Nonflexible 2 Allocations

Nonflexible 2 (NF2): These allocations must maintain the intended purpose of funds but may be appealed to other uses within the intended purpose. Principals must demonstrate how they will meet related programmatic requirements.

---

Additional Compensation

How Funds Are Allocated 

Based on historical spending of administrative premium and overtime, schools have the total amount of FY24 local administrative premium and overtime expenditures pre-budgeted from their NPS allocations as NF2 amounts. Principals may request to adjust these lines through the petitions process, but they must maintain at least 75% of the pre-budgeted administrative premium amount and at least 50% of the pre-budgeted custodial overtime amount. Additional compensation may otherwise be budgeted using flexible funding.

Overtime 

For non-WTU and non-CSO members, time worked outside of an employee’s tour of duty is compensated using overtime pay. The overtime rate is based on the employee’s hourly rate at time-and-a-half. For more information on custodial overtime, please see the Custodial section.

Administrative Premium 

Administrative premium pay is negotiated compensation for WTU members. This includes any ET-15 (including ET-15/10, ET-15/11, and ET-15/12) member of the WTU. No other employee or non-employee of DCPS is eligible for administrative premium. The rate for administrative premium is $60/hour.

Eligible Activities

Below are examples of activities that are eligible for administrative premium. For a full list of eligible activities, please refer to the WTU Collective Bargaining Agreement (Section 36.8).

Administration of Medicine (AOM) Coverage

At least one staff member is required by law to be present to administer medication at all times. Schools should factor in afterschool and after hour field trip AOM coverage when planning for administrative premium, to ensure that there is always someone AOM-trained on site when students are present.

Class Coverage/Loss of Planning or Lunch Period 

• In cases when substitute services cannot be obtained for an absent teacher, other teachers may be required to provide class coverage, thereby resulting in a loss of a planning period or lunch for the covering teacher. In addition, teachers may lose a planning period or lunch because another teacher who is typically assigned to cover their class is unavailable. In these cases, the teacher losing the planning period or lunch shall be compensated for the additional workload using administrative premium. Compensation shall be in accordance with Article 23.17 of the WTU collective bargaining agreement.
• Also, where an elementary school teacher receives students of an absent teacher, which causes the class size to exceed the contractual limit, such teacher shall receive administrative premium.
• Finally, as of the latest CBA, administrative premium is available for ESOL, SPED, and co-teachers who provide coverage when a teacher is absent or unavailable. Exact details can be found in Article 23.17.6 of the WTU CBA.

Enrollment/Attendance

It is highly recommended that school leaders budget additional administrative premium and overtime pay to cover enrollment-related events that occur after hours and during the weekends. Additionally, if staff support with any after-hours and/or weekend initiatives related to attendance (e.g., home visits), it is recommended that funds are set aside to satisfy these requests. Examples include EdFEST, Enrollment Saturday, enrollment fairs, and open houses.

Exceeding IEP Case Manager Limit 

Article 24.5.5 of the WTU Collective Bargaining Agreement provides an IEP (Individualized Education Programs) caseload limit (not instructional limit) for case managers, including Special Education teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists, of 15 students for the year. This refers only to the students with IEPs to whom the staff member is assigned as case manager. In cases where a Special Education teacher or Speech-Language Pathologist agrees to be the case manager for more than 15 students with IEPs annually, such WTU staff member will be paid the administrative premium rate in the amount of three hours per year for each additional student with an IEP over 15. For example, if a Special Education teacher is case manager for 17 students with IEPs during the year, he or she will receive $360 in administrative premium pay for the year ($60/hour x 3 hours/case x 2 cases). 

Other Eligible Activities Approved by the Supervisor/Appropriate Central Services Team 

• Additional School Time Programs: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers working in Saturday schools or centrally run Evening Credit Recovery programs. 
• Before and After School Activities: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers who are authorized by their supervisors to participate in activities before or after the school day or school year begins. 
• Compensatory Education: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers for court-ordered compensatory education activities that take place before or after the normal tour of duty. 
• Enrichment/Tutoring: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers participating in supplementary educational services, such as a school-sponsored tutoring program that occurs outside of the school day (i.e., either before school, after school, or on weekends). 
• Professional Development: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers attending training tied to classroom learning and programs outside of the tour of duty. This includes New Educator Orientation, system-wide offerings held after a duty day in which Professional Learning Units are not offered, and collaborative planning. 
• Scheduling: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers assisting with start-of-school scheduling activities outside of their tour of duty. 
• Summer School: Administrative premium pay is allowable for teachers working at the Summer School program, in accordance with the WTU collective bargaining agreement. These teachers may be coded into an additional position to perform their services in the Summer School program if they are at a different school than their regular year school. 
• Teaching and Learning Curriculum Developers: The Office of Teaching and Learning offers administrative premium pay for teachers partnering with content experts to develop and review curriculum for fellow educators. Qualifying curriculum development initiatives may include, but are not limited to, Cornerstones, Common Core Math Corps, and STEM Master Teacher Corps. 
• Teacher and Principal Selection: The Office of School Improvement and Supports frequently engages teachers beyond their normal tour of duty to assist with new teacher and Principal selection activities. Administrative premium pay is allowable for this activity.

Extra Duty Pay

The forms of compensation described (WTU extra duty pay, CSO extra duty pay, and non-WTU stipends) should be budgeted under “Extra Duty Pay” in the QuickBase budget application. The budget line “Stipends” is only for non-DCPS employees and should not be used for this purpose.

Please note that schools are required to budget for all non-athletic extra duty pay and non-WTU stipends other than the following, which are budgeted by Central Services. See a list of different types of non-athletic ED pay here.

• Athletic coaches
• Reading clinics (small set of teachers)
• Technology POC stipends
• TLI/secondary department lead stipends

Non-athletic extra duty pay requests (except CSO extra duty pay) should be submitted through QuickBase, and a Compensation Team representative will submit the request on behalf of the school with the school’s funding attributes. 

WTU Extra Duty Pay

WTU extra duty (ED) pay is provided only to ET-15 (including ET-15/10, ET-15/11, and ET-15/12) employees in WTU positions. No other employee of DCPS, or non-employee providing services for the benefit of DCPS, is eligible to receive WTU ED pay. Usually, WTU ED pay is authorized for services performed beyond the normal tour of duty.

The following kinds of WTU ED pay have dedicated budget lines in the QuickBase budget application and should be budgeted as needed by a school separately from all other WTU ED pay:

• Elementary Grade Level Chairs: Principals interested in filling this role at their school for SY25-26 with an individual who is not also a TLI LEAP Leader will need to budget for it during FY26 budget development. The unit cost will be $1,000 per Elementary Grade Level Chair, per the Washington Teacher’s Union Collective Bargaining Agreement (Section 36.10.2). Instructional Superintendents and Central Services will review and approve all requests to budget for Elementary Grade Level Chairs. Additional guidance, including criteria and qualifications, is available in the Elementary Grade Level/Secondary Department Chairs section.
• Special Education LEA Representative Designee: If schools plan to designate an eligible and qualified staff member that is a teacher or TLI to be the local education agency (LEA) representative on their IEP team, they will need to compensate the individual. The rate is $1,500 per year. Special education coordinators and other special education administrative roles have this function included in their tour of duty and do not require additional compensation.

Difference Between Administrative Premium and WTU Extra Duty Pay

Administrative premium is an hourly compensation provided for specific activities hourly through timesheets. Meanwhile, WTU extra duty pay is a lump sum of dollars provided to WTU members for qualifying activities. It is typically paid out at the end of each semester or year depending on the job advertisement.

CSO Extra Duty Pay

CSO members are eligible for extra duty pay at the administrative premium rate of $60/hour for work performed on weekends or outside of their regular tour of duty. Supervisors must document when work is performed and provide written authorization for the payment of extra duty pay prior to the work being performed. CSO extra duty pay is not to exceed 10 hours per week. This payment is made through a timesheet entry in PeopleSoft, and the time reporting code is EXDU.

Principals and Assistant Principals receive an annual extra duty stipend of $5,000 in recognition of substantial after hours work and commitment, however this stipend is budgeted by Central Services. Extra duty pay for CSO employees in non-leadership positions should be budgeted by schools.

Non-WTU Stipends

A supervisor may appoint an employee in a non-WTU position to provide ED-type services. In cases where the employee is a non-WTU member, the compensation type is non-WTU stipend (NWS) pay. For example, NWS may be paid to an Administrative Officer serving as a moderator for the debate team or to an Instructional Aide serving as the drama club sponsor for their middle school. Like ED pay, NWS usually is authorized for services performed beyond the normal tour of duty.

Points of Contact 

• For allowability questions: DCPS Compensation Team – dcps.compensation@k12.dc.gov
• For spend tracking: School Finance Team – dcps.schoolfunding@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• DCPS Way: Access this link to view historical expenditure data for additional compensation, as well as FY25 available balances.
• Extra Duty Pay QuickBase Application
• Types of Non-Athletic Extra Duty Pay

---

Afterschool Programming

Purpose

Afterschool programming provides affordable, safe, structured, and engaging academic, wellness, and enrichment programs that are open to all children in PK through 8th grades whose schools are included in the DCPS Out of School Time Programs 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant (21^st CCLC). These programs are designed to develop the whole child and are not solely focused on academics. This unique opportunity beyond the school day is provided by DCPS staff and community partners and is funded by local funds and a federal grant called the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21^st CCLC) grant. This grant works to attain specific outcomes in attendance, academics, behavior improvement, family engagement, and partner engagement, and, as such, it supports schools’ goals. The 21^st CCLC grant funds roughly 5,600 students at more than 50 Title I schools. The combined grant and local funding support programming for an average of 6,600 students annually.

OSSE awards DCPS the 21st CCLC grant for a period of five years, and the overall annual award is a fixed amount per year. In developing the grant application, DCPS seeks to support Title I elementary schools and education campuses unless the school has a pre-existing afterschool program or has opted not to become part of the cohort. The grant requires DCPS to fund specific activities in addition to daily programming, such as an external evaluator and professional development.

Requirements

• Sufficient funds based on the number of seats designated by the Out of School Time Programming (OSTP) Team to pay a site leader, teachers, and paraprofessionals for the year are loaded onto school budgets.
• Staffing: The staffing model is based on 20 students:1 teacher:1 paraprofessional. No class should exceed 20 students.
  • Staffing plans must account for the entire personnel allocation and serve, at a minimum, the number of students identified by OSTP. The personnel allocation cannot be reprogrammed to non-personnel services.

*There will be some instances of external hires that are not daytime DCPS aides or individuals with adjusted tours of duty that will be eligible for 2.5 hours of pay per day.

• Principals must work directly with OSTP Coordinators or their full-time or part-time, school-based Afterschool Coordinator, and Employee Services (HR) in managing the hiring process for afterschool site leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals.
  • Preference should be given to current DCPS employees. However, if there are not enough DCPS employees who are interested in working in afterschool programs, principals should work with Employee Services to hire non-DCPS employees.
  • Schools must be fully staffed for the first day of afterschool programming.
  • At least one afterschool staff member must have taken Administration of Medication (AOM) training and be present from the end of the school day to 6:00 pm daily.
• Hours: Afterschool programs meet Monday through Friday from the end of the school day to 6:00 pm (2:30-5:30 at River Terrace EC).
• Calendar: Afterschool programs begin on the first day of school. Parents and guardians receive this information during afterschool registration, but schools should also communicate the start date to parents and guardians. There is no afterschool programming on half days, parent-teacher conference days, canceled days (such as inclement weather days, “snow days”, etc.), teacher professional development days, or the day before the Thanksgiving and Winter breaks.
• Grade levels: Afterschool programs must be offered to all grade levels present at the school.
• Program: The afterschool program must contain both an academic and an enrichment portion.
• Academic Power Hour (APH): Literacy or math activity, academic/homework support, and academic enrichment, including use of Zearn or other software aligned to the school day.
• Enrichment: Uses a standard curriculum with monthly themes such as kindness, gratitude, wellness, STEM, financial literacy, and other topics.

How Funds Are Allocated

Within the overall 21^st CCLC grant, DCPS determines the allocation of funding for features of the grant, such as staffing, supplies, professional development, evaluation, and partner contracts needed to fulfill grant activities. Schools served by the grant typically remain the same for the five-year period unless a school no longer has Title I status or opts out of programming. Schools receive a combination of local and grant funds to compensate teachers, paraprofessionals, and site leaders based on the number of afterschool seats determined at each school.

After accounting for the above-required grant components, the number of students that can be served by the grant is based on:

• The prior year’s afterschool enrollment and average daily attendance,
• The school’s capacity to staff the program,
• The demand for additional seats based on the waitlist, and
• The capacity of school program providers to serve additional students.

Generally, the number of students to be served at each site remains the same for the multi-year grant period unless one of those factors changes. Seats will decrease, or additional seats can be funded, within the overall grant award.

Menu of Options

Staffing

Afterschool Coordinator

• Schools with larger enrollment or schools with significant afterschool programming can budget for a full- or part-time Afterschool Coordinator using their Afterschool Site Leader allocation, along with flexible school budget funds. It is also possible to use only flexible school budget funds for the Coordinator position and also employ a site leader to help manage a large, complex program.
• These Coordinators adhere to the same OSTP policies and procedures that apply to OSTP Coordinators, including attending training and fulfilling 21^st CCLC requirements (e.g., monitoring program quality, tracking student attendance, etc.).

PK3-PK4 Recommendation

It is recommended that schools plan to hire two paraprofessionals for grades PK3 and PK4 instead of the teacher-paraprofessional combination. This is not recommended outside of ECE. This recommendation allows for increased safety and supervision of children by reducing the staff-to-student ratio to 1:10 for the entire program period (given the longer tour of duty for paraprofessionals). Schools are budgeted for a teacher-paraprofessional pair for all afterschool groups. However, when program registration is done before the start of the school year, principals and afterschool/OSTP coordinators should review the actual program registration to adjust the staff hiring plan accordingly (e.g., reducing one teacher position and increasing one paraprofessional position to cover each ECE group). 

Not Recommended

It is not recommended to hire a part-time Afterschool Site Leader to oversee daily program operations. If the ASL is not dedicated solely to the afterschool program from the start to the end of the program period, program administration and quality suffer.

Programming

Principals may choose to supplement the OSTP afterschool allocation using flexible funds in their school budget allocation to expand or enrich the program. For example, a principal may choose to extend teachers’ tours of duty, hire more staff to expand seats, pay for an additional Site Leader if the program is very large or complex, purchase additional resources, or hire their own full-time, school-based Afterschool Coordinator.

• If a principal is interested in using flexible funds (not the school’s afterschool allocation) to partner with an afterschool provider or community-based organization, please contact abigail.cohen@k12.dc.gov in School Partnerships.
• OSTP encourages schools to develop and leverage partnerships with DCPS-reviewed School Program Providers (SPP’s) to provide high-quality academic and/or enrichment programming. Partners provide a range of regular programming including but not limited to athletics, arts, STEM, tutoring/academic support, etc. Many providers have their own funding and can offer programming at low/no-cost to DCPS schools and families. Please refer to the School Partnerships section for additional guidance on working with school program providers.

Central Support

Financial

• Schools with OSTP afterschool programs receive some centrally procured supplies and materials to support afterschool programming using 21^st CCLC grant funds. Schools do not need to budget for these supplies.
• Funding for security until 6:30 pm each day is included in schools’ security allocation.

Non-Financial

• Programs are supported by an OSTP Coordinator who monitors program quality and activity unless the school has hired its own full- or part-time afterschool coordinator.
• Professional development is provided to all afterschool staff before the opening of programming in August. Two additional events are offered in the winter and spring each year.
• OSTP Coordinators actively seek to expand enrichment offerings at sites by engaging SPP’s that provide programming for free to students. Some enrichment partnerships are also funded by the 21^st CCLC grant.

Points of Contact

• Margot Berkey, Specialist, Out of School Time Programs – margaret.berkey@k12.dc.gov
• Elizabeth Robinson-Pugh, Specialist, OSTP Operations and Engagement – elizabeth.robinson@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Additional information on afterschool programming can be found at dcps.dc.gov/afterschool, including a summary of the prior year’s program evaluation.

---

Custodial

Purpose

The custodial team at each school is responsible for performing general maintenance, cleaning, and other miscellaneous custodial duties to ensure buildings and facilities are accessible, clean, and safe. The custodial team is charged with maintaining an environment that is conducive to student learning. To reach these goals, it is imperative that schools allocate the necessary budget for custodial staff, overtime, supplies, and equipment.

Requirements

When finalizing school custodial allocations, there are several important considerations:

• Every school is required to staff according to the breakdown below. Minimum requirements are contingent upon building size and enrollment.
• Every school is required to have a Custodial Foreperson (SW). 
• Only RW-5 or SW Custodial Forepersons may open/close a school building. However, one employee should not be regularly tasked with BOTH opening and closing the school building.
• Schools may not budget a .5 Custodian. Schools with two campuses may budget 1.0 FTE Custodian to work .5 at each location.

All schools are required to purchase green cleaning supplies per the Healthy Schools Act of 2011. Green cleaning supplies are defined by the DC Office of Contracting and Procurement and summarized in the DCPS Green Cleaning Supply Purchasing Guide. Schools are advised to work with local vendors to identify affordable products that comply with purchasing requirements.

How Funds Are Allocated

Custodial Staffing

The custodial staffing allocated to each school is based on square footage of the building, student enrollment, and school type. The following table outlines how custodial staff allocations are determined:

Principals should ensure that they:

• Meet the mandatory minimum requirement of custodial staff per building and enrollment.
• Remain at or higher than the number of staffing from the previous year or have a justification for reduction of staff.

Schools with high building use outside of core school hours are encouraged to consider budgeting for additional custodial staff beyond their initial allocation. When budgeting for an additional Custodial Foreperson, please reach out to your Strategic Staffing Coordinator to determine the SW grade level.

Custodial Supplies

Schools are allocated custodial supplies at a base rate of $2,828.24 (a 3.3% inflation increase from FY25) with an additional amount added for square footage. High schools receive an additional 8 cents per square foot, and all other school types receive an additional 5 cents per square foot. All schools must budget for custodial supplies. The typical costs for custodial supplies based on school enrollment are outlined below:

The Strategic School Operations team will share a sample listing of custodial supplies and price points with each Principal. Principals are encouraged to add more to their custodial supplies allocation based on their school’s historical spending, community use, and custodial overtime data. Custodial supplies should be advanced during summer advance and ordered to ensure enough supply inventory for the start of the school year.

Square Footage/Modernizations

The custodial allocation model contains updated square footage for all schools modernized up through SY24-25. The database used for square footage is the shared database with the Department of General Services. As schools become modernized or as permanent small capital projects impact square footage, those updates will be reflected as part of the allocation model for the following fiscal year. Schools in swing spaces or occupying trailers through a modernization will not see changes to their square footage in the model until (1) the project(s) are completed, (2) updated square footage is finalized, and (3) they are slated to move in during the upcoming school/fiscal year for which the budget is being developed. Please note that existing teams should be retained during modernizations to ensure adequate coverage at swing space sites.

Budgeting Recommendations

Custodial Overtime

There are times when custodial staff may be required to work overtime (e.g., weekends, summer deep cleans, during inclement weather events, special school programs, or events, etc.).

Principals should budget enough custodial overtime to cover all planned activities or programs, as well as to cover for custodial leave. Spending will be closely monitored through a custodial overtime tracker to ensure schools remain within their allocated budget. The lack of appropriate funding for overtime may affect a school’s ability to offer programs outside of regular hours.

Given this, schools have the total amount of FY24 local overtime expenditures pre-budgeted from their NPS allocations as NF2 amounts. Principals may request to adjust this line through the petitions process, but they must maintain at least 50% of the pre-budgeted custodial overtime amount.

Custodial Equipment

New or replacement equipment must be purchased with individual school budgets. The Strategic School Operations and Warehouse Logistics teams do not purchase custodial equipment. Principals should work closely with their Custodial Foreperson and DSL/MSL (if applicable) to prepare for custodial equipment needs.

Central Support

Non-Financial

Principals, DSL/MSLs, and/or Business Managers must review their year-to-date custodial inventory and monthly spending for supplies and equipment. However, they will also be provided with suggested supply and inventory lists created during onsite coaching with the Strategic School Operations (SSO) Team. The SSO Team provides these to ensure the amount budgeted for supplies in FY24 will meet the schools’ needs. Principals should work closely with their Custodial Foreperson and Business Manager or DSL/MSL (if applicable) to review the supply needs from the previous year to inform the needs for the upcoming year.

Points of Contact

• TSHO Selection: Charlena Murray, Division Specialist, SSOs – charlena.murray@k12.dc.gov
• Dedra Adams, Deputy Chief, Strategic School Operations & Warehouse Logistics – dedra.adams@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Teamsters Local 639 Contract

---

Dual Language

Purpose

Students graduating from DCPS Dual Language (DL) programs will be able to communicate effectively in two or more languages and will be able to engage productively in an increasingly multilingual global community. All DCPS DL programs have as their primary goals the promotion of: 

• Bilingualism and biliteracy 
• High academic achievement 
• Cultural competency 

DL programs serve as a service delivery model for Spanish-speaking multilingual learners and a means to acquire a language other than English for English-dominant speakers. Please note that any DL multilingual learners whose home language is not Spanish must receive appropriate ESOL services as outlined by LAD guidance.

Note: DL programs serve as the ESOL Service Delivery Model for Spanish-speaking ML students. Accordingly, an ESOL teacher allocation may be used for a DL position. All DL schools must ensure that additional ESOL positions are held to support the language needs of ML students who speak languages other than Spanish. This is in addition to the regular DL programming. 

As a reminder, DL requirements by grade band are:

• PK-5: It is required that DL programs provide a minimum of 50% of content area instruction, including literacy, in Spanish at each grade level.
• 6-12: It is required that students be enrolled in at least two year-long (or equivalent) content courses in Spanish in grades 6-12 throughout the program.

How Funds Are Allocated

This funding allocation recognizes that students learning in a new language have specific and additional instructional needs and that schools with language learning programs require administrative and instructional supports not needed in monolingual programming. Spanish language learners will generate funds to support the programmatic needs.

Schools that are recognized as Dual Language programs by DCPS through meeting DCPS Dual Language non-negotiables, receive funding for Dual Language programming as a program grant. Funds are allocated differently based on whether schools have One-Way (>70% Non-MLs) or Two-Way (≥30% MLs) programs. Schools will receive an allocation based on the methodology in the chart below. Principals can budget for personnel and non-personnel items at their discretion in support of DL programming.

Budgeting Recommendations

Dual Language program grant funds are allocated to support DL programs in implementing their DL Program plans, such as supplementing Spanish literacy instruction and language development, ensuring linguistic access, professional learning specific to DL, and family engagement specific to bilingual learners.

Personnel Spending Recommendations

As possible, Dual Language funding should be used to create the personnel structures needed to ensure that programmatic goals are met and that there is adequate support for specific Dual Language functions. These structures will vary depending on program size, configuration, and specific school needs. Dual language schools will need to determine use of the Dual Language funding while considering that optimal staffing for Dual Language programming includes the positions listed below. Principals may also combine the DL allocation with other funds to support a shared position (e.g., a position that coordinates DL part-time and has other responsibilities).

Non-Personnel Spending Recommendations

These funds can be used to provide Spanish language supports such as:

• Licenses for Spanish interventions (Please note that in SY25-26, schools will need to purchase Imagine Español)
• Acceleration programming
• Out-of-School Time language-focused enrichment
• Family outreach specific to language learning
• Spanish classroom and school library books and replacement of lost or destroyed materials from previous curricular kits

Central Support

Financial

Central Services provides the following financial support for DL curriculum and assessment:

• Eureka Math in Spanish K-5
• Materials for Paired Literacy Curriculum K-5 (as developed)
• Amplify K-5
• Spanish Reading Assessment for 3-5 (Star was utilized for SY24-25, however another assessment is being studied for SY25-26. If a change in assessment is approved, an update will be shared with schools during spring 2025).
• MClass Lectura Spanish Reading Assessment for K-2
• Benchmark Fonetica y Gramatica for K-2, including digital access (for new classrooms)

Non-Financial

Central provides support to K-5 DL programs through the Cluster Support Model, and for K-12 through district-wide professional development days when applicable.

Points of Contact

• Kate Burkett, Director, Language Learning – kate.burkett@k12.dc.gov
• Katarina Brito, Bilingual Program Developer – katarina.brito@k12.dc.gov 
• Juliette Steadman, Dual Language Specialist – juliette.steadman@k12.dc.gov
• For ML-specific funding questions, see the Multilingual Learners point of contact.

Helpful Resources

See the DCPS Way Dual Language SharePoint for more information specific to Dual Language, including DCPS Dual Language program non-negotiables and the guiding principles for Dual Language education (CAL).

---

Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Purpose

DCPS’ Early Childhood Education program ensures that all our youngest students are prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. The Early Childhood program focuses specifically on Pre-K3 (PK3) and Pre-K4 (PK4) students and supports their kindergarten readiness by promoting high quality instruction and learning experiences in all Pre-Kindergarten (PK) classrooms, and by supporting families who are furthest from opportunity through the provision of family services that include case management, family workshops, and additional parent engagement activities. While PK programming supports all PK3 and PK4 students in all elementary schools and education campuses, schools that serve higher percentages of at-risk students and families receive more robust instructional coaching and family support services.

Requirements

Staffing (Personnel Services)

It is DCPS policy that every early childhood classroom (PK3, PK4, and mixed age) has one full-time teacher and one full-time aide.

• Staff-to-child ratios (two adults per class) must be maintained in Pre-K classrooms.
• Staff must directly supervise children during all daily routines, including sleeping, eating, and diapering or bathroom use.
• Mixed-age classrooms are allowed in early childhood programs to serve PK3 and PK4 students together, although non-mixed age classrooms are recommended. Mixed age classrooms cannot include children of kindergarten age.

Newly Enrolling PK Children with Special Needs

To comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) “child find” requirement, Early Stages identifies children with special needs who are not yet enrolled in school. If a child is eligible for an individualized education plan (IEP), DCPS must provide an opportunity for the child to enroll. Consequently, a small number of seats are reserved in PK3 and PK4 classrooms in all DCPS schools for students with IEPs. This provides a system-wide network of available placements into which DCPS can enroll children as close to their homes as possible. This work happens year-round, so it is common that Early Stages placements may occur late in the year after the typical age cut off.

Unique Programs

Early Learning Support

The Early Learning Support (ELS) program is designed to meet the individual needs of students with developmental delays. Students in the ELS program have full-time IEPs (20+ hours of specialized instruction outside of general education) and frequently require a range of related services, such as speech and language, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

Communication and Education Support

The Communication and Education Support (CES) program is designed to meet the individual needs of students with significant communication issues and significant behavior issues. Primarily, CES classrooms serve students who have Autism Spectrum Disorders. Students who have full-time IEPs (20+ hours of specialized instruction outside of general education) may also be served in CES classrooms.

10:6 Inclusion Classroom

The 10:6 Early Childhood Education Classroom represents a type of inclusion model used to serve students with disabilities in DCPS. The 10:6 Early Childhood Education Classroom is a general education classroom and does not constitute a more restrictive environment. The classrooms are staffed with a general education teacher, a special education teacher, and a paraprofessional and maintain a student ratio of ten general education students and six students with special needs. Typically, these students have a Developmental Delay (DD), Other Health Impairment (OHI), demonstrate delays in cognition, communication, social/emotional, motor, and adaptive skills. The following schools have 10:6 classrooms: Amidon-Bowen ES, Burroughs ES, Cleveland ES, Francis Stevens ES, Garrison ES, and J.O. Wilson ES.

Resources for the ELS and CES are allocated by the Division of Specialized Instruction (DSI). The 10:6 classroom has a special education teacher allocated by DSI and a general education and paraprofessional allocated by ECE.

How Funds Are Allocated

Staffing Allocations

Staff for PK programs are allocated using a staffing ratio to ensure that each classroom has the required number of staff. Every PK classroom will have at least two staff members – one lead teacher and one instructional aide.

Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) ECE/Early Learning Center (ELC) Weight Allocation

The ECE weight is 0.3 times the base weight. This funding amount will be visible in student-based budgeting (SBB) – local allocations in the budgeting application and calculated on your budget worksheet.

The ELC weight is 0.85 times the base weight, thus Military Road and Stevens Early Learning Center receive a different Early Learning Center weight per student.

Budgeting Recommendations

Personnel

Principals of schools with PK programs must ensure there is at least one additional school-based staff member available to support PK classrooms when one of the classroom teachers or aides takes a break. Principals are encouraged to use the ECE or ELC weight to budget for a PK floater aide position in order to ensure that PK classrooms are appropriately supervised at all times, especially in the case of larger programs (more than 4 ECE classrooms).

For increased instructional development, Principals may consider hiring an Early Childhood Instructional Coach, rather than using the centralized ECE coaching program, provided that the coach has early childhood instructional expertise.

Non-Personnel

The Early Childhood Division no longer provides replenishment supplies and/or replacement furniture or nap mats to Pre-K programs. Instead, schools should budget for Pre-K classroom materials and other non-personnel expenses using the supplemental ECE weight. It is suggested that schools plan to budget at least $5,700 in non-personnel spending per Pre-K classroom to cover ECE-specific needs anticipated in a typical year. But schools, of course, will need to update this amount based on their specific needs for field trips, inner core, and other programming. These expenses include, but are not limited to:

*It is recommended that schools contact the vendor or ECED (dcps.earlychildhood@k12.dc.gov) to explore warranty options on items marked with an asterisk before purchasing replacements

Central Support

The DCPS Early Childhood Education Division (ECED) provides a variety of centrally-funded supports to ensure high-quality early childhood programming in schools. The supports are differentiated to provide a baseline level of ECE support to all schools and to target the most robust supports to schools serving young children furthest from opportunity. The centrally funded supports include the following:

• ECE Instruction – ECED provides tiered early childhood instructional coaching support to schools. Schools receive different levels of support, with support levels determined by the percentages of PK students who meet the at-risk criteria, CLASS scores, and the availability of expert ECE coaching at the school level.
  • Schools receiving robust supports have an assigned ECED Early Childhood instructional specialist who direct coaching and support such as leading LEAP seminars, providing individual teacher coaching, and providing school leadership coaching.
  • Other schools are assigned an ECE instructional specialist who serves in a consultant role to the school-based ECE LEAP leader.
  • ECED also provides instructional support through the development and implementation of PD sessions and the provision of a variety of instructional resources and supports on Canvas.
• Family Support – ECED has a team of Family Service Specialists who are assigned to Title I schools. These specialists work closely with the school-based team to support families of DCPS’ youngest learners as they acclimate to the school environment, advocate for their children, and support their children’s learning at home.
  • These specialists support schools and families through the provision of family services that include case management, family workshops, and additional parent engagement activities.
  • They may also serve on the school-based attendance team and partner closely with school-based social work or social-emotional learning (SEL) staff.
• Curriculum – All ECE classrooms (other than Montessori classrooms at Nalle ES, Langdon ES, and Capitol Hill Montessori) use Creative Curriculum, Building Blocks Math Curriculum, and Heggerty. ECED can provide Creative Curriculum, Building Blocks, and Heggerty training and materials for new PK teachers at all schools.
• GOLD – ECED is responsible for the contract for Teaching Strategies GOLD, the online assessment system used in PK classrooms. ECED also provides GOLD training.

Points of Contact

• Abigail Daniels, Senior Deputy Chief, Early Childhood Education – abigail.daniels@k12.dc.gov
• Dana Caffee-Glenn, Director, Strategy, Logistics, and Special Programs – dana.caffee-glenn2@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• Early Childhood DCPS Way
• DCPS Early Childhood Programming website
• DCPS Ready for Pre-K! website

---

Global Studies Schools

Purpose

DCPS continues to support Global Studies School (GSS) programs across the school district to provide access to rigorous and international programming including opportunities for immersive local and global education experiences and exchanges. Through research-based pedagogy, ongoing professional development for educators, and globally-focused programs and community partnerships, Global Studies Schools cultivate students’ capacity to engage in deep learning across disciplines to investigate the world, recognize perspectives (others’ and their own), communicate across differences, and take informed action.

For a current list of Global Studies Schools, please visit the website. Schools that are interested in becoming a Global Studies School should contact Bianca Duphey (Director, Academic Innovations) and their Instructional Superintendent.

How Funds Are Allocated

Global Studies Schools are allocated non-personnel services (NPS) funding, of which $100 dollars is required to go to their Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) membership. The additional funds may be used on program supplies and professional development. Additionally, the schools are allocated administrative premium funding to support a non-positioned coordinator role. Principals can budget for personnel and non-personnel items using flexible dollars.

Non-Personnel Services Allocation

Schools will receive an allocation line item “Global Studies NPS.” Funds may be budgeted by the school in support of their Global Studies School program based on the chart below. Schools will submit their NPS spend plan via petitions.

Personnel Services Allocation (Administrative Premium)

Allocated funds should be used to provide a premium for a dedicated coordinator or POC who will oversee Global Studies programs. This individual will ensure effective communication, program implementation, and alignment with educational goals.

Requirements

Staffing requirements for SY25-26 by program and school are as follows:

Budgeting Recommendations

Budgeting for Global Studies Schools requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure that educational programs are effective and that resources are allocated efficiently. Here are some recommendations:

Non-Personnel Services

• Curriculum: Budget funds for the development and/or procurement of a curriculum that incorporates global issues, cultural studies, and language learning. Consider investing in resources that support experiential learning and interdisciplinary approaches.
• Professional Development (PD): Invest in PD for teachers to enhance their knowledge of global issues and pedagogical strategies. Workshops, conferences, and online courses can help educators stay current with global studies trends.
• Extracurricular Activities: Support clubs and organizations that promote global awareness, such as Model United Nations or cultural exchange clubs. Budget funds for events, guest speakers, and community outreach programs.
• Research and Resources: Invest in access to research databases, libraries, and materials that focus on global studies. This includes subscriptions to academic journals and purchasing books that cover a wide range of global topics.
• Community Partnerships: Collaborate with local organizations, NGOs, and global institutions to enhance educational offerings. Budget for joint projects or events that can enrich the school’s curriculum and provide real-world connections.
• Sustainability Initiatives: Incorporate budgeting for sustainability projects that teach students about environmental issues on a global scale. This could include school gardens, recycling programs, or partnerships with environmental organizations.

By prioritizing these areas in the budget, Global Studies Schools can create a rich, engaging environment that prepares students to navigate and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.

Central Support

Financial

Based on available funds, the Office of Teaching and Learning may provide opportunities for NPS support, such as teacher professional development and curricular resources to support the Global Studies School Program.

Non-Financial

Central Services offers essential support to schools by facilitating professional development and assisting in the identification and establishment of school partnerships. They also aid schools in creating and executing plans for Global Studies School programming. Furthermore, Central Services coordinates and promotes events for Global Studies Schools. Additionally, they handle the procurement of GEBG memberships.

Points of Contact

• Caroline Faircloth, Specialist, Global Studies – caroline.faircloth@k12.dc.gov
• Bianca Duphey, Director, Academic Innovation – bianca.duphey@k12.dc.gov
• Kirsten Hagen, Manager, Global Education – kirsten.hagen@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• Schools can find more information about Global Studies Schools at https://dcpsglobaled.org/
• Contact Caroline Faircloth for the Global Studies School Implementation Guide.

---

Multilingual Learners

Purpose 

Students identified as Multilingual Learners (ML) are entitled to receive federally mandated English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services. ESOL/bilingual teachers and classroom support staff are allocated to meet the language/linguistic needs of the ML students, to supplement the full scope of academic programming that all students in DCPS receive. The allocation of ESOL teachers and bilingual instructional aides ensures all schools receive adequate resources, based on the size of the ML student population at their school and the language needs of the students. School leaders should work collaboratively with their ESOL POC and Special Education Coordinator to ensure that all dually identified students (ML students with IEPs) are scheduled to receive adequate language support, particularly those in full-time programs.

When considering the staffing allocations and additional ML SBB funding, school leaders should note that Bilingual Counselor positions are required positions that are “pre-budgeted” at a ratio of 1:100 from the ML SBB funding. Once the required Bilingual Counseling positions are pulled from the ML SBB funds, the remaining funds must be used in direct support of ML students.

Requirements 

ML students must have access to all programming offered within the school community. This relates to academic, related arts and extra-curricular opportunities. As ESOL services are federally mandated, ESOL teachers and the general education teachers should work together so that ML students have a clear academic plan that supports access to grade level content and appropriate supports for their language development. ML requirements are included in the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).

How Funds Are Allocated 

Funds for Multilingual Learners are allocated through direct staffing allocations and the ML SBB weight.

Staffing Allocations: ESOL Teachers

Schools receive allocations of ESOL teachers based on the ratios below. Instructional positions allocated based on the number of projected ML students must be dedicated exclusively to work in service of the ML students and cannot be assigned for other purposes.

*Schools with a projected enrollment of 11 or fewer ML students at the elementary level or 10 or fewer at the secondary level will receive an allocation for an itinerant ESOL teacher. This allocation of staff appears on school budgets but cannot be used for other purposes. Itinerant ESOL teachers are managed and assigned to schools by the Language Acquisition Division (LAD).

Note: Dual-Language (DL) programs serve as the ESOL Service Delivery Model for native Spanish-speaking ML students. Accordingly, an ESOL teacher allocation may be used for a DL position. All DL schools must ensure that additional ESOL positions are held to support the language needs of ML students who speak languages other than Spanish. This is in addition to the regular DL programming. 

ESOL Teacher Responsibilities – School-Based ESOL Teacher (Part-Time or Full-Time)

• ESOL teachers may not be used as substitute teachers, given that the services provided by ESOL teachers are federally mandated. Schools with coverage needs should contract substitute teachers to fill those roles.
• ESOL teachers should not be assigned completion of BOY testing for students outside of their caseload.
• The ESOL teacher’s main responsibility is to provide English language development instruction with a focus on building skills in all four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) using the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English Language Development Standards and following the DCPS grade level curriculum. All MLs should receive appropriate ESOL services as determined by LAD guidelines. Some students, depending on their ELP level and past educational experiences, may need additional support. 
• ESOL teachers are allocated to work with ML students. The ESOL teachers must be dedicated exclusively to work in service of the ML students and cannot be assigned for other purposes.
• ESOL teachers may provide supports through inclusion (effective inclusion requires dedicated collaborative planning time that is scheduled regularly), pull-out/small group instruction, content-based ESOL (distinct language development and content classes), and DL instruction. 
• ESOL teachers should be assigned to specific grade levels as staffing permits.
• ESOL, general education, and special education teachers should collaborate to develop appropriate academic plans for ML students in schools using an inclusion model.

ESOL Teacher Responsibilities – Itinerant ESOL Teacher (Part-Time or Full-Time)

• LAD assigns schools to itinerant ESOL teachers based on enrollment information available in August. School assignments are updated as needed and are subject to change. Principals will be informed of their assigned Itinerant ESOL teacher prior to the opening of the school year. 
• The itinerant ESOL teachers will collaborate with grade level classroom teachers to create a schedule that ensures appropriate ESOL services for the ML students. As ESOL services are federally mandated, classroom teachers must partner with the itinerant ESOL teacher to support student achievement and progress. Any questions or concerns regarding itinerant ESOL teachers should be directed to Erika.Pereira@k12.dc.gov.
• Itinerant ESOL teachers are assigned the provision of direct ESOL services. Itinerant ESOL teachers are not available to provide support as substitute ESOL teachers. (If a school-based ESOL teacher is out on leave, school leadership should hire a substitute teacher and contact LAD. The LAD will provide pedagogical support as needed.)

Staffing Allocations: ML Support Positions 

Schools receive allocations of ESOL instructional aides based on the ratio below.

*The projected enrollment of ML students who have been assigned a detailed ML status as 1 or NES (non-English speaker) will be used to determine the allocation of ESOL instructional aides.

SBB ML Weight Allocation

ML SBB funds are provided to schools based on their ML projection. The ML weight is 0.3 times the base weight. Thus, schools receive that amount on top of the base student funding for every ML student. This funding is flexible for school leaders to budget for positions or goods and services that support ML students.

For schools who receive itinerant ML services, LAD strongly recommends using these funds to budget for supplies and materials needed by the itinerant teacher who provides services to these students. Please connect with Erika.Pereira@k12.dc.gov to identify instructional supplies that are needed.

Budgeting for a Bilingual Counselor

The funding generated by the ML SBB weight will be used to pre-budget Bilingual Counselors at a 1:100 ratio for schools. This represents the same ratios that have been used historically, as per the agreement with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and DCPS, which remains in place. The Bilingual Counselors that are pre-budgeted are not flexible. Bilingual Counselors should be dedicated exclusively to working with ML students and their families. The Bilingual Counselors may not be used to substitute or supplant the counseling needs of the general student (non-ML) population.

Additional Staffing Options

Schools might use the ML SBB weight funds to budget for any of the positions below after the required Bilingual Counselor positions are accounted for.

• Additional Bilingual Counselor (recommended 1:100 ratio)
• ESOL Coordinator (Secondary)
• ESOL Instructional Coach
• ESOL TLI
• Reading Specialist with ML focus

Additional Options

Schools might use the ML SBB weight funds to budget for any of the services and instructional materials below after the required Bilingual Counselor positions are accounted for. School-wide PD contracts can be used to support expanded understanding of working with MLs. Connect with Maria.Austria@k12.dc.gov for more information.

Instructional materials include bilingual dictionaries, illustrative dictionaries, texts in students’ native language, school licenses for supplemental blended learning programs designed for MLs, etc. Please see the following chart of the Programs/Licenses that have been supported by LAD previously. Please note the adjustments for SY25-26.

LAD is happy to collaborate with school leaders to identify vendors. Other ideas for culturally responsive purchases with ML SBB funding include:

• Bilingual dictionaries
• Bilingual/multilingual books and graphic novels
• Multilingual welcome posters
• Multilingual board games
• Language access needs (e.g., translated printed materials and signs, school-based Interpretation costs for events not supported by the Language Access Unit, etc.)
• Interpretation needs for the school community. (LAD will have limited funds to cover interpretation needs and will direct those funds to full-school events with documented outreach to the families of ML students. Smaller events should be funded through the ML SBB funds. Please reach out to language.access@k12.dc.gov for support and guidance.

In addition, principals should identify staff members to serve in the following capacities in support of the ML program: 

• ESOL Point of Contact (POC): Schools may designate a staff member/liaison to LAD who will serve at the ESOL POC for compliance related to multilingual learners. This ESOL POC can support the school with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) compliance for MLs including referrals to the Welcome Center and mandated state assessment coordination. Schools should provide the ESOL POC with a prep period (or the equivalent of) for completion of Compliance Tasks, ACCESS coordination and planning to be done with the testing coordinator, and other duties, including sharing ML data and information with school staff. Schools should budget administrative premium to compensate this paid prep period.
• ESOL Department Chair: Secondary schools with more than four ESOL teacher positions may have an ESOL department chair as one of their four non-core department chairs through the typical department chair selection. If the department chair meets the above two conditions, the stipend is funded centrally.

Budgeting Considerations

• How are ML students included in enrichment and intervention opportunities? Do the enrichment and intervention opportunities have built in supports/considerations for MLs? 
• How is the professional development (PD) plan for the school considerate of the PD needs of staff working with MLs? What support is needed?
• How are school banners, t-shirts, etc. providing affirming messages for the linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) community? Are banners, signs, t-shirts, etc. available in the languages represented at the school? 
• How are school and community partnerships creating a plan for bilingual family and mental health supports? 
• How could school funds be used to supplement the ML-funded positions, identified above, to better equip the school? 

Central Support 

Financial 

Principals should remain in close communication with the LAD, as there may be available funding for ML student/family engagement opportunities with the District’s Title III Allocation. Examples of past school uses of Title III funding have included: 

• ML family Saturday academies 
• Purchase of ML blended learning licenses specific to school need 
• Purchase of bilingual dictionaries 

Non-Financial 

The LAD can support schools in the following ways:

• Language Access support (translation and interpretation) can be provided through the Language Access Unit. Contact language.access@k12.dc.gov for more information or use the links above. 
• Professional development/coaching support is available through the LAD Instructional Unit and through the Cluster Support Model (CSM). Reach out to the assigned LAD CSM member for the school cluster. For additional information regarding the LAD supports through the School Cluster Model, please contact Maria.Austria@k12.dc.gov.

Point of Contact 

Rosanna DeMammos, Deputy Chief, Language Acquisition Division – rosanna.demammos@k12.dc.gov

---

School Counselors

Purpose

School counselors design, develop, and implement a data-driven, comprehensive (PK-12) school counseling program to successfully prepare students to become global leaders in the 21st century. A comprehensive school counseling program serves the whole student by meeting academic, career, and social/emotional needs. PK-12 school counseling programs support students in achieving personal growth, acquiring positive social skills and values, setting informed career goals, and realizing academic potential to become productive, contributing members of a global community. 

• Elementary school counselors help students gain the knowledge, awareness, and skills to become healthy, safe, competent, and confident learners. By providing education, prevention, early identification, and intervention, Elementary school counselors help all students achieve academic, social, and emotional success. Elementary school counselors also teach students study skills, problem solving skills, emotional regulation, resilience, and help students successfully transition to middle school. 
• Middle school counselors help students transition by guiding course selection and addressing early adolescent challenges. They provide SEL-based lessons and small group interventions on topics like conflict resolution and academic success. Counselors meet individually with 8^th-grade students to address interpersonal challenges and prepare them for high school. They also support students at risk of failing by teaching organization, study skills, and goal-setting. As students near high school, counselors focus on college and career exploration to lay the foundation for future plans.
• High school counselors guide students in course selection, helping them align choices with future goals. They provide information on academic options, including career and technical education, AP courses, International Baccalaureate programs, dual enrollment, and community service. Counselors also assist with college entrance exam registration (e.g., PSAT, SAT, ACT) and help students access financial aid and scholarships. With expertise in adolescent development, learning strategies, and social skills, counselors support students’ academic and personal success. Additionally, they offer short-term counseling for students facing social-emotional challenges.

How Funds Are Allocated 

• Grades PK-5: Schools are allocated flexible funds, including student-based budgeting (SBB) local funds, and can use these funds to budget for school counselors. 
• Grades 6-8: Schools are allocated a 10-month school counselor at a ratio of 1:400 rounding up to the nearest 0.5 
• Grades 9-12: Schools are allocated a 11-month school counselor at a ratio of 1:250 rounding up to the nearest 0.5 

Requirements 

Schools must maintain allocation ratios budgeting 1:400 for grades 6-8 and 1:250 for grades 9-12. 

Budgeting Recommendations  

It is recommended that schools budget at a 1:250 ratio across all grade levels. See the Multilingual Learners budget guide section for more information on Bilingual Counselors. 

Role of the School Counselor 

• School counselors should spend 80% of their time providing direct services to students, including classroom lessons, small group counseling, and individual counseling. Counselors also provide school-wide programming to promote academic, career, and social/emotional development. 
• School counselors recognize and respond to the need for mental health services for all students. School counselors offer instruction that enhances mental health awareness, provides appraisal and advisement for academic, career, and social/emotional development, provides short-term counseling interventions, and provides referrals to community resources for long-term counseling support. 
• School counselors can provide support to a school’s Homeless Liaison and SEL Lead. 
• School counselors support students and their families with yearly academic transcript review conferences.

Best Practices 

• School counselors should not serve as 504 coordinators, bullying coordinators, testing coordinators, attendance leads, hall monitors, or substitute teachers. 
• Since school counselors fill a specific role in the school, they should not be replaced by social workers, school psychologists, college/career coordinators, Pathways coordinators, paraprofessionals, assistant principals, behavior technicians, or deans who also fill specific roles at the school.
• The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends every school has one school counselor for every 250 students. For bilingual/linguistically-developing students, the recommendation is one School Counselor for every 100 students.

Menu of Options

Schools can elect to budget for a Director – School Counseling role to provide school leadership specific to counseling programming and scope and sequence. 

The Director – School Counseling is a 12-month position. Directors would serve as the school counseling POC and manage the work of the program and could hold evaluative authority. This position is available for middle and high schools who have at least three school counselors or serve at least 750 students.

Central Support 

Financial 

There is a small Central Services budget to purchase curriculum and resources for school counselors. Counselors can submit their budget requests to dcps.counseling@k12.dc.gov. The counseling team will review budget requests and send approved materials directly to school counselors. 

Non-Financial 

The School Counseling Team at Central Services provides professional development, coaching, leadership, and mentoring. 

Points of Contact 

• Damali Stewart, School Counseling and Postsecondary Planning Manager, Office of Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) Strategy – damali.stewart@k12.dc.gov
• Brittany Crumbling, PK-5 School Counseling Specialist, Office of Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) Strategy – brittany.crumbling@k12.dc.gov
• Malik Williams, 6-12 School Counseling Specialist, Office of Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) Strategy – malik.williams@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources 

• The Role of the School Counselor
• Effectiveness of School Counseling
• The School Counselor and Student Mental Health

---

School Mental Health

Purpose

The School Mental Health (SMH) Team ensures the clinical efficacy of services provided by School Psychologists and Social Workers including screening, early intervention, evidenced-based treatment and practice, assessment, professional development, and consultation. School Psychologists and Social Workers are hired for specific areas of work that support both academic and social-emotional growth. Their roles are defined and should be limited to their areas of expertise to ensure their contributions to students, staff, and the broader school community are effective. If a school wishes to change their school mental health allocation, they can but must submit a petition that clearly outlines how services will still be provided. When submitting the petition, they must maintain a portion of the allocation and cannot reduce both positions to zero.

How Funds Are Allocated

The SMH team supports schools in determining mental health staffing models that best meet the needs of school communities using a two-part formula. The first part of the formula includes variables such as:

• Number of students (school size)
• Students receiving specialized instruction
• Students within Behavior & Education Support (BES) self-contained classes
• Economically disadvantaged enrollment

In FY26, DCPS will continue the hold harmless methodology started in FY24. The hold harmless methodology compares the formula’s output to the prior fiscal year’s allocation. Only increases in staff allocations are allowed in this process.

Role of School Psychologists

School Psychologists are integral members of school-based multidisciplinary teams. They can help educators isolate student strengths and deficits, making targeted remediation possible. School Psychologists also screen students who exhibit early academic or social-emotional warning indicators and collect data to determine the severity of student need at the lower tiers of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). If concerns persist, School Psychologists will complete psychological assessments to help school teams determine if students meet eligibility criteria for a disability classification for specialized instruction and related services.

Role of Social Workers

Social Workers are the only school-based mental health staff who are licensed by both the Department of Health (DOH) and the OSSE. They are trained to provide mental health evidenced-based treatments and practices to students and are best suited to provide behavior support services as prescribed on student’s 504 Plans and Individual Education Program. Social Workers also complete social work assessments, functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) to help school teams make data-informed decisions related to modifying behavior.

Allocation Flexibilities

School Social Workers and School Psychologists are NF2 allocations. Any change must still ensure that school mental health needs are met based on the position roles above. No school will be allowed to petition away allocations to zero during budget development.

Additionally, beginning in FY26, select schools with a history of reprogramming or persistent vacancies in their School Psychologist or Social Worker positions will be required to contribute to the cost of their itinerant support. These schools will be notified directly by the School Mental Health Team and will not be permitted to petition any of their allocated School Psychologist funds.

Schools without a history of persistent vacancies who petition a School Psychologist or Social Worker must still retain at least 0.5 FTEs for each position but can use the rest of their allocated funds to add an alternative School Mental Health or Social Emotional Learning/School Climate position(s); no other position types will be approved. Any remaining savings from this change can be put towards administrative premium.

Please see below for additional criteria used to assess the validity of petitions:

Potential criteria for converting a 10-month position to a 12-month position:

1. Schools must evidence that there is not a community partner available to provide needed services.
2. Schools must evidence a significant increase (not yet accounted for) in enrollment, the number of projected special education students, the number of BES/CES classrooms, or another significant area that will require additional support. 
3. Schools must evidence the unique needs necessary over the summer months that are separate and above the normal school year’s tasks. These summer specific tasks that require a 12-month employee must clearly be distinguished from the responsibilities of a 10-month related service provider.
4. School leaders must agree that the 12-month SMH provider, in addition to their school-specific duties, may be utilized to support CIEP, ESY, missed services, and other city-wide related tasks.

Before we approve a petition, the team will use data to determine the following factors:

1. School Mental Health (SMH) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) alignment – All petitioned roles must still support SMH or SEL; petitions for roles that do not support SMH or SEL will be denied.
2. Prior requests for support – the level of support requested by the school for service delivery or assessments that are unmet by the allocated position(s).
3. Role strain – the rate of attrition of service providers at the school. 

If it is determined based on these factors that a petition should not be granted, then the School Mental Health Team will not approve. Additionally, schools must submit a request to the School Mental Health and the School Finance Teams to have access to a 12-month position in the QuickBase budget application. The School Finance Team may be reached at dcps.schoolfunding@k12.dc.gov.

School Psychology Paid Internship Program

The School Psychology Paid Internship Program offers an opportunity for aspiring school psychologists to gain hands-on experience while supporting schools in need. Interns can earn up to $30,000 for completing 1,200 hours of service. This program not only bridges the gap in mental health services but also helps shape the next generation of school psychologists through real-world practice.

Schools that have budgeted for a full- or part-time psychologist and have not yet filled the vacancy by late spring may be eligible to host an intern for the coming school year. Interns can ensure that students receive essential psychological services. The School Psychology team will determine which schools are the best fit for the intern and the vacant role, ensuring an optimal match. Potential criteria for selection include IEP caseload, psychology assessment needs, school culture/climate, and the availability of a school psychologist mentor that will be critical to the success of the student. Selected schools will be contacted directly by Kevin Parker regarding next steps for placement.

During summer reprogramming, selected schools may reassign their School Psychologist vacancy to a Paid Intern position. The total cost for the Psychology Intern position is $58,000. This covers the intern stipend ($30,000), the contracts needed for testing services ($25,000), and a $1,500 per semester (total $3,000) stipend for Internship Field Supervisors.

Points of Contact

• Nigel Jackson, Director, School Mental Health (Social Work) – nigel.jackson3@k12.dc.gov
• Kevin Parker, Director, School Mental Health (School Psychology) – kevin.parker@k12.dc.gov

---

Title I – Parent & Family Engagement

Purpose

Title I-A is a grant that provides supplemental funds to LEAs and schools, with the intent that the extra support and resources must help all students have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to achieve academic proficiency on state standards and assessments. Schools that serve grades kindergarten through 12 and have a high concentration of students from low-income households are eligible for the Title I-A grant.

DCPS must reserve no less than 1 percent of its Title I-A allocation to conduct parent and family engagement activities. This allocation is distributed exclusively to Title I schools on a per-pupil basis based on schools’ poverty enrollment. The funds are supplemental to schools’ local funding and must be used to support family engagement initiatives. Parents of children receiving Title I-A services must be involved in decisions regarding how these funds will be used.

In FY26, Title I schools may submit petitions to budget their Title I – Parent & Family Engagement dollars into specific NPS lines. These funds will automatically load into general supplies if not petitioned. When submitting a petition, please consult the guidance below and provide a detailed spend plan for review. Petitions will be reviewed by the Grants Team to ensure compliance.

Allowable Uses

Strategies funded by Title I-A should be implemented using evidence-based activities or interventions. Title I-A funds may not be used for expenditures that would otherwise be paid with local funding. To avoid supplanting, schools should design their Title I-A programs to be supplemental to their basic academic programs.

Examples of allowable Title I – Parent & Family Engagement expenditures include: 

• Consumables, such as paper, glue, and scissors, for parent and family engagement projects
• Instructional kits, workbooks, reading materials, and other items included as part of a parent and family engagement activity
• Supplies and materials for a parent and family resource center (including copy paper and reading materials) or to assist families’ understanding of curriculum and content standards
• Professional services (e.g., guest speakers, customized resources, etc.) to host parent and family engagement activities
• Contracts with community-based organizations to provide parent and family engagement services more appropriately provided by an external agency
• Literacy/skills training, including professional development for parents and families
• Meetings to engage parents and families in the planning, development, and evaluation of Title I programs
• Translation of information into any language spoken by a significant percentage of the parents and families of Title I students
• Communication and printing to provide ongoing outreach and information services to parents and families

Points of Contact 

• Nicole Clements, Manager, Grant Administration – nicole.clements@k12.dc.gov
• Charmian Makell, Director, Grant Administration – charmian.makell@k12.dc.gov
• Yiesha Thompson, Director, Monitoring and Program Support – yiesha.thompson@k12.dc.gov

---

Title II – Professional Development

Purpose 

Title II-A grants are provided to educational agencies to:

• Increase student achievement consistent with challenging state academic standards
• Improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders
• Increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools
• Provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders

How Funds Are Allocated 

All schools receive a per-pupil allocation of Title II funding to be used for professional development. Funds may be used for activities that are meant to implement the most effective strategies for improving the instructional quality of a school. Keep in mind that strategies should be implemented with evidence-based activities or interventions. Title II funds may not be used for expenditures that would otherwise be paid with local funding. To avoid supplanting, schools should design their Title II programs to be supplemental to their basic programs for educator development, recruitment, and retention.

In FY26, schools may submit petitions to budget their Title II – Professional Development dollars into specific NPS lines. These funds will automatically load into professional development if not petitioned. When submitting a petition, please consult the guidance below and provide a detailed spend plan for review. Petitions will be reviewed by the Grants Team to ensure compliance.

Budgeting Recommendations/Requirements

Title II funds can be used for professional development that includes teachers of every subject, as well as all other school staff – from principals to librarians to paraprofessionals. Funds must be used to provide quality, sustained professional development staff/services that:  

• Are intensive and yield a positive and lasting impact on instruction and teachers’ performance
• Are short-term workshops or conferences, supported with a sustainability plan articulated and approved in a school’s Comprehensive School Plan
• Are intended to improve teachers’ knowledge of subjects they teach, their understanding of effective instructional strategies, and their classroom management skills
• Are aligned with and directly related to the content standards
• Are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, parents, and administrators
• Are regularly evaluated for their impact on increasing teacher effectiveness and improving student academic achievement

Allowable uses include:

• Conference registration fees for school-based staff to enhance their professional learning
• Developing or improving a rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation and support system for teachers and school leaders
• Funding professional development activities that may include tuition and employee training to improve classroom instruction and/or teacher performance
• Increasing teacher effectiveness for students with disabilities and English learners
• Membership fees for professional learning platforms and/or organizations
• Personalizing professional learning
• Preventing and recognizing child sexual abuse
• Professional services to host professional learning opportunities for school-based staff
• Providing feedback mechanisms to improve working conditions
• Providing instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform classroom practice
• Providing training for teachers and principals in the use of technology that improve teaching and learning
• Recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers
• Supporting awareness and treatment of trauma and mental illness
• Supporting early education
• Supporting effective use of assessments
• Supporting gifted and talented students
• Supporting postsecondary and workforce readiness
• Supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
• Supporting school library programs
• Travel costs incurred to attend out-of-town professional learning

Non-allowable uses include:

• Providing direct services to students and parents
• Purchasing educational supplies, materials, or equipment for student use
• Constructing facilities or paying for installation fees or services

Helpful Resources

For more information, please view OSSE’s Title II-A resource, here.

Points of Contact 

• Nicole Clements, Manager, Grant Administration – nicole.clements@k12.dc.gov
• Charmian Makell, Director, Grant Administration – charmian.makell@k12.dc.gov
• Yiesha Thompson, Director, Monitoring and Program Support – yiesha.thompson@k12.dc.gov

---

Back to Budget Guide Homepage

---