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| Funding Opportunities | Events |
District Highlights
- District of Columbia’s ESEA Waiver Extension and Plans Moving Forward
- My School DC EdFEST
- Save the Date: 5th Annual Postsecondary & Career Education Conference
Important Dates and Deadlines to Remember
Dates
- 11/10: Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) System Training- (Registration Email)
- 11/13: Serving Students in Transitory Housing: School Access and Stability Webinar
- 11/14: Joining the Professional Development Register- Licensing Requirement
- 11/20: November OSSE LEA Data Meeting (Registration Contact)
- 11/22: My School DC EdFEST (DC Citywide Public School Fair)
- 12/15: Annual Special Education Parent Survey Closes
Deadlines
- 11/12: Restorative Practices: Building a Culture of Connection and Accountability (Completed Application)
- 12/15: DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR) Title 5-E, Chapter 30: Special Education Review Schedule (Submission of Topic Survey)
Announcements
New
Health and Physical Education Curricula and Resources Library
By Appointment Only! Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm
The Health Education Team (HET) provides free access to its Health and Physical Education Curricula and Resource Library for educators and residents in the District of Columbia.
Complete the form to schedule an appointment for viewing any of the available curricula.
Please note that materials cannot be taken out of the office or photocopied. The materials must be used on-site.
The Health Education Team has identified over 80 different health and physical education curricula for public viewing. A list of the curricula at the library is available on the form.
District residents, teachers, DC educators, school personnel, government employees, parents/guardians, professionals who work on health education and school health, community based organizations who work with schools in DC, and/or early child-care staff can utilize the curricula and resource library.
Location: OSSE, 810 First Street NE, Washington DC 20002
Room: 4th Floor (near cubicle 4008A)
Nearest Metro: Union Station
For questions and inquiries, please contact the Health Education Team.
Health and Physical Education Technical Assistance Request Form Available
The Health Education Team at OSSE is available to provide schools with Technical Assistance in Health and Physical Education Programming and Health Services.
Interested schools should complete the Technical Assistance Request Forms below:
Technical Assistance for HIV/STI Prevention
Technical Assistance for Physical Activity and Physical Education
For questions and inquiries, please contact the Health Education Team.
DC Municipal Regulations Title 5-E, Chapter 30: Special Education Review Schedule
In Spring 2014, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) initiated a review of Title 5-E, Chapter 30 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), the local regulation that governs special education practice in DC, with the intention of revising identified key components. In addition, input from the process will be used to inform the development of a new five-year strategic State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) for Special Education.
As part of the regulatory review process, the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education (ESSE) has released surveys and held topic-specific focus groups on key content area “clusters” to inform the work:
- Transfer of Educational Rights
- Child Find, Evaluation, & Eligibility Determination
- Specialized Instruction & Caseload/Class Size
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) & Discipline Procedural Safeguards
- Graduation Pathways, Secondary Transition, & IEP Certificate of Completion
A high-level overview of the initiative’s calendar of events and the OSSE content area review process can be found at: DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR) Title 5-E, Chapter 30: Special Education Review Schedule.
The fifth and final content area, Graduation Pathways, Secondary Transition, & IEP Certificate of Completion, is being reviewed in December 2014.
ESSE has developed a topic-specific survey that is open to all stakeholders. The deadline for submission of this topic survey is Monday, December 15, 2014.
A LEA focus group is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 8, 2014. A parent/community focus group for this topic area will take place on Thursday, December 11, 2014. RSVP for the parent/community focus group.
Focus group details and reminders will be posted on the OSSE website and in the LEA Look Forward. For more information, contact Jamille Peters, policy analyst.
2015 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) Nominations
Nominations for the 2015 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are now open. Principals, teachers, students, parents, and the public may nominate exceptional math or science teachers who are currently teaching grades 7–12. Teachers may also self-nominate. The President bestows up to 108 awards each year. Since the program’s inception in 1983, over 4,300 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.
OSSE Releases its Annual Special Education Parent Survey
OSSE is pleased to release its Annual Special Education Parent Survey which began October 31, 2014 and closes December 15, 2014. The survey is available electronically and should be completed by parents of children who received special education and related services during School Year 2013-2014. Hard copies of the survey will also be mailed to the households of families. Parent responses are confidential and will guide the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education’s efforts to improve services and results for children and families.
OSSE is requesting the assistance of local education agencies to disseminate the survey. If OSSE receives enough responses to the survey based on an individual LEA, a report summarizing the survey results will be provided.
Additional information regarding the survey timelines and guidance are available on OSSE’s website.
For questions or inquiries for the survey, please contact Ms. Desirée Brown, special projects manager, Community and Parent Relations or call (202) 478-5896.
Funding Opportunities
New
District of Columbia Personal Responsibility Education Program (DC-PREP)
OSSE is soliciting applications to implement the DC Personal Responsibility Education Program (DC-PREP). The purpose of DC-PREP is to expand the use of an evidence-based or promising program that will be medically-accurate, complete, and age-appropriate, designed to educate adolescents on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and at least three adulthood preparation subjects.
Grantees will be required to implement one of the three approved evidence-based or promising programs while incorporating at least three adulthood preparation subjects; attend mandatory grantee trainings and meetings; complete referral processes for program participants; complete financial, performance, monitoring, and evaluation forms; and provide reproductive health related workshops.
OSSE has approved the following evidence-based programs for funding:
- Sisters Informing, Healing, Living, and Empowering (SiHLE)
- Project Adult Identity Mentoring (AIM)
- A promising intervention that is currently not on the HHS 28 program model list. This intervention must pass the District’s systematic review and be approved by OSSE.
Eligibility: OSSE will accept applications from non-profit entities in DC having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All applicants must submit evidence of being a legally-authorized entity (501(c)(3) determination letter) and any correspondence or other communication received from the IRS within three years before submission of the application that relates to the applicant’s tax status.
Length of Awards: Awards will be made available annually until fiscal year 2016, pending funding availability and the grantee’s satisfactory implementation of the proposed program.
Available Funding for Awards: The total amount available for this award period is $20,000 each year.
Anticipated Number of Awards: OSSE anticipates funding one (1) non-profit organization in the amount of $20,000 annually. The Request for Applications (RFA) was released on Friday, October 24, 2014, and the deadline for submission is Monday, November 24, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time). All applications will be recorded upon receipt. The RFA will be available on the OSSE’s website, grants.osse.dc.gov, and/or by contacting the Health Education Team at [email protected] or (202) 442-3268.
Pre-Application Conference Call and Question Period
To ensure an equal opportunity for all applicants, OSSE requests all applicants to submit questions regarding the RFA electronically to [email protected] by Friday, October 31, 2014 at 5 p.m. Questions submitted after this deadline date will not receive responses. Please label the subject line as “DC-PREP Questions Submission”. Answers to questions submitted will be made available through email on Monday, November 17, 2014.
Pre-Application Conference Call: Wednesday, November 12, 2014
The conference call and access code will be made available to organizations that RSVP.
Applicants interested in attending the Pre-Application Conference Call should RSVP to [email protected] with “DC-PREP Pre-Application RSVP” in the subject line.
Please provide the following information in the body of the email:
- Name of applicant organization
- Organization Representative
- Mailing address
- Telephone and fax number
- Email address
For additional information regarding this notice, please contact Ms. Latonia Coryatt, MPH, CHES, Health Education Specialist via email.
Professional Development
New
Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) System Training
OSSE Office of Data Assessment Accountability & Research will host a Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) System training for new SLED users.
Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
Time: 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Location: 1331 F Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC
To register, email [email protected]
School Wellness Team Training
The Healthy Schools Act Initiatives Team of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education is hosting a FREE School Wellness Team Training for schools participating in the CDC School-Based HIV/STD Prevention and School-Based Physical Education & Physical Activity Grant. Action for Healthy Kids® will speak to schools about establishing and/or working with existing wellness teams/councils. Action for Healthy Kids® fights childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places so kids can live healthier lives. They will walk schools through setting up wellness teams to hosting meetings to creating action plans. The team will also show schools how to utilize the team to review and update their policies. Additionally, OSSE will give away a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky participant!
The training will occur on Monday, November 10, 2014 and Wednesday, November 12, 2014 from 4 p.m.–6 p.m. both days, to accommodate teaching schedules, in Room 806 A/B at OSSE.
Register here for the training. If you have any questions, please contact Nichelle L. Johnson, Health and Wellness Specialist or call (202) 481-3753.
Serving Students in Transitory Housing: School Access and Stability
A National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) webinar, which serves as Part 1 in a 2-part webinar series, it provides an overview of important foundational concepts outlined in the McKinney-Vento Act. Specifically, the webinar will explore:
- The role of the local homeless education liaison
- Determining eligibility for McKinney-Vento rights and services
- A homeless student's right to school selection
- The immediate school enrollment of homeless students
- The provision of school of origin and comparable transportation
- The resolution of disputes
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with presenters and fellow attendees through interactive polls and discussion periods.
Presenters: NCHE Staff
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2014
Time: 2 p.m.–3 p.m.
Location: OSSE 810 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Joining the Professional Development Registry
Come learn about the benefits of having an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) account in the DC Professional Development Registry (PDR). Through this training, you will create your own PDR account, learn how to upload, input, and store vital information in your ECE account, and even begin to create your own professional resume generated by the PDR system.
Date: Friday, November 14 & 21, 2014
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: OSSE 810 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Room: 3rd Floor, CIO Computer Lab
Details: Units/Clock Hours: 2 Professional Learning Units
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): OSSE
Audience: Infant, Toddler, Pre-k, Teachers, Administrators
Intentional Lesson Planning
In this session, teachers, directors and administrators will take a deeper look at the components of quality lesson plans. This session will be interactive and the participants will leave with a working document to use in their own practice.
Alignment: DC Common Core Early Learning Standards
Date: Friday, November 14, 2014
Time: 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Location: 810 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Building: OSSE
Room: 3rd Floor Grand Hall, Side A
Details: Units/Clock Hours: 2 Professional Learning Units/ clock hours
Cost: Free
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training
Details: 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.
Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
Time: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: 810 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Building: OSSE
Room: 3rd Floor, Grand Hall
For questions and inquiries, please email [email protected] or call (202) 724-7878
Serving Students in Transitory Housing: Support for School Success and Special Population
A National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) Webinar, which serves as Part 2 in a 2-part Webinar series, NCHE staff members provide an overview of important foundational concepts outlined in the McKinney-Vento Act and related federal laws. Specifically, the Webinar will explore:
Support for school success available to homeless children and youth through federal programs other than the McKinney-Vento Act, including:
- Title I, Part A
- Special Education under IDEA
- School meals under the Child Nutrition Act, and
Support for special populations under the McKinney-Vento Act, including:
- Young homeless children
- Unaccompanied homeless youth
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with presenters and fellow attendees through interactive polls and discussion periods.
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Time: 2 p.m.–3 p.m.
Presenters: NCHE Staff
LEA Special Education Point of Contact (LEA SE POC) Monthly Support Webinar
OSSE hosts a monthly webinar support series for all LEA Special Education Point of Contacts (formerly called LEA Data Administrators). This webinar series takes place on the third Wednesday of every month from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. 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
All LEA SE POCs should plan to attend and participate in these monthly webinars. All webinars are recorded and archived.
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Time: 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
Fostering a Competence in the Approach to Children with Developmental Delays and Identified Disabilities: Part I
This interactive session begins with an overview of the national laws, resources, and local systems that exist to support early childhood professionals and families with young children experiencing suspected developmental delays and identified disabilities. Programs experience daily challenges when diverse abilities and disabilities are represented in their center-based and family child care homes. The discussion will include solutions to enhancing quality and family-centered care, transition planning, and inclusive early education. Participants are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch. Please Note: Registering for both Part I and Part II, scheduled for December 17, 2014, is highly recommended.
Alignment: Licensing Requirement
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Time: 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: 810 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Building: OSSE
Room: 3rd Floor Grand Hall, Side A
Details: Units/Clock Hours: 3 Professional Learning Units
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): OSSE
Audience: Owners, Directors, Administrators
Ready to Learn
Learn how to use educational television content to bolster literacy education in the classroom. This workshop will introduce participants to at least 6-12 new children’s books and at the end of the workshop participants select a new children’s book to keep.
Alignment: DC CCELS
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014
Time: 1 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Location: 810 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Building: OSSE
Room: 8th Floor, Room 806B
Details: Units/Clock Hours: 2 Professional Learning Units
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): WETA Kids and OSSE
Audience: Teachers, Administrators, Before/After Care, Out-of- School Time
For questions and inquiries, contact Diane Mason
Field Trip Fridays: National Air and Space Museum
Join fellow early childhood educators as we embark on cultural and educational journeys through DC. Be inspired by the local sights and sounds and learn how to incorporate the DC Common Core Early Learning Standards in field experiences with young children! Sign-up for one day and receive 7 Professional Learning Units and lunch.
Offerings include periods of moderate walking and standing (unless otherwise noted).
Date: Friday, November 21, 2014
Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Location: 600 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20560
Building: National Air and Space Museum
For more information contact by email Dana Caffee-Glenn.
Healthy Schools Act School Health Profile Informational Webinar
This webinar is for principals, data managers, or other school staff that will complete the Healthy Schools Act School Health Profile due February 16, 2015. The webinar will will go over the login process, requesting access for new users, how to navigate through the application, and how to answer certain questions.
Date: Friday, November 21, 2014
Time: 3 p.m.–4 p.m.
Location: Online Webinar
Agency: OSSE
For questions and inquiries please contact Grace Friedberger or call (202) 727-3467
PARCC Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners Webinar Training
OSSE is hosting a series of one-hour webinar broadcasts on PARCC Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners. The webinar series will cover:
- PARCC accessibility features versus PARCC accommodations
- OSSE resources to assist LEAs in selecting PARCC accommodations for students with disabilities
- The documentation of PARCC accommodations for students with disabilities in SEDS
- OSSE resources to assist LEAs in selecting PARCC accommodations for English Language Learners
- Read aloud accommodations
- Personal Needs Profiles (PNP) for students
- Paper-based assessments
- Other PARCC accommodations information as it becomes available
The first webinar was broadcast on October 29, 2014. View the video recording and access a copy of the presentation.
The second webinar will be broadcast on December 3, 2014.
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Time: 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
For questions about the training, please contact: [email protected]
For questions about the PARCC assessment, please contact: [email protected]
PARCC 101
This training has been cancelled, but a new date is pending. For questions and inquiries contact Heidi Beeman.
Getting PBIS Started
Interested in getting School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) started at your school? Or do you need a refresher in order to strengthen your PBIS systems? Participants will learn about the essential features of PBIS and receive guidance on effective practices needed for successful implementation. Schools are encouraged to attend in teams (i.e. administrator, dean, social worker, grade level teacher representatives, PBIS coordinator) to review current universal practices, analyze their own data, and develop an action plan that outlines next steps, roles, and responsibilities of team members.
Presenter: OSSE
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2014
Time: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: OSSE, 810 First Street, NE, Room 806 A-B
Registration: Getting PBIS Started
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS): Implementing Tier 2 Targeted Supports
When implementing school-wide PBIS, some students may need additional supports from classroom to small groups to help them be successful. This session will review how features of effective tier 2 interventions, including an overview of Check-in Check-out (CICO) for targeted groups and simple behavior support plans for individual students.
Participants are encouraged to bring their school behavior data for analysis and planning purposes.
Presenter: OSSE
Date: Monday, December 15, 2014
Time: 8:30a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: 810 First Street, NE, Room 806 A-B
Registration: PBIS: Tier 2 Interventions
Special Education Initial and Re-evaluation Compliance Technical Assistance Webinar
OSSE is pleased to announce its provision of technical assistance around initial evaluation and re-evaluation. Although we have demonstrated progress in our compliance rates, we need to continue to work together to reach our goal of 100% timely evaluation and 0% untimely. To support this goal, OSSE has worked closely with several LEAs to develop a new report that is designed to help LEAs identify process challenges. OSSE is also providing technical assistance around the use of this new report.
Please join OSSE DSE for the webinar on:
Date: December 4, 2014
Time: 11:30am-12:30pm
Events
New
Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant Competition Pre-Application Conference
Pre-Application conference for the Mathematics and Science Grant competition. Participants will be provided an overview of the Request for Application process through the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). Other aspects will include eligibility requirements, program priorities, scoring and funding timelines.
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Time: 2 p.m.–4 p.m.
Location: OSSE, 810 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Room: 3rd Floor, Grand Hall Side A
For questions and inquiries, contact Valida Walker or call (202) 741-6420
Restorative Practices: Building a Culture of Connection and Accountability
This school year the OSSE Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Specialized Education, in partnership with Community Conferencing Center, will host a professional development opportunity for LEAs on building a positive school climate through Restorative Practices and Positive Behavior Supports. This opportunity will focus on using practices that build safe and effective learning environments through positive relationships, connections, and accountability. The format of this training will consist of two all-day kick-off trainings and six follow-up sessions. In addition, LEA teams will be brought together monthly as a state Community of Practice (CoP) to develop skills, discuss challenges, share best practices, and offer support to one another.
OSSE is looking for five school teams, consisting of 3–4 members, to be part of the Community of Practice participate in this opportunity. The kick-off training for selected schools will be hosted at The Charles Sumner School on November 18–19, 2014, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. For more detailed information about requirements and the application process, please review and complete the application no later than close of business on November 12, 2014.
Please submit applications via email to: [email protected] with subject line:
“Application submission Restorative Practices”
If you have questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Jessica Dulay, positive behavior supports specialist, or call (202) 741-7669.
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Date: 9a.m.–3:30p.m.
Location: 1201 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Building: Charles Sumner School
Room: First Floor, Cook Conference Room
My School DC EdFest (DC Citywide Public School Fair)
Come to EdFEST and explore the city’s many public school options (PK3-12) for your child. Representatives from more than 150 DC public schools (DCPS) and DC public charter schools will showcase their programs. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions about school and related services and programs, including special education and services for English Language Learners (ELLs), and to be introduced to the culture of a school by those who know first-hand. EdFEST also will have recreational activities for all so bring the whole family.
With the launch of the My School DC application on December 15, 2014, EdFEST is a timely event to help you make informed school selections for the School Year 2015-2016 common lottery. Admission is free.
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2014
Time: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Location: DC Armory, 2001 East Capitol St SE Washington, DC 20003
Transportation:
Metro Station: Stadium – Armory (Orange / Blue / Silver lines)
Metro Bus: B2, D6, E32, 96, 97
Onsite parking available
*Sign language and in-language interpretation (Spanish, Amharic, Mandarin, Vietnamese, French) available throughout the day.
For more information regarding the fair, visit the official My School DC EdFest page.
