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Bulletin 026-24 attachment
Action Required: due date 8-1-24
Re: Traffic Safety Education Program Approval Application
Form SPI/TSE M-365 (Rev. 4/24)
DOL form DTS-661-026 OSPI School District/Instructor Registration
Continuing Education Requirements for Traffic Safety Instructors
Summary: Public and private schools intending to offer Traffic Safety Education (TSE) are required, under Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 392-153-014, to apply annually to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for program approval. Programs must be approved by OSPI to enter valid completion information into the Department of Licensing’s (DOL) License Express for Business account.
Key Audiences: Educational Service District Superintendents, School District Superintendents, Selected Administrators of Private Schools, Traffic Safety Education Coordinators
Important changes to School Based COVID/Flu Testing
As the Washington State Department of Health continues to return to a pre-pandemic level of response, our school-based testing program is also winding down. Since 2020, DOH, in partnership with The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Association of the Educational Service Districts, have distributed more than six and a half million tests to schools and their communities. Ongoing testing has been critical to maintaining a safe learning environment for the continuity of student learning. We are grateful for your ongoing commitment to the well-being of your students, staff, and school communities.
Below you will find important changes to ordering COVID-19 tests for your school community:
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DOH ordering portal will close May 2024: DOH will stop supplying tests to schools May 31, 2024, or earlier depending on the availability of resources.
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Notification of the DOH portal closure: Districts and schools will receive notification when the DOH ordering portal has closed.
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Important note regarding expiration dates. Schools should reference expiration dates printed on the box or the FDA-approved extended expiration dates to determine whether their inventories are okay for use. Rapid antigen tests that cannot be used must be disposed of per manufacturer requirements in the Instructions for Use.
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What to expect in the 2024-2025 school year: DOH will not provide schools with COVID-19 or multiplex tests. DOH will continue to monitor respiratory illnesses and provide guidance for the PK-12 schools to support them in keeping their school community safe and healthy.
Should you have any questions or require further assistance in navigating this transition, please do not hesitate to contact your ESD Public Health Coordinator through the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year.
OSPI is seeking educator feedback on learning standards. OSPI is beginning the initial review phase for updating the learning standards in Health, Physical Education, World Languages and Financial Education. We understand that these standards might be taught by multiple types of educators in our state. We are seeking to obtain feedback from as many educators as possible in this process. The survey will filter to only the standards that each educator selects that they teach. The survey can be found here.
If you have any questions or comments please send them to standards.review@k12.wa.us. You can also visit the Washington State Learning Standards Review website where we will keep updated information about the progress of the work as well as address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
National District Program to Expand K-12 Computer Science
Code.org is leading a movement to ensure that K-12 students are equipped to adapt to the realities of a rapidly evolving knowledge economy. Recognizing that emerging technologies will continue to transform daily life, Code.org is offering an opportunity for district leaders to connect, learn, and share best practices for sustainable computer science implementation. Districts will be recognized nationally for their commitment to computer science and will receive an implementation planning toolkit, access to computer science participation data for their district, and access to exclusive webinars with other districts on topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The program does not require any commitment to exclusively use Code.org. Interested districts can learn more and enroll here. Contact Code.org with any questions at districtprogram@code.org.
“Larger Than the Sum of the Parts”: Team Nutrition Grants Support School Meal Programs Across Washington
From scratch cooking to expanding a mentorship program for school nutrition professionals, school districts across Washington are benefitting from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition Grants. OSPI applied for and was awarded grant funding for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Though each year has a different theme and supports different projects, OSPI has worked to “make them leverage each other so that the whole is larger than the sum of the parts.” This story features projects in the La Conner School District and at educational service district (ESD) 101.
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