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The Oklahoma Schools COVID-19 Prevention Program Grant (Project 723) provides free, in school COVID-19 screening and testing to students, faculty/staff, volunteers, etc., who opt-in to the program. Districts can receive anywhere from $50,000 to $1,000,000 in funding, depending on the student population size. The deadline for applications has been extended until all funds are allocated. The Project 723 grant is on a first come, first served basis.
NEW: The COVID-19 testing requirement has been changed to 5% of district enrollment each month. Districts must implement a testing program and submit a COVID-19 testing plan to outline how they plan to make a “good faith effort” to meet the 5% monthly goal.
Monitoring and assessment is important and ensures grant compliance. The Project 723 grant monitoring and assessment reports are due on the following dates:
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Feb. 15 – Mid-year review
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June 30 – Final evaluation
To learn more about the grant and monitoring tools, visit the Project 723 webpage.
If you have questions, contact Chelsea Hunt at chelsea.hunt@sde.ok.gov.
 View the OSDE Reporting Requirements Calendar for upcoming deadlines and reporting details.
The approvals list for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)-certified teachers, speech language pathologists and school psychologists will open on Friday.
Superintendents must verify the job code and FTE assigned to each person listed and, if correct, electronically approve them for payment via the Accreditation/HQT/School Improvement Approvals tab on Single Sign-On before payment will be made. Detailed instructions and other information are available under the same Approvals tab. The approvals list will close Jan. 21.
Payments will be processed and electronically forwarded to individual school district by Jan. 31 for approvals completed by Jan. 21.
If you have questions, contact Bunny Farley at bunny.farley@sde.ok.gov.
The Office of School Safety & Security will host "Don't Let Students Get DRUG Down – Drug Trends in Schools" on Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m. Participants will learn about common street drugs, lingo and items used to conceal and promote drugs. The key to prevention and recovery is education and knowing what students are promoting to other students.
Special guest speaker: Mark Woodward, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics
Register here
This is part of a series of Awareness to Action webinars provided each month by the OSDE Office of School Safety and Security.
If you have questions, contact Cindy Swearingen at cindy.swearingen@sde.ok.gov.
This Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) webinar will cover the effective use of calming rooms, which help students regulate emotions and decrease behavior outbursts, in a school environment. Officials from two local districts will join to discuss how calming rooms work within their districts.
Participants will learn:
- How students are identified for calming room support
- Items to include in the rooms
- Protocol for use and accessing the room
- Data collection procedures
This training is free, and a professional development certificate will be provided to all participants.
MTSS: Use of Break (Calming) Rooms Webinar
Jan. 25, 11 a.m.-noon
Register here
Download the training flyer here.
If you have questions, contact Amanda Sellers at amanda.sellers@sde.ok.gov.
Virtual teachers are invited to join a new professional learning community to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create nurturing classrooms, develop a shared classroom culture and build positive relationships in virtual environments.
The Virtual Teacher Network Improvement Community Pilot is a six-week professional learning experience open to virtual teachers of grades 6-12. Teachers will engage in 12 hours of sustained, data-driven, classroom-focused professional development.
Learn more here.
Apply by Jan. 28.
If you have questions, contact Karen Leonard at karen.leonard@sde.ok.gov.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health will provide the final diabetes management training for the 2021-22 school year on March 3, 9 a.m.-noon.
School staff may register on the Safe and Health Schools Professional Learning webpage.
If you have questions, contact Shana Classen at shana.classen@sde.ok.gov.
Made possible through a Department of Justice grant, OSDE is offering a free PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention & Intervention training this March in the Oklahoma City metro area. Districts will be reimbursed following the training.
All public school employees are invited to attend.
A total of 40 spots are available for each workshop training. Workshop 1 will take place on March 2, and Workshop 2 will take place March 3-4. Both workshops will be held at the Norman Public Library in the Redbud Room.
Participants do not need to sign up for both workshops. However, first preference for a spot will be given to those who sign up for both.
Register here
If you have questions, contact Michelle Strain at michelle.strain@sde.ok.gov.
The Office of English Language Proficiency (ELP) has developed a series of ten self-paced sessions for English Learner (EL) Coordinators. This series is designed to provide new and returning EL Coordinators with an overview of:
- Initial screening assessments
- ELP annual assessments
- Roles and responsibilities
- WIDA secure portal
- WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS)
- ELP assessment accommodations
- Test environment and security
- Materials management
- Data verification
- EL resources
To access this series, visit osdeconnect.ok.gov, sign up or sign in, click the green "Add" button and search for the series title "ELP Assessments District Coordinator Training."
If you have questions, contact Yuseli Freire at yuseli.freire@sde.ok.gov.
Oklahoma has joined the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in granting "under-the-hood" waivers to school bus drivers. On Jan. 3, the FMCSA granted states permission to waive the engine compartment component of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for applicants seeking the School bus (S) and Passenger (P) endorsements and the Intrastate only (K) restriction.
Oklahoma will issue the waiver through March 31.
This waives the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test, which includes items like oil level, coolant level, power steering fluid and water pump belt. Applicants will continue to be tested on the remaining elements of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills including skills like cab/engine start, steering, suspension and brakes. Drivers obtaining CDLs under this waiver will still be demonstrating their ability to safely operate the "special features" of a school bus.
Drivers issued a CDL pursuant to this waiver are authorized to engage solely in the instrastate operation of school buses. The driver is not authorized to operate trucks, motorcoaches or any other type of commercial motor vehicle.
The FMCSA has cited the nationwide shortage of school bus drivers as the reason for granting this waiver. The intent is to remove a potential roadblock from getting a school bus endorsement without compromising safety.
Three new best practice documents have been added to the OSDE Crisis Toolkit.
These documents include:
These best practice documents should be taken into heavy consideration when dealing with any of these types of crises. These documents are focused on evidence-based approaches and Oklahoma state law.
If you have questions, contact Michelle Strain at michelle.strain@sde.ok.gov.
 Oklahoma PTA has partnered with statewide education and parent organizations to plan Take Your Legislator to School Week, Jan. 24-28.
The goal of this outreach event is to foster connections between legislators and public schools by giving legislators the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time (3+ hours) in a school setting where they can see the challenges and triumphs of the average school day.
View suggested activities and a sample schedule here.
Entries due Jan. 31
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is hosting the 31st Annual Trash Poster contest for all Oklahoma K-12 students. Students are encouraged to submit imaginative and creative solutions for Oklahoma's litter problems. Through the contest, students can raise awareness and help "Keep Our Land Grand."
State Trash Poster Contest winners will be chosen in March. Fourteen students will be awarded cash prizes including $300 for 1st, $200 for 2nd and $150 for 3rd place in each of the four grade divisions. One additional poster will be chosen to win $300 as state “Promotional Poster of the Year” and another poster will be selected to win $200 as the “Entry Form Poster."
Entry deadline: Jan. 31
For more information and entry forms, visit the ODOT Trash Poster Contest webpage.
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