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LEA Look Forward for March 19 - 26, 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

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District Highlights Getting Ready to Knock It Out of the PARCC: Next Generation Assessments Tips and Resources Important Dates and Deadlines Announcements
Funding Opportunities Events    

District Highlights

Getting Ready to Knock It Out of the PARCC: Next Generation Assessments Tips and Resources

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Important Dates and Deadlines

Dates

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Deadlines

Announcements

New

Who to Call During PARCC Testing – For LEA Staff Members

For technical support with device setup and configuration, call Pearson Customer Support at 1 (888) 493-9888 or use the chat function in Pearson Access Next.

For test security incident reporting, call the incident reporting hotline at (202) 719-6500.

For general test administration questions, or additional support, call the OSSE Assessment Team at (240) 270-2598 or email [email protected].

Teacher Qualification Data for LearnDC

Federal regulations require OSSE to publish aggregate data about teacher qualifications on its state and local report cards on LearnDC. Our commitment is to give LEAs a meaningful opportunity to review their data before we share it publicly.

LearnDC currently features SY2012-2013 teacher data. These data will be taken down and replaced with SY2013-2014 data. We know that LEAs have recently submitted SY2014-2015 data. You will receive information in a future communication about the appeals and corrections process for that data.

We expect to be able to share the SY2013-2014 data shortly for review. The data points are:

  • The percent of courses taught by highly qualified teachers;
  • The percent of courses taught by teachers who are not highly qualified; and
  • Teacher education credentials, specifically, percent by highest degree obtained.

For LEA review of the aggregate data, we will follow a similar process to the one we did with DC CAS data in the summer of 2014. Specifically, LEAs will be able to review their data in two forms:

  • In a spreadsheet posted on the FTP site, and
  • On the “staging site” of LearnDC, which is not public facing and for which we will provide unique links so LEAs see only their own data in a more visual environment.

Please be aware that your data will specifically reflect what you have submitted to OSSE. If education credentials data are missing, for example, LearnDC will indicate that your LEA has no teachers with a bachelor’s degree.

We plan to accept corrections to the aggregate data through a Google doc but will require LEAs to submit documentation to correct individual-level data through the normal QuickBase process LEA HR managers use.

Contact: Gwen Rubinstein, Data Analysis Manager, [email protected], (202) 374-3723

Apply for School Grants for Healthy Kids for 2015-2016 School Year

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is excited to open the call for application for School Grants for Healthy Kids for the 2015-2016 school year.  Breakfast Grants and Every Kids Healthy Grants (supporting physical activity and nutrition programming) are available.  

Eligible schools may apply for funding to pilot or expand their School Breakfast Program and/or support physical activity and nutrition initiatives working towards healthy-school certification.

In addition to funding, your school will receive technical support, gain access to AFHK’s improved grants portal, and ensure your students are healthy and ready to learn. Learn more when you register for a School Grants Webinar.  Apply for one or both by May 1, 2015.

For additional questions, please contact your AFHK State Coordinator, Kristina Shelton at [email protected] or [email protected].

National Nutrition Month 2015 - Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle!  

March is National Nutrition Month® (NNM)!  NNM is a nutrition education and information campaign that is sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.  NNM is a great ways for educators to promote nutrition in schools. Start your day with reading a nutrition related morning announcement.  Share Nutrition Tip Sheets in the teachers’ lounge to promote worksite wellness.  Print out fun, Nutrition Activities Sheets for students.  Share with parents were to find a local farmers’ market in D.C.  Educators can find NNM materials for students, parents, faculty and staff at http://osse.dc.gov/page/national-nutrition-month-2015.

For additional information, please contact Laura Hansen, MPH, RD, Nutrition Education Specialist, at [email protected].

ESY 2015 Student Transportation Certification Deadline May 4, 2015

As SY 2014-2015 comes to a close, Extended SY (ESY) 2015 is fast approaching. The deadline for ESY 2015 certification for student transportation is Monday, May 4, 2015.

All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools that will serve as ESY sites and have students eligible for ESY transportation, please log in to the Transportation Online Tool for Education (TOTE) and submit ESY school calendar information (as applicable) and transportation requests for students eligible for student transportation. For our non-public schools, if you are an ESY site, please upload your ESY calendars in TOTE, which will allow the LEAs to complete the transportation request for your ESY students.

It is critically important that LEAs submit accurate certification data, including school and student address and contact information. This data supports OSSE DOT in their efforts to ensure appropriate planning and staffing during the summer months.

OSSE DOT is offering several training sessions on the ESY certification process in March and April 2015. Register today.

For questions, please reference the TOTE Quickstart Guide on OSSE DOT’s website. You may also reach out to the TOTE support team via the “Contact TOTE Admin” tool or via email at [email protected].

Get Started on ESY 2015 Certification Early

The ESY certification process is simple but can be lengthy, depending on the number of students your LEA serves. Especially for LEAs with a large student population, it is recommended that you set aside time every week to complete the ESY certification process.

This week, start out by identifying the schools that will serve as ESY sites and enter the calendars and bell times in TOTE. Read more.

OSSE Celebrates School Bus Drivers and Attendants

Please join OSSE’s Division of Student Transportation (OSSE DOT) in recognizing the School Bus Drivers and Attendants of the Month for March 2015:

OSSE DOT Drivers of the Month

Tanealya Maria Jackson  | 5th Street Terminal
Alan Young             | Adams Place Terminal
Carolyn Blair             | New York Avenue Terminal
Cynthia Pope             | Southwest Terminal

OSSE DOT Attendants of the Month

Marie Casimir           | 5th Street Terminal
Mary Austin            | Adams Place Terminal
Sarah Spears             | New York Avenue Terminal
Bernice Robinson        | Southwest Terminal

Each month, OSSE DOT recognizes one exemplary bus driver and attendant from each of its four bus terminals in DC (5th Street, Adams Place, New York Avenue and Southwest) as part of the division’s Recognition Program for Bus Drivers and Attendants of Special Education Students.

The drivers and attendants have been identified by DC parents, students, teachers and school staff as outstanding stewards of the community. Since the program’s launch in May 2014, OSSE DOT has received over 650 online and mail-in nominations for DC bus drivers and attendants. Nominations are accepted year-long and counted the first Tuesday of every month. Recognize your school bus driver today!

Reminder

FFY 2015 Draft State Grant Application Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Is Now Available for Public Comment

In order to receive a grant award under Part B of IDEA to support the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities, each state must complete an annual grant application to the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. To ensure an opportunity for the public to provide input, this application must be posted for 60 calendar days and open for public comment for 30 days within the same 60-day period.

OSSE’s FFY 2015 draft state application and spending plan for IDEA Part B will be posted for 60 days on the OSSE website beginning March 11, 2015. Members of the public will have the opportunity to make comments on the applications from March 10, 2014–May 11, 2015.

Individuals who wish to do so should direct their comments to Dr. Amy Maisterra, Interim State Superintendent, by email at [email protected].

Should you have questions regarding these applications or the public comment period, please direct them to the attention of Ms. Elisabeth Morse at (202) 727-8488.

Gearing Up for a Successful 2015-2016 Enrollment Audit Webinar

As we prepare for re-enrollment for School Year 2015-2016, the Office of Enrollment and Residency will host a webinar on March 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to provide timely information regarding the upcoming process. It will outline changes that have been made to the residency verification forms for the upcoming school year and review the six stages of enrollment. This webinar is a necessity for all Enrollment Audit and Data POCs for each LEA.  Register

For questions, please contact Sean Flora at (202) 727-7224.

DC School-Based STI/STD Screening Webinar for Middle and High Schools

OSSE, in collaboration with the DC Department of Health (DOH,) has developed a 25-minute on-demand training that illustrates the history and program by which LEAs and schools provide on-site counseling, education and testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS in a discreet environment that is welcoming for all middle and high school aged students. This overview describes parental/guardian notification, the importance of screening youth in DC, and how DOH coordinates with schools to bring this program to their campuses.

Webinar link:  DC School-Based STI/STD Screening webinar for Middle and High Schools   

For questions, please contact [email protected].

Creating a Comprehensive School-Based Physical Activity Program Training  On-Demand Webinar

OSSE, in collaboration with the DC Department of Health, has developed an on-demand 50-minute training that illustrates a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools can use various opportunities for students to be physically active, meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) reflects strong coordination and synergy across all of the components: quality physical education as the foundation; physical activity before, during, and after school; staff involvement; and in areas of family and community engagement.

Webinar link:  Creating a Comprehensive School-Based Physical Activity Program Training webinar   

For questions, please contact [email protected].

Funding Opportunities

Reminder

Title V, Part B Dissemination Grant RFA Released

The Office of Public Charter School Financing and Support is pleased to announce the availability of Title V, Part B funding for the dissemination of high quality programs. A mandatory pre-application conference will be held at OSSE tomorrow, March 13, 2015, at 11 a.m.– Noon in room 806B for interested applicants. Please review the Request for Applications and contact Marie Hutchins with any questions.

Request for Applications: College, Credential, and Career Ready Summer Initiative

The C3 Ready Summer Initiative will support new or expanded summer programs that expose middle grades students to college and career pathways and get them ready for the high school transition. Eligible applicants are Local Education Agencies, community-based organizations, and accredited not-for-profit colleges and universities. The application opens in EGMS on March 23 and closes on April 9. Please see the Request for Applications for further information, or contact Chloe Woodward-Magrane.

Events

New

Save the Date: Grants Management Conferences

LEAs: June 4, 2015 at Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University
CBOs: June 16, 2015 at Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University

Growing Young Minds: Nurturing Healthy, Happy and Secure Children

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Early Learning presents the 2nd Annual Infant and Toddler Conference. This engaging conference will bring together more than 900 professionals in Infant/ Toddler early care and education professionals. Conference attendees will include early intervention and infant/toddler specialists, home visitors, social workers, mental health providers as well as physical, occupational therapists, pediatricians, dietitians and other professionals.

This exciting and interactive conference will feature:

  • Nationally acclaimed speakers, presenters and authors
  • The Early Head Start Framework
  • Early identification, Intervention and Support Services
  • Hands-on Interactive Exhibits
  • Education Scholarships and Training Programs

Dates:  April 28, April 29 or April 30, 2015 (waiting list only)

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Location: Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on the Campus of Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002

The 2015 Young Men’s and Women’s Conferences on College and Careers

This month, OSSE hosted conferences for the young men and young women attending DC’s public and public charter schools in grades 8-12. Students were provided with a professional conference experience and unique opportunities to discover and explore career options. Workshops presented direct access to practitioners and subject matter experts where students learned about various high-demand, high-wage careers. Each conference served approximately 300 middle and high school students from 18 high schools.

Reminder

Save the Date: May 1-2 – It Takes a City: DC Does it Best!

OSSE will host the school year’s final LEA Institute, IT Takes a City: DC Does it Best! Join OSSE at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, May 1-2, 2015, for this two-day event designed to reflect on high quality and innovative best practices in public education. School staff will learn new teaching strategies for success in improving outcomes for students in the District while parents and families will learn new strategies for supporting their child in preparing for college and careers. For additional information or to receive updates, please visit: http://bit.ly/17SZnzQ

Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Charles Sumner School Open House

The Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives is hosting an Open House on Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tour the exciting exhibits celebrating the history and pride of DCPS. There will be special activities for all ages.  For more information, call 202-730-0478 or email [email protected].

Save the Date: March 31 - State of the District Address

Please join Mayor Muriel Bowser for her first State of the District Address. The Address will lay out where we stand on creating a fresh start, highlight our commitment to engagement and integrity and establish how we will create a pathway to the middle class.  It is time to work together to ensure that opportunity is available to all of our residents.

Join Mayor Bowser at the historic Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday, March 31st.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the program starts at 6:30 p.m. RSVP HERE.