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LEA Look Forward December 23, 2014

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

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Special Edition: Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education (ESSE)

New

Translating the Next Generation Science Standards into Practice

Join the OSSE for Translating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into Practice, a pilot program for middle and high school instructional teams. This program is part of a pilot study, developed by the American Museum of Natural History, West Ed and Biological Studies Curriculum Center. The program is designed to provide instructional teams with a deep understanding of how to develop curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned to the vision of NGSS. DC will join twelve other state teams in this program.

This pilot is geared toward instructional teams from LEAs serving middle and high school age students.  Team should consist of two or three participants, including combinations of instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, science department chairs, and educators.

Participants will receive materials, a stipend and PLUs towards re-certification.  Participants are required to complete all aspects of the trainings and will be recognized for their participation.

Registration Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

Session Dates

  • Saturday, February 7, 2015
  • Saturday, February 28, 2015
  • Saturday, March 7, 2015
  • Saturday, March 21, 2015
  • Saturday, April 18, 2015
  • Saturday, April 25, 2015
  • Saturday, May 9, 2015

All sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

To apply for NGSS 3.0, register here. Capacity is limited to 10 schools or LEA teams.

Training for LEA Homeless Liaisons on Youth Vulnerability Index and Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT)

At least one in every 24 enrolled public school students in the District of Columbia is homeless. OSSE is working aggressively to remove educational barriers for students in unstable and/or transitory housing.  In 2015, as a part the work of the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, OSSE is partnering with other District agencies to design, implement, and test a system of coordinated entry for at least 200 DC youth in the next 100 days.  The primary focus of this effort is to ensure that the most vulnerable students receive more timely supports and interventions.  In order to succeed in achieving this ambitious goal, OSSE is encouraging each liaison in every school to receive appropriate training.

To register for one of the VI-SPDAT trainings, please select the links below the training session (Note: content is identical, participants should register for one session):

McKinney-Vento Liaison Youth-Specific VI-SPDAT Training for Individuals #1

January 26, 2015, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Register here

McKinney-Vento Liaison Youth-Specific VI-SPDAT Training for Individuals #2

January 26, 2015, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Register here

McKinney-Vento Liaison Youth-Specific VI-SPDAT Training for Individuals #3

January 26, 2015, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register here

Training Location: 1331 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

All sessions will begin on time, please note that parking is limited

For any questions regarding the VI-SPDAT Training, please contact Nicole Lee-Mwandha.

SAVE THE DATE: Boosting Success for 21st Century Learners-Equitable Practices for High Achievement

The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center's 4th Annual Boosting Success for 21st Century Learners: Equitable Practices for High Achievement Conference will be held Wednesday, May 6, 2015 in Linthicum Heights, MD. The program this year will highlight two important tracks: (1) School Climate and (2) English Language Learners (ELL).

Registration opens in early 2015.

Learn more about the conference.

For questions or more information, please contact Noelle Haile or call (301) 657-7741 Ext.111.

Reminder

OSSE releases the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Implementation for Transfer Students Policy

On December 17, 2014, the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education issued the “Individualized Education Program (IEP) Implementation for Transfer Students Policy.”  This policy memorandum establishes state-level procedures and timelines for the development and implementation of IEPs for students transferring into LEAs in the District of Columbia.

The policy addresses students who transfer within the District of Columbia, from out-of-state, between District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and District charters, from private schools, and from early intervention settings. The policy includes the following key LEA-level requirements:  facilitation of timely records transfer; provision of comparable services; completion of pending evaluations; and implementation of existing in-state and out-of-state IEPs.

Special Education Data System (SEDS) Winter 2014 Release

OSSE’s Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education is pleased to announce the Winter 2014 release of Special Education Data System (SEDS) with new and improved functionality.

By January 5, 2015, several new features and enhancements will be made to SEDS. Please visit the SEDS Resource Site for a complete list of all system changes and access to the Summary of Changes document.

Training for the Winter 2014 SEDS release will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 for LEA Special Education Points of Contacts (LEA SE POC). You may register for this training by clicking here.

To access previously recorded training for these system changes please visit SEDS Resource Site and scroll to the Wednesday, December 17, 2014, Support Series Webinar. Upon completion of this training, LEA SE POC are expected to train their respective SEDS users on the updates to the system as per the Train the Trainer model.

For any questions regarding the Winter 2014 release, please contact Karmen Rouland.

LEA Special Education Point of Contact (LEA SE POC) Monthly Support Webinar

During the school year, the OSSE Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education hosts a monthly webinar support series for all LEA Special Education Points of Contact (LEA SE POC). This webinar series takes place on the third Wednesday of every month from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  LEA SE POCs should plan to attend and participate in these monthly webinars.  All webinars are recorded and archived.

Each month various topics will be discussed, including:

  • SEDS updates and alerts
  • The release of new OSSE special education policies
  • OSSE Support Tool updates
  • Data quality, including enrollment, records transfers, compliance reports, etc.
  • Training tips
  • Resources and announcements

Date(s):

  • Wednesday, January 21, 2015
  • Wednesday, February 18, 2015
  • Wednesday, March 18, 2015
  • Wednesday, April 22, 2015
  • Wednesday, May 20, 2015

 Time: 10:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Register here

Support College-Bound Students Experiencing Homelessness in Applying and Paying for College

OSSE invites you to participate in the following webinars made available by the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE).  NCHE is a federally funded information and technical assistance center at SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).  Please note that, in addition to NCHE's McKinney-Vento 101 and McKinney-Vento 102 webinars, NCHE's Paving the Way to College for Students Experiencing Homelessness webinar also will be offered. As a reminder, January kicks off "FAFSA season", so make sure you have the information you need to support your college-bound students experiencing homelessness in applying and paying for college.

NCHE will be offering the following webinars free of charge during the months of December and January:

  • McKinney-Vento 101: School Access and Stability under the McKinney-Vento Act

Thursday, January 15, 2015 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET  

  • McKinney-Vento 102: Support for School Success and Special Populations

Thursday, January 22, 2015 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET

  • Paving the Way to College for Students Experiencing Homelessness

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. ET

Please visit the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) website for webinar descriptions or to register for any of the above webinar sessions. Also, please feel free to share information about NCHE webinars with colleagues who might be interested.

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training

The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training program, developed by Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), is embraced worldwide as a highly effective behavior management system for organizations committed to providing quality care and services in a respectful, safe environment. The strategies taught in the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training program provide participants with a proven framework for decision making and problem solving to prevent, de-escalate, and safely respond to disruptive or assaultive behavior. This event will not go over physical restraint techniques. Please wear comfortable clothing, closed-toed shoes, and bring a water bottle.

OSSE will host a training once a month during the 2014-15 School Year. The next training will occur:

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location: 810 First Street, NE, 3rd Floor Grand Hall

Register

EBP Instructional Series /Text Adaptation

Improve your instructional practice through evidence-based research! The OSSE is offering an exciting webinar series built to help teachers improve their instructional delivery and increase student achievement. This month’s series is dedicated to text adaptation!  Sign up and experience effective ways to utilize resources to support student achievement in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

Teachers, administrators, and all other educational practitioners (e.g., teacher assistants, teacher aides, paraprofessionals, etc.) are invited to sign up and learn different activities and methods that have been proven successful for teachers of every content level and background. Ask questions, join a community of learners, and increase your support systems to close the achievement gap! This series will be led by Brandon Wallace, OSSE Educational Program Specialist.

Presenter: OSSE

Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register

Introduction to Student Learning Objectives (SLOs): An Overview of the SLO Process

Please join us for the first session of the Semester of SLOs webinar series. During this session, participants will be introduced to SLOs and the components of the SLO process, will review sample SLOs, and will discuss where and why SLOs are trending nationally as a way to track and measure student performance.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Presenter: OSSE

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2015

Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Register here

NGSS 1.0 Webinar: Introducing the Next Generation Science Standards for LEAs and School Leaders

Together with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, the NGSS hold the promise of transforming STEM education and preparing all DC students to succeed, in education, work, and their daily lives. This is the first year of implementation for the new science standards across the District of Columbia.

The webinar will address the following topics:

  • Introduction to the NGSS
  • The NGSS Classroom
  • Professional Learning and Resources Implementation
  • Timeline and Coordination

Presenter: OSSE

Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Time: 1:00 p.m. -2:30 p.m.

Register here

Save the Date “It Takes a City to Knock it Out of the PARCC!”

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) cordially invites you to participate in our second Local Education Agency (LEA) Institute on January 23, 2015, titled, “It Takes a City to Knock It Out of the PARCC!”

This LEA Institute is focused on preparing educators for the Next Generation Assessments (NGA) including (a) Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC); (b) National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC); (c) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); and (d) the DC Health Assessment.

OSSE is inviting national and local experts to provide pertinent information and to answer your most pressing questions in the following areas:

  • NGA Communication Strategies;
  • Assessment and ESEA Accountability;
  • Curriculum Alignment: Tools of the Trade;
  • Instructional Shifts and Best Practices;
  • Assessment Procedures and Technology Readiness; and
  • Assessment Considerations for Special Populations.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their questions to subject matter experts during panel presentations and one-on-one in workshop sessions. In addition, OSSE will launch its NGA Ambassador initiative. Through this initiative, each LEA will be assigned an OSSE NGA Ambassador to provide a “one stop shop” approach to getting support on the new assessments.

OSSE is encouraging school teams (e.g., principal, assistant principal, instructional coaches, lead teachers, test coordinators) to attend this event.

Registration is now open and to follow the event on Twitter, use: #DCITAC!

The Rights of Undocumented and/or Unaccompanied Students

Under Federal law, DCPS and DC Public Charter Schools are required to provide all children with equal access to public education at the elementary and secondary level.   It is important to ensure that student enrollment practices do not discourage the participation, or lead to the exclusion, of students based on their, or their parents’ or guardians’ or primary caregivers’, actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status. Policies and practices that discourage the enrollment of undocumented students are in violation of Federal law.   To ensure that student’s undocumented status does not become an enrollment barrier, LEAs are encouraged to:

  • Ensure that enrollment practices do not pressure unaccompanied children and youth to identify an alternate caregiver.
  • Share information about the rights of students who are undocumented and those who are homeless.
  • Collaborate with youth-serving agencies in your community.
  • Help youth navigate higher education admissions and financial aid.
  • Ensure that school policies do not assume that all students have lawful immigration status.

Keep in mind that some students may not have or be able to obtain standard immigration documents when planning school activities, such as vocational programs, voter registration events or field trips requiring identification.

For more detailed guidance, please access the following links:

School Enrollment Procedures Memo and Unaccompanied Children Frequently Asked Questions