Data Connectivity | Data Troubleshooting | Duplicative Enrollment | Early Access Applications | Enrollment Audit | Nutrition Programs | Title Funding | Transportation

Data Connectivity

• 2019-20 Data Manager Checklist: A comprehensive list of tasks Data Managers need to complete for the end of the 2018-19 school year and start of the 2019-20 school year, including preparing for a successful switchover.
• 2019-20 OSSE LEA Data Collection Letter [PDF]: A letter from the Assistant Superintendent of Data, Assessment and Research that describes the purpose and contents of the data collections template.
• 2019-20 School Year LEA Data Collection Template [XLS]: An Excel spreadsheet that shows the data collection requirements for student demographic, enrollment, contacts and attendance records, including the required fields, data formats, and OSSE option sets.
• LEA Data Mapping Application User Guide: A user guide that provides detailed instructions on how to complete the LEA data mappings within the application, which will inform OSSE of where required data fields exist within your SIS so that the data will appear correctly in the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data (SLED) system.

Data Troubleshooting

• 2019-20 Data Manager Checklist: A comprehensive list of tasks Data Managers need to complete for the end of the 2018-19 school year and start of the 2019-20 school year, including preparing for a successful switchover.

Duplicative Enrollment

• (Coming August 2019) Duplicative Enrollment Application Technical Guide: The technical guide explains OSSE’s deduplication resolution logic in resolving duplicative enrollments between local education agencies (LEAs). The guide will show to LEAs how to utilize the Duplicative Enrollment application to appeal OSSE’s decisions on student enrollments.
• (Coming June 11) LEA User Guide for the Duplicative Enrollment Application: This guide will help LEA users understand and navigate the Duplicative Enrollment Application to ensure accurate student enrollment is received.

Early Access Applications

Bridge to High School

• Bridge to High School Data Exchange Fact Sheet [PDF]: This document provides an overview of the Bridge to High School Data Exchange and eighth to ninth grade Kid Talk.  It also includes more details on the data that is available and shared through the High School Transition Qlik application as well as the timeline for related activities for the 2019-2020 school year.    

English Learners

• 2019-20 Start of School Checklist for LEA English Learner Points of Contact: This document outlines tasks for EL POCs to complete for the start of 2019-20 school year along with tips for how LEAs can prepare to serve EL students prior to the start of school, including how to use the data provided in the Qlik application to improve their planning for new EL students.
• Early Access to English Learners Qlik Application Technical Guide: This guide is organized to mirror the corresponding data sheets in the Qlik application. Each section of this document corresponds to a data sheet in the application and contains a Data Elements section, which serves as a data dictionary for all data elements on the corresponding data sheet in the application.
• Home Language Survey [PDF]: The Home Language Survey is used by LEAs to record whether or not a student speaks a language other than English at home during the time of that child's initial enrollment in a District of Columbia school. The form must be signed and dated by the parent or guardian and must be kept in the student's file. See translations of the parent instructions for the form, as well as guidance for LEAs: English | Amharic | Chinese | French | Korean | Spanish | Vietnamese

Students with Disabilities

• 2019-20 Start of School Checklist for LEA Special Education Points of Contact: This document outlines tasks for SPED POCs to complete for the start of 2019-20 school year along with tips for how LEAs can prepare to serve students with disabilities prior to the start of school, including how to use the data provided in the Qlik application to improve their planning for new students with disabilities.
• EL Policies and Procedures Guidebook: Informs LEAs and schools of the policies and procedures they are required to meet to ensure ELs both develop English language proficiency and meet the same challenging state academic standards as their native English-speaking peers and provides guidance and best practices for building programs that yield the best educational experience for ELs across the city.

Early Childhood Education

• OSSE Early Childhood Transition Guidelines: This resource provides non-regulatory guidance to early intervention programs and LEAs to support the smooth and effective transition of children from Part C early intervention services to Part B special education services.
• US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Education Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs: This joint policy statement provides recommendations to states, LEAs, schools and public and private early childhood programs for increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers and preschool children with disabilities in high-quality early childhood programs.
• Statewide Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Early Learning Memorandum of Agreement (MOA): To help young children transition smoothly from early learning programs to school, LEAs receiving federal Title I funding have signed a citywide agreement with Head Start programs and OSSE. The agreement addresses securely sharing student records, parent outreach, joint professional development between programs and other topics. Learn more about LEA and Head Start commitments and resources for meeting the federal requirements.
• OSSE Strong Start Roadmap: Strong Start is the District’s early intervention program (DC EIP) for families with children under age three who are concerned about their child’s development. The “road map” describes the steps for each phase of the DC EIP and contact information for Strong Start.
• OSSE Navigating Early Learning - A Parent’s Guide: A resource created by OSSE for LEAs to share with parents about the importance of high-quality early learning experiences and tips for encouraging early literacy.
• OSSE Extended Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Option for Children Age 3 to Age 4 Policies and Procedures: This resource establishes procedures and responsibilities related to the state option to extend Part C early intervention services until the beginning of the school year following a child’s fourth birthday for children determined eligible for Part B special education services.
• OSSE Early Childhood Transition Policy: This policy establishes requirements in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) related to the smooth and effective transition of children with disabilities from Part C early intervention services to Part B special education services.
• My Child Care DC: My Child Care DC is a place for parents to access meaningful information about child care in DC at their fingertips. Parents can search for licensed child care, browse and compare child care options and learn about helpful early learning resources.
• Early Stages: Early Stages is a DC Public Schools assessment center for children between the ages of 2 years 8 months and 5 years 10 months. The organization helps identify delays and arranges services if a child qualifies under IDEA Part B.    

Enrollment Audit

• 2019-20 School Year Residency Verification: This page of the OSSE website explains the residency verification process that is required in order for a student to be enrolled in any DC public school and includes links to the relevant forms
• (Coming June 11) 2019-20 School Year Enrollment Audit Deep Dive Training Presentation: This training deck from the Start of School Summit covers the scope of the enrollment audit, major changes for the 2019-20 school year, the process and timeline, and how to prepare for a successful audit.
• (Coming June 11) LEA User Guide for the Enrollment Audit and Child Count Application: This guide will help LEA users understand and navigate the Enrollment Audit & Child Count Application to support a streamlined and successful audit
• (Coming May 1) Student Enrollment Audit and Child Count Handbook: The 2019-20 Handbook provides a detailed description of the enrollment audit and child count processes for LEAs including a calendar of key deadlines; how to prepare for the Oct. 7 data freeze and the on-site fieldwork; the appeals process; an overview of the uniform per student funding formula; and requirements for the child count verification.

Nutrition Programs

• (Coming May 1) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Notification of Intent Form: CEP allows schools to serve meals at no cost to all enrolled students without the burden of collecting household applications, and be reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students participating in other specific means-tested programs.
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: OSSE’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as a healthy snack option to all elementary school children in participating schools. This is a competitive grant program that must be applied for annually by individual schools.
• National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally funded meal program operating in public, public charter, and nonprofit private schools as well as residential child care institutions and requires to submit an annual application via Orchard.

Title Funding

• ESSA Financial Reporting Requirement [PDF]: The new per-pupil expenditures reporting is required for LEAs receiving Title funding starting in fiscal year 2020. This guidance explains the required report and timelines.
• ESSA Guidance for LEAs: This landing page for all things ESSA links to all the resources for various aspects of compliance for Title funding recipients including, FIscal Requirements, Parent and Family Engagement, English Learners, Equitable Access to Effective Teachers, Early Learning/K-12 Coordination and Equitable Services for Private Schools (DCPS Only).
• Federal Formula Grants Toolkit: ESEA and IDEA Part B [PDF]: This toolkit is the most in-depth guidance for ESEA Titles I-IV purposes and compliance.
• Title I Schoolwide Program Guidance [PDF]: Most LEAs in DC opt to operate a schoolwide program with their Title I funding. This guidance from the Department of Education gives examples and requirements, including the schoolwide plan design.

Transportation

• LEA-Provided Transportation Certification Form: This form must be completed by LEAs who are seeking reimbursement from OSSE DOT for temporary, start-of-school year transportation provided by the LEA to eligible students.
• LEA Start of School Year Transportation Reimbursement Guidelines: These guidelines describe OSSE’s policy for reimbursing LEAs that provide their own transportation to eligible students for up to the first 20 days of the 2019-20 school year in the unusual instance that the LEA is unable to arrange transportation through OSSE DOT at no fault of its own.
• 2019-20 LEA Transportation POC Checklist: This document outlines transportation related tasks for LEAs to complete for the start of 2019-20 school year. This checklist is developed for LEAs that have students who are eligible for transportation services.
• Parent Resource Center: The Parent Resource Center (PRC) is the communication link between the Division of Student Transportation, parents/guardians, LEAs and schools and can be reached at (202) 576-5000 from 5 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. LEAs can contact the PRC for information about the routes that service their schools and transportation details of their students.
• Special Education Transportation Policy: This policy outlines student eligibility for transportation, health and safety on the bus, processing transportation requests and much more.
• TOTE Quickstart Guide: Provides instruction on navigating through TOTE and accurately entering transportation information into TOTE for eligible students requiring transportation for the regular school year and the extended school year.
• TOTE Support Line: The TOTE support team is available to assist with any TOTE 2.0  related issues and assistance in submitting certification data. The TOTE Support Line can be reached at (202) 576-5520 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or via email at [email protected], Monday through Friday.