Below you will find a curated list of resources to support local education agencies (LEAs) in implementing the 2021-22 Guiding Principles for Continuous Education. These resources include Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) guidance and support documents, specific upcoming point-in-time trainings, as well as a select number of carefully curated external resources. 

General Supports

Upcoming Webinars

Meeting Name or Topic​	Date and Time​	Registration and Recording Links
ESSER II-CRRSA Funding Webinar	Recorded on May 20	View the Recording Here
CEP Overview Webinar	Recorded on May 20	View the Recording Here
Health and Safety Plans Webinar​	Recorded on May 21	View the Recording Here
Tutoring to Accelerate Learning	Recorded on May 24	View the Recording Here
Learning Acceleration & Defining Your Goals	Recorded on May 27	View Session Resources Here
Authentically Engaging Caregivers	Recorded on June 3	View Session Resources Here
English Learners and the Continuous Education Guiding Principles and LEA Plans	Recorded on June 1	View the Recording Here
Diagnosing the Current State & Assessing Unfinished Learning	Thursday, June 10, 4-5 p.m.	Register Here
Acceleration for MLL and Students with Disabilities - Anatomy of Just-in-Time Scaffolds to Support ALL Learners	Thursday, June 17, 4-5 p.m.	Register Here
Using Data to Develop High-Quality IEPs (live webinars + asynchronous modules)	Tuesday, June 22, 10-11 a.m.	Register Here
Understanding Learner Variability	Tuesday, June 22, 10-11:30 a.m. or Wednesday, June 23, 3-4:30 p.m.	Register Here for June 22 Register Here for June 23
Learning Acceleration: Success Criteria for Reading and Writing	Thursday, June 24, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.	Register Here
Prioritizing Content to Accelerate Learning	Tuesday, July 13, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.	Register Here View the June 3 Recording Here (Special CEP-related session)
Rebounding Learning Visibly: Design Classroom Experiences that Accelerate Student Learning	July 27-29, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.	Register Here

 

Recordings of the above sessions will be posted on this page once they become available.

OSSE Supports

• Sign Up for OSSE Supports: Link to form to access OSSE-funded opportunities for LEAs and schools to support safe reopening, staff and student well-being, and accelerated learning.
• Consultative Supports for Continuous Education Plans: OSSE is partnering with TNTP to provide consultative services, including activities that support LEA leadership in the development of their Continuous Education Plans (CEPs). LEA leaders can receive consultation hours with TNTP for activities such as CEP brainstorming, leadership team support, and/or CEP draft plan review and feedback. Use this online form to indicate potential interest in accessing this support.

External Supports

• EdResearch for Recovery: Series of briefs on evidence-based strategies for schools on recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funding Supports

OSSE Contact: Linda Sun, Director of Federal Programs and Strategic Funding, OSSE.ESSER@dc.gov

Policies and Timelines

• OSSE’s Recovery Funding Website: ESSER recovery funding details, such as application timelines, grant requirements, allocations and allowable uses.

OSSE Supports

• ESSER Funding Strategy Guide: Connects CEP categories with ESSER spending priorities, so LEAs can budget their funding to support recovery efforts.

SY2020-21 Assessment Data Collection

OSSE Contact: Danielle Branson, Director of Assessments, OSSE.Assessment@dc.gov

• Please reference section 3.2, Assessments, below for guidance.

Priority One: Safe Reopening

1.A: Physical Health and Safety (Health and Safety Plans)

OSSE Contact: David Esquith, Director of Policy, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Health and Wellness Division, David.Esquith@dc.gov

Regulations and Policies

• COVID-19 Health Guidance: The most recent DC Health guidance and corresponding resources.
• CDC: Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) K-12 operational strategy presents a pathway for schools to provide in-person instruction safely through consistent use of prevention strategies, including universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.
• US Department of Education (USED): ED COVID-19 HANDBOOK Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools: First volume in the USED COVID-19 Handbook, a series intended to support the education community as schools reopen.

OSSE Guidance

• Health and Safety Guidance for Schools: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Recovery Period: All of OSSE’s COVID-19 guidance and resources for schools.

OSSE Supports

• Outdoor Learning Resources: Resources to support the establishment or enhancement of outdoor learning on school grounds for schools and for teaching outdoors.
• School Health and Safety Resources: Links and a brief description of resources that may support the implementation of the Health and Safety Guidance for Schools.
• Coming Soon: Consultative services to support improved indoor air quality.

1.B: Support Across Learning Environments

OSSE Contact: Justin Tooley, Deputy Chief of Staff, Justin.Tooley@dc.gov

OSSE Guidance

• COVID-19 Medical Consent & Certification for Distance Learning: Form to be completed by a student’s parent/guardian and licensed physician or nurse practitioner. 
  • Español | Amharic (አማርኛ) | French (Français) | Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Korean (한국어) | Chinese (中文)
• COVID-19 Medical Consent & Certification for Distance Learning: Frequently Asked Questions for LEAs and Schools 
• COVID-19 Medical Consent & Certification for Distance Learning: Frequently Asked Questions for Families
  • Español | Amharic (አማርኛ) | French (Français) | Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Korean (한국어) | Chinese (中文)

2.A: Whole Child Supports

Student Mental and Behavioral Health

OSSE Contact: Claudia Price, Mental Health Program Coordinator, osse.hydt@dc.gov

OSSE Guidance

• School Mental Health Guidelines: Guidance to assist LEAs and schools in developing and adopting policies and procedures for handling aspects of mental and behavioral health for students, to include suicide prevention, intervention and post-intervention.

OSSE Supports

• School Behavioral Health Universal Support Planning (password: Expansion20): This on-demand webinar discusses critical school behavioral health topics that support the whole school community, to include multi-tiered supports, effective direct service referral pathways, and crisis prevention and intervention.
• School Culture and Climate Planning Matrix: Checklist and resources to support LEAs and schools with phased planning and implementation of policies, practices, and activities that support positive school climate, safe and supportive environments, and social-emotional learning.
• Supporting Mental Health in Schools: Resources to include on-demand and live professional development opportunities, mental health curriculum and supports for parents, caregivers and families.
• Data to Action: Addressing Youth Risk Behavior Through Health Education: This guide elevates data trends from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and provides planning and curriculum resources to support schools with integrating critical health and safety concepts into learning plans.

Behavior and Discipline Supports

OSSE Contact: Nakanya Magby, School Climate and Culture Specialist, Nakanya.Magby@dc.gov

OSSE Supports

• School Climate and Culture Resource Page: Resources to include toolkits, best practices and asynchronous trainings to support LEA’s with utilizing a tiered approach for positive disciplinary supports.
• Professional Development Opportunities: Upcoming professional development opportunities focusing on proactive discipline supports to include trauma-informed approaches, social emotional learning, restorative justice, equity and multi-tiered systems of support.

Food Access and Nutrition

OSSE Contact: Elizabeth Leach, Nutrition Programs Manager, Elizabeth.Leach@dc.gov

OSSE Guidance

• Coming Soon: Meal Policy Guidance for the 2021-22 School Year: Guidance for School Food Authorities (SFAs) to serve meals through the Child Nutrition Programs, encompassing federal United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DC Healthy Schools Act (HSA) policy.
• OSSE and USDA Nutrition Guidance: The latest guidance from both agencies regarding school food service.

OSSE Supports

• Coming Soon: NSLP Annual Training and Summer Workshop Series: Virtual training and workshops to provide guidance for School Food Authorities (SFAs) to serve meals through the Child Nutrition Programs, encompassing federal United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DC Healthy Schools Act (HSA) policy.
• School Nutrition Programs Formal Solicitations Self-Guided Training (March 2021): This self-guided training includes a recommended timeline and checklist, instructions on how to customize each solicitation template, and all resources and tools.
• Meal Service for Students Engaged in Distance Learning (August 2020): Webinar with policy guidance, best practices, and questions and answers for how to serve meals to students in a distance learning environment. This webinar may not have the most up-to-date health and safety guidance, so please reference in concert with OSSE’s Health and Safety Guidance for Schools.
• Eating Meals in the Classroom (July 2020): Webinar with policy guidance, best practices, and questions and answers for how to serve meals in the classroom. This webinar may not have the most up-to-date health and safety guidance, so please reference in concert with OSSE’s Health and Safety Guidance for Schools.
• Breakfast Resource Guide (January 2020): Toolkit detailing best practices for a variety of breakfast alternative serving models and strategies to increase breakfast participation.

2.B: Educator Wellness

OSSE Contact: Jessica Duncan, School Behavioral Health Outreach Specialist, osse.hydt@dc.gov

OSSE Guidance

• Educator Wellness: A Whole School Approach to Improve Staff Stress and Retention and Student Achievement: This one-pager will provide an overview of OSSE’s approach to educator wellness by providing schools with a broader definition of educator wellness, the main sources of stress impacting educator wellness, and a tiered intervention model to follow when developing school-based educator wellness programs.

OSSE Supports

• Educator Wellness Institute is a multi-module training to provide schools with knowledge on the underlying causes of teacher stress, a tiered intervention approach to educator wellness program to support schools in a broader and more effective program, and a step-by-step process to develop an educator wellness program for their school.
• School Climate and Culture Resource Website: Visit this page for educator wellness resources related to trauma-informed approaches and social emotional learning.
• Teaching and Learning Professional Development Opportunities: Visit this page to find professional development opportunities focused on school climate, trauma-informed supports, social emotional learning (SEL), and mindfulness and well-being.

2.C: Family Engagement

OSSE Contact: Kathryn Lynch-Morin, Deputy Director of Communications, Kathryn.Lynch-Morin@dc.gov

OSSE Supports

• Tools for Engaging Families: LEAs can use these tools with families to foster discussion and collaboration on understanding school programs and policies, student progress, how to respond effectively to students’ problems, and how to improve communication with schools and community members. Family tools can also be downloaded in Spanish. Amharic, French, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese.

External Resources

• Strategies to Engage Unreached Families During COVID-19 (Flamboyan Foundation): Strategies to engage any families that have not been reached through previous outreach efforts.
• Ongoing Communication Reflection Tool (Flamboyan Foundation): Designed for any educator that has direct access to students and their families, this tool is a powerful way to reflect on your individual practice of building trusting relationships and meaningful partnerships with families through ongoing communication.
• Beginning of the Year Relationship Building Toolkit (Flamboyan Foundation): Designed for educators and school, district and LEA leaders, this tool gives insight into building intentional, thoughtful relationships at the beginning of the year, ensuring students have what they need for success — whether they are entering school for the first time, transitioning to a new grade, or navigating distance learning during a pandemic.

2.D: Attendance and Re-Engagement

Attendance

• Coming Soon: Attendance Guidance for the 2021-22 School Year: Updated guidance on taking attendance, including for distance learning.

Re-Engagement

OSSE Contact: Veronica Simmons, Director of the DC Re-Engagement Center, Veronica.Simmons@dc.gov

3.A: Clear Goals and High Expectations

Assessments

OSSE Contact: Danielle Branson, Director of Assessments, OSSE.Assessment@dc.gov

Regulations and Policies

• USED Statewide Assessment and Accountability Waiver for SY2020-21 (April 2021)

OSSE Guidance

• OSSE State Assessment Guidance: Central page for guidance on assessment administration, including formative assessments.

3.B: Intentional Strategies for Accelerating Learning

Accelerated Learning

OSSE Contacts:

• Lauren Allen, STEM Specialist, Lauren.Allen@dc.gov
• Tanaga Rodgers, Math Specialist, Tanaga.Rodgers@dc.gov
• Ashleigh Tillman, English Language Arts Specialist, Ashleigh.Tillman@dc.gov

Regulations and Policies

• Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics: The District’s instructional standards for math and English language arts (ELA).
• Next Generation Science Standards: The District’s instructional standards for science.
• Social Studies Standards: The District’s instructional standards for social studies.

OSSE Guidance

• High-Dosage Tutoring Guidance (March 2021): Overview of features of high-quality, high-dosage tutoring programs and how to implement this intervention at your LEA or school.

OSSE Supports

• Consultative Supports for Continuous Education Plans: OSSE is partnering with TNTP to provide consultative services, including activities that support LEA leadership in the development of their Continuous Education Plans (CEPs). LEA leaders can receive consultation hours with TNTP for activities such as CEP brainstorming, leadership team support, and/or CEP draft plan review and feedback. Use this online form to indicate potential interest in accessing this support.
• Zearn Math: High-quality digital math curriculum and intervention program that can be used to accelerate student learning in grades K-8, including school-level subscriptions paid for by OSSE. Please click here to express interest in this program for fall 2021 at any time.
• Prioritize Content to Accelerate Learning: Support session designed for LEA, school and instructional leaders as they plan accelerated learning opportunities as a result of COVID-19. The session is 90 minutes and is led by OSSE content specialists. View the June 3 session or here for the July 13 session.
• Selecting and Implementing High-Quality Curricula and Instructional Materials: Using high-quality instructional materials, including those with a strong evidence base, is a key part of any learning acceleration plan. EdReports.org will offer two types of support to LEAs: 1) a workshop series focused on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current English language arts (ELA) instructional materials and what makes materials truly “high quality,” and 2) direct support and technical assistance to LEAs who are ready to start, or are in the midst of, adopting new ELA instructional materials. Please click here to express interest in this program.
• Additional Professional Learning Opportunities: The OSSE Teaching and Learning (TAL) team offers a variety of virtual professional learning opportunities focused on learning acceleration, across all content areas. View the 2021 Summer Professional Learning Catalog for course descriptions and visit the OSSE Training Registration Portal for session dates and registration links.

External Supports

• Learning Acceleration Guide (TNTP): Guidance for LEAs on prioritizing grade-appropriate assignments and strong instruction for accelerated learning.

Credit Attainment, Recovery and Postsecondary Transitions

OSSE Contact: Christina Beal, Director of College and Career Readiness, Christina.Beal@dc.gov

OSSE Guidance

• OSSE Guidance on Credit Recovery (September 2018): Guidance on the credit recovery options LEAs may offer for students.

3.C: Special Populations

Special Education

OSSE Contacts:

• IDEA Part B Policy Team, OSSE.DSEpolicy@dc.gov
• Jennifer Carpenter, Professional Learning Specialist, Jennifer.Carpenter@dc.gov

Regulations and Policies

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B regulations: Federal law governing special education services
• USED Q&A on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak (March 2020): Guidance issued by the US Department of Education addressing the delivery of FAPE to students with disabilities during the public emergency.
• USED Supplemental Fact Sheet Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities (March 2020): Additional guidance issued by the US Department of Education updating and clarifying previously issued March 2020 guidance on the delivery of FAPE to students with disabilities during the public emergency.
• OSSE policies on the implementation of IDEA and local special education requirements: OSSE, as the state education agency (SEA) for the District of Columbia issues policies on expectations for LEA implementation of the IDEA Part B regulations.

OSSE Guidance

• OSSE IDEA, Part B Provision of FAPE: Guidance Related to Remote and Blended Learning (updated June 14, 2021): Now with additional information on OSSE expectations for LEA recovery planning, including accelerated learning.

OSSE Supports

• LEA Toolkit: Serving Students with Disabilities in Remote and Blended Learning: Foundational guidance and concrete, actionable resources for LEAs as they establish and implement policies and procedures for distance and/or hybrid learning contexts that are consistent with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements. Within the toolkit, users will find the Sample Student Data Tool and User Guide, a recommended tool for centralizing and visualizing key student data and communications, as well as more than a dozen accompanying tools that can be customized to collect essential input from students, families and educators who serve them to inform recovery services.
• Serving Students with Disabilities During Periods of Remote and Blended Learning Webinar: An overview of the three core principles, with drill-down sessions linked below, for serving students with disabilities during times of distance and hybrid learning that are contained in the toolkit above. This webinar recording also highlights resources and sample forms that LEAs can adapt.
  • Part One: Balancing LEA Discretion and Flexibility Webinar
  • Part Two: Ensuring Transparency and Collaboration Webinar
  • Part Three: Data-driven Supports Webinar
• Online Course: Using Data to Develop High-quality IEPs is an online course comprised of four modules with assignments, each focusing on a different aspect of the IEP development process. This online professional learning series is focused on building special educators’ capacity to develop high-quality IEPs. Through engagement in this series, participants will learn and understand legal requirements pertaining to IEP development and provision of special education services and how to use data to develop individualized, impactful and actionable IEPs. This course is offered three times per year: summer, fall, and spring. Educators can register using the OSSE Training Registration Application.
• Online Course: Using High-leverage Practices to Improve Outcomes for ALL Students is an online course comprised of four online modules, each focusing on a different domain of evidence-based, high-leverage practices that correlate with improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for all learners, regardless of disability status. Modules provide actionable tools and resources to support the implementation of high-leverage practice four domains:  collaboration, assessment, social-emotional learning and instruction. This course is offered three times per year: summer, fall and spring. Educators can register using the OSSE Training Registration Application. Additional resources related to high-leverage practices can be found on OSSE’s High-Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms Resource Page.
• Introduction to Learner Variability: Training series designed to build educator capacity to implement instructional practices to support recovery for all learners. The series will support educators to develop an understanding of the research on learner variability and its impact on teaching and learning, deepen their understanding of learner factors and strategies to design learning experiences that maximize learner variability and integrate learner variability practices into daily lessons and planning processes. Participants will attend one of two live welcome webinars from 10-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22, or 3-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23, followed by four asynchronous modules and a live closing session.

English Learners

OSSE Contact: Dr. Jennifer Norton, Manager of English Learner Supports, Jennifer.Norton@dc.gov

Regulations and Policies

• English Learner Policy and Programs: Collection of key OSSE policy and program guidance related to English learners.
• US Department of Education Fact Sheet on Providing Services to English Learners During the COVID-19 Outbreak (May 2020) and Fact Sheet Addendum (January 2021): Federal guidance on requirements for serving English learners during the public health emergency
• District Municipal Regulations 5-E3101: State regulations on identifying and serving students who are English learners
• OSSE State EL Policies and Procedures (May 2021): The District’s state policies and procedures guide for serving English learners
• USED and USDOJ 2015 Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents (January 2015): Federal guidance outline state and LEA responsibilities under civil rights and educational law to serve students who are English learners and parents who are not proficient in English

OSSE Guidance

• English Learner Identification in the 2021-22 School Year: Guidance on EL identification procedure and resolving provisional EL and provisional not EL statuses in the 2021-22 school year
• Serving English Learners During Distance Learning FAQ (June 2020): Guidance on LEA responsibilities under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), other federal laws related to ELs, District Municipal Regulations 5-E3101, the DC Language Access Act and state EL policies and procedures.

OSSE Supports

• LEA English Learner Program Improvement Strategies for the 2021-22 School Year: Actionable, assets-driven strategies, tools and resources to help LEAs take action to accelerate learning for English learners as valued members of the school community. 
• Strategies to Support English Learners During Learning at Home (April 2020): Strategies to support language access and student attendance during distance learning
• WIDA MODEL Online English Proficiency Benchmark Assessment for LEAs: WIDA MODEL Online is a WIDA-aligned interim/benchmark English language proficiency assessment for English learners in grades 1-12. OSSE recommends administering WIDA MODEL at the beginning of the 2012-22 school year for grades 1-12 English learner students who were not able to take ACCESS in spring 2021. More details and registration information are found in this form. To register for access to WIDA MODEL Online, LEAs will need to provide the approximate number of tests needed and the LEA point of contact for WIDA MODEL administration by completing this form by Friday, June 25, 2021.
• English Learners and the Continuous Education Guiding Principles and LEA Plans (June 1, 2021): This session will provide an overview of the updated continuous education guiding principles and LEA plan application with regard to English learners specifically. Register here
• The Principles of Evaluating Your LEA’s English Learner Program (June 30 - July 28, 2021): This multi-session training is grounded in research-based content to assist LEAs in complying with Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which provides that LEAs regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their English learner (EL) program. Participation is limited to no more than six LEA teams. Teams must include, at a minimum, a school administrator, an LEA EL coordinator, and a data manager. Coaching sessions will be scheduled at the beginning of the series and will conclude the week of Aug. 2, 2021. Register here (for the first session)
• LEA Implementation of the WIDA ELD Standards, 2020 edition: This session provides support for LEAs’ rollout and implementation of the 2020 edition of the WIDA English language development (ELD) Standards.