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Contents:
 Imagine Math, a comprehensive, supplemental, skills-based online math program, will be free to all fifth-grade and eighth-grade students during the 2020-21 school year. Imagine Math includes content that is aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics, including authentic assessments, adaptive learning pathways, embedded scaffolds and actionable data. When students need extra support, they can receive live, 1:1 differentiated instruction from certified math teachers in English or Spanish.
To access Imagine Math, complete the sign-up form.
For more information, visit the Imagine Math website, view a flyer for educators or read our press release.
If you have questions, contact Christine Koerner, Director of Secondary Mathematics, at christine.koerner@sde.ok.gov.
The OSDE Crisis Team has recently trained 22 additional OSDE staff in the National Association of School Psychologists' PREPaRE school crisis curriculum. This intensive training prepared the Crisis Response and Recovery Team to help districts navigate pandemic-related, threat-based and hazard-based crises with resources, consultation or direct support. The team is comprised of individuals across various OSDE departments.
As schools begin their re-entry processes, the potential for crisis situations may increase for schools, students and families. Child abuse, suicide and student/staff deaths may occur, as may weather emergencies or other threat- or hazard-based crises. Establishing relationships with students should be a top priority and help to prevent, protect or mitigate crisis events from occurring. However, if your school, district or community does experience a crisis, OSDE is here to help with the response and recovery.
For questions, concerns or assistance, contact OSDE's Crisis Team School Psychologists Erika Olinger at erika.olinger@sde.ok.gov or Trisha Goga at trisha.goga@sde.ok.gov.
You may also access available resources on the OSDE Crisis Preparedness and Response and Counseling web pages.
The Annual District Reading Plan for the Reading Sufficiency Act (RSA) is available on Single Sign-On. Each site that works with kindergarten through third grade must complete the Annual District Reading Plan.
Due to an update to RSA administrative rules recently signed by the Governor, sites must complete and certify their plan by Aug. 30 in order to be eligible to receive RSA funds for this year's allocation.
View a tutorial for completing the RSA Annual Reading Plan.
If you have questions, contact Melissa Ahlgrim at melissa.ahlgrim@sde.ok.gov.
The Office of Federal Programs will host, “Removing Barriers for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness,” on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m.
Register here.
If you have questions, contact Tammy Smith at tammy.smith@sde.ok.gov or (405) 522-3260.
The Office of Federal Programs will host a webinar introducing online training for district homeless liaisons on Monday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. This webinar will address the new Kickstand training.
Register here.
If you have questions, contact Tammy Smith at tammy.smith@sde.ok.gov or (405) 522-3260.
The Office of Federal Programs will present two training webinars and a virtual meeting on various aspects of the Title III program. The first will cover a basic overview of the program and a discussion of LEA requirements, and a second will discuss the English Learner identification process and provide pointers on completing the English Language Academic Plan (ELAP) for identified English Learners. This webinar will also cover procedures for identifying ELs in a distance learning model.
Title III EL Overview & FY21 Program Requirements
Aug. 31, 1-2 p.m.
Register here
Identifying ELs & Completing the FY21 ELAP
Aug. 31, 2:30-3 p.m.
Register here
The annual Title III Kickoff Meeting and EL Academy will be held virtually this year. The Kickoff meeting, aimed primarily at EL Directors, will provide a forum for discussing program requirements and comparing strategies. Janna Corn, Director of the English Language Proficiency Assessment Indicator, will also present useful classroom strategies to help mainstream teachers meet the needs of English Learners in their classes.
Title III Kickoff & EL Academy
Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Register here
If you have questions, contact Thomas Kirk at thomas.kirk@sde.ok.gov or (405) 521-4878.
In preparation for the annual statewide census of Neglected and Delinquent programs, the Office of Federal Programs will provide an introduction and overview of Neglected and Delinquent programs (Title I, Part A Neglected and Title I, Part D Neglected/Delinquent) and instructions for completing the annual October Count census of Neglected and Delinquent facilities.
Title I, Part D Overview & FY21 October Count
Sept. 15, 1:30 p.m.
Register here
If you have questions, contact Thomas Kirk at thomas.kirk@sde.ok.gov or (405) 521-4878.
The Office of Federal Programs is offering a virtual training session on the Consolidated Monitoring process. This webinar will cover the timeline and expectations of LEAs being monitored in FY21. This session is specifically for those who missed the earlier trainings in July and August, although all are welcome to attend.
FY21 Consolidated Monitoring Training
Sept. 21, 10 a.m.
Register here
If you have questions, contact Thomas Kirk at thomas.kirk@sde.ok.gov or (405) 521-4878.
As schools open and begin navigating the 2020-21 school year in the midst of a pandemic, we all recognize the additional supports our students and families may need. OSDE recently announced the expansion of the School-Based Services Program in collaboration with Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS). This program expansion will allow OKDHS to hire 40 additional School-Based Specialists (SBS) to support children and families across the state within Oklahoma schools, with OKDSH and districts sharing the cost of the employee. The application period will remain open until the positions are filled.
Community-based partnerships like those created through the School-Based Services Program strengthen families so they may meet their basic needs while also creating pathways to their goals. School-based specialists become extensions of local school districts, connecting and building relationships that allow them to identify and address the challenges students face in school or at home. The specialists coordinate with the school, OKDHS and the local community – multidisciplinary teams, health care providers and other nonprofits – to connect students and families with resources to help them succeed.
School-Based Specialists make positive impacts on difficult situations that affect a student's ability to succeed in the classroom, allowing teachers to focus on teaching and children to focus on learning.
To learn how the program may benefit your school and students, visit the School-Based Services page on the OKDHS website. From this web page, you may also view program assurances, sample contracts and costs, and submit an application.
The Office of Teacher Certification is now offering live-scan fingerprinting on a limited basis.
Please note that this applies to dual results fingerprinting only. Fingerprinting will be available to teachers applying for their first teaching certificate who have an offer of employment with an Oklahoma school district.
Fingerprinting will temporarily be available Monday through Thursday.
All applicants must make an appointment online prior to their visit. No walk-ins will be accommodated. Appointments will be available in 20-minute blocks between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If applicants are late to their appointment, they will have to wait for the next available 20-minute block. If there are no other openings before 3 p.m., the applicant can choose to come back at 3 p.m. or reschedule.
All applicants must bring this form completed by their district.
The Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department is offering boxes of its Oklahoma Route 66 Guide to educators for free.
To get boxes of the guides shipped free to schools, teachers outside the Oklahoma City metro may contact Miki Galloway at brochures@travelok.com or (405) 522-9539. Boxes will be shipped via FedEx, and each box contains 60 guides.
Those inside a 50-mile radius of the Oklahoma City metro area will need to stop by the department's warehouse to pick up the guides. Teachers can call (405) 651-7304 to place an order and schedule a pickup time.
On July 23, the State Board of Education voted to approve Oklahoma School Safety Protocols as a set of recommendations to schools.
These recommendations, developed in collaboration with public health officials, are aligned with the Oklahoma State Department of Health's weekly COVID-19 Alert System and reflect a tiered approach to reopening schools as safely as possible.
Both systems are built on a color-coded system that graduates in recommended protocols and safeguards – from Green to Yellow, Orange and Red – as community spread of coronavirus increases in each of Oklahoma's 77 counties. To find the most current rate of community spread in your county, click on the most recent PDF under the heading of "County Risk Level Trends" on the COVID-19 Alert System home page.
On a weekly basis, it is possible for county color categories to change, depending on mitigation or escalation in community spread of COVID-19. Some counties may not experience a straight path from a red designation to a yellow and then a green designation. Instead, cycling back and forth among designations may occur as public health indicators improve or worsen.
The goal is for each county, and all schools, to be in the Green category, with manageable levels of COVID-19.
The OSDE encourages you to give these safety protocols your strongest consideration.
The 2021 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year application is now available. The application deadline is August 31. Judging will take place throughout the fall, and the new Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be announced at a ceremony in February 2021.
Traditionally, the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year is selected from a pool of district Teachers of the Year who apply and participate in a comprehensive selection process. Because some districts do not select a local Teacher of the Year, amazing educators may never have an opportunity for well-deserved recognition at the state level. To ensure every exceptional Oklahoma educator is eligible for this prestigious award, we have decided to broaden the competition. Please encourage your local Teacher of the Year to apply. If your district does not select a local Teacher of the Year, please nominate someone!
Download the 2021 Teacher of the Year application packet and find more details at https://sde.ok.gov/oklahoma-teacher-year.
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