar training for all LEA SPED POCs. During this training, OSSE will provide important information relevant to your role as the LEA SPED POC. The agenda will include the following:
- Policy reminders and updates;
- IDEA monitoring reminders and updates;
- Teaching and Learning reminders and updates;
- Special programs reminders and updates;
- Nonpublic reminders and updates;
- Transportation updates; and
- Reminders and announcements.
All LEA SPED POCs should plan to participate in each month’s webinar, as well as share the content, updates, and announcements with relevant staff within your LEA. If you have not already signed up for the 2023-24 school year webinar series, please register here.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact LaShonda Wilson at LaShonda.Wilson@dc.gov.
Save the Date for OSSE’s Literacy Conference: Sustaining Excellent Literacy Instruction (reminder)
OSSE Division of Teaching and Learning is excited to announce the Spring 2024 Literacy Conference. Please mark your calendars to join us for this virtual convening on Wednesday, May 22, from 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. This event will bring together literacy leaders and educators from across the District to engage with national research experts, learn from local literacy coaches, and build capacity through professional learning. Please monitor the OSSE Literacy Conference website for registration updates. For questions, please email OSSE.CLSD@dc.gov.
Registration Now Open! Thriving Together: A Symposium to Advance SEL for Students and Staff (reminder)
OSSE is pleased to announce it will host Thriving Together: A Symposium to Advance Social and Emotional Learning for Students and Staff, to take place on Wednesday, June 12 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University. This convening aims to bring together educators and stakeholders from DC Public Schools, public charter schools and partner agencies to launch DC’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards. The event will provide opportunities to attend and lead skill-building workshops, network, and learn about best practices happening across the city.
Workshops will be designed to increase knowledge of the SEL Standards and indicators while sharing strategies that foster a safe and inclusive learning environment. Workshops will align with one or more of the following topics:
- Building Foundational Support for SEL;
- Strengthening Adult SEL through a Whole-School Approach;
- Implementing Best Practices to Promote SEL with Students; and
- Assessing and Reflecting on SEL Data for Continuous Improvement.
Register here. For additional information, visit the conference website. For questions, please send an email to Jessica.Dulay@dc.gov.
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 Act Facilities Competition Now Open (reminder)
The Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act Facilities grant competition is now open for applications. SOAR Act Facilities grant is intended to support public charter schools in renovating their facility to increase the total number of seats and/or increase the quality of existing seats in high-quality public charter schools in DC.
The request for applications (RFA) was published on April 5, 2024 and includes eligibility criteria and application instructions. Applications must be submitted online in EGMS no later than 3 p.m. EST on Monday, May 20.
Pre-application webinars will be held at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, April 26. Each interested organization may register to attend the 10 a.m. webinar here and the 1 p.m. webinar here.
ESSER III-ARP Liquidation Extension Request Application (reminder)
OSSE is now accepting preliminary applications from LEAs for liquidation extension of ESSER III-ARP funds. If approved for extension, LEAs would be permitted to use American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III-ARP) funds on eligible expenditures through the end of FY25, provided those expenditures are properly obligated before Sept. 30, 2024. For more information on this opportunity, please see OSSE’s liquidation extension guidance letter.
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May 2024
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