Memorandum
To: LEA Leaders
DC Public Charter School Board
Cc: De'Shawn Wright, Deputy Mayor for Education
Barbara Hutto, Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates
Kayleen Irizarry, Assistant Superintendent of Education
From: Hosanna Mahaley, State Superintendent of Education
Date: October 4, 2011
Re: SY 2011 - 2012 Annual Enrollment Audit
By now you probably know each of your students by name and have a good idea of how many eager learners flood your hallways and classrooms each day. It’s now time to make those names and numbers official! Each year, The Office of the State Superintended of Education (OSSE) commissions an independent auditor to conduct a census style enrollment audit of all students whose public education falls under the responsibility of the District of Columbia. The purpose of this correspondence is to inform you of a few administrative changes to the 2011 – 2012 enrollment audit.
Overview
The school year 2011 – 2012 enrollment audit will begin on Thursday, October 13, 2011. After careful consideration, OSSE has decided to streamline the administration of the audit process by revising audit procedures that, in the past, have typically resulted in a heavy administrative burden on LEAs and schools.
During this upcoming audit, OSSE’s independent auditor Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates (TCBA) will not audit special education (SPED), or English Language Learner (ELL) data. Instead, OSSE will work closely with LEAs to collect and validate this data through other auditing and data collection procedures. The purpose of revising these procedures is to reduce 1) the volume of school record handling, 2) the amount of time spent at each school by the auditor, 3) the number of SPED and ELL appeals, and 4) the overall audit timeline. Although TCBA will not audit SPED and ELL data, each LEA must continue to report this data to OSSE in accordance with LEA data reporting requirements.
Special Education Data Validation
The OSSE Division of Special Education will validate special education data by means of a separate independent audit of the OSSE Special Education Data System (SEDS). The SEDS audit will take place in conjunction with the TCBA audit and will validate student special education designations and service levels as in previous years. For the purpose of special education funding, OSSE will forward the audited SEDS data to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) prior to January 30, 2012.
English Language Learner Data Validation
The OSSE Department of Assessment and Accountability, within the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, will work closely with LEAs and the OSSE Data Team to validate ELL data through normal data collection procedures and will sample ELL assessment results during the annual enrollment audit period and throughout the school year. For the purpose of ELL funding, OSSE will forward the October 5th ELL data feed to the OCFO prior to January 30, 2012.
Enrollment Audit Preparation and Communication
Ms. Barbara Hutto is the TCBA representative for the enrollment audit and briefed LEA leaders on the enrollment audit during the month of September. During these briefings, Ms. Hutto provided an overview of the audit process and guidance on the roles and responsibilities of school administrators during the audit.
Mr. John Petersen, Director of School Openings (DCPS) and Ms. Ino Okoawo, Operations Manager (DC PCSB) are the DCPS and PCSB LEA contacts for the enrollment audit. Please feel free to reach out to these individuals with school related concerns.
Finally, additional information on the student enrollment audit will be made available at http://osse.dc.gov/newsroom in the upcoming days. Mutinda Parris, Education Research Analyst, is the OSSE contact for the enrollment audit and can be reached at (202) 412-9913 or [email protected] for any questions or concerns.