Additional Programming

Technology Purchasing 

Purpose

To compete in a global workforce, students must be equipped with the skills to use technology effectively. Technology in schools must also support instructional goals and online assessments. In calendar year 2021, schools were asked to use their funding to replace all Windows 7 staff and student devices that are not eligible for upgrade to Windows 10. Schools must continue to prioritize the replacement of any critical Windows 7 devices as soon as possible as OCTO will no longer permit Windows 7 devices access to the network due to security risks. To ensure all DCPS students have equitable access to technology, DCPS Central Office will continue to provide primary student and teacher (WTU member) laptops centrally through the Empowered Learners initiative (ELi). However, schools will remain responsible for the replacement of out-of-lifecycle shared student devices (e.g., computer lab/library/media center devices, etc.) and any non-teacher/admin staff devices.

As part of the district’s multi-year approach to refreshing classroom interactive boards in all schools, DCPS Central Office will continue the deployment of classroom interactive board (SMART boards) in select schools in FY24. Schools will be prioritized based on the least number of functional boards.

Budgeting Recommendations

Schools should budget for the replacement of the following technology:

• Critical Windows 7 devices used by staff, students (e.g., computer labs), and/or other essential purposes (e.g., auditorium A/V controls, libraries/media centers, security cameras computers, HVAC controllers, building automation devices, etc.)
• Non-teacher/admin staff devices not provided centrally
• Out-of-lifecycle shared or secondary student devices in computer labs, libraries, and media centers.
• Additional accessories and supplies such as PARCC assessment headsets, device charging adapters (chargers), laptop batteries, desktop printer ink/toner, etc.

Technology Purchasing Guidance

A school’s non-personnel funds and At-Risk Technology funds may be used to purchase the following:

Student computers

In 2019, DCPS announced the Empowered Learners Initiative (ELi), a commitment to supply students with the appropriate technology in the classroom. In School Year 2020-2021 and beyond, DCPS has ensured a 1:1 ratio in grades 3-12 and 3:1 ratio in grades PK-2. Schools should consider requirements for any additional student device needs for shared spaces, such as in computer labs or library/media center devices. Purchasing these devices is the school’s responsibility. To ensure effective security and compliance with standards, DCPS and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) will only support student devices purchased from approved devices in the Purchasing Guide for Computers found at http://dcps.tech/purchasing/.

Smartboard Deployments: Phase 3 

As part of the district’s multi-year approach to refreshing classroom interactive boards in all schools, DCPS Central Office will continue the deployment of classroom interactive boards (SMART boards) in select schools in FY23. Schools will be prioritized based on the least number of functional boards. See list below for which schools will receive interactive boards for FY23 –24.  

The IT team has shared with the School Finance Team that these are the following schools for Phase III of smartboard deployment. 

• For schools slated to be in Phase III: To learn more about the number of smartboards your school will receive, please contact Katie.Williams@k12.dc.gov. 
• For schools not part of Phase III: To learn more about which phase your school was or is in, please contact Katie.Williams@k12.dc.gov. 

Teacher computers

For SY22-23, DCPS purchased and deployed teacher laptop devices centrally. This summer, we will purchase teacher laptops for SY2023-24 to replace out-of-lifecycle teacher devices and to ensure that all teachers have a functioning device to support teaching and learning. Schools will receive additional devices based on the number of teaching staff after accounting for centrally purchased staff devices in the environment. As a result of this investment, schools are encouraged to prioritize technology funds for non-teacher technology needs. Schools should plan to purchase devices for administrative staff and non-WTU instructional staff as needed, using the DCPS Technology Purchasing Guide to select devices.

Administrative (Non-Teacher) computers

DCPS recommends replacement of each administrative and teacher computer every four years. Please note that Microsoft support and security updates for Windows 7 devices ended on January 15, 2020. Schools must replace any Windows 7 devices that are not eligible for upgrade as soon as possible or they will be blocked from accessing the school network. Please click here to view the communication shared with schools in early 2020 regarding Windows 7 support. To ensure effective security and compliance with standards, DCPS and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) will only support staff devices purchased from approved devices in the Purchasing Guide for Computers found at http://dcps.tech/purchasing/. The guide includes instructions on how to purchase devices.

Supplies to support technology

At-risk funds can be used to purchase supplies to support technology. These items could include laptop power cords, laptop batteries, and bulbs for existing interactive boards. This funding should not be used to purchase batteries and small accessories that can be purchased with office supply funds. 

Point of Contact

• DCPS Asset Administration team: AssetAdmin@k12.dc.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will DCPS central office continue to purchase student and teacher devices? Yes, DCPS central office will invest in student and WTU staff technology in the upcoming budget cycle to ensure we maintain a 1:1 ratio in grades 3-12 and 3:1 in grades PK-2. Additionally, DCPS aims to replace approximately 1500 classroom interactive boards in calendar year 2023.
• What student device will DCPS be purchasing? In SY22-23, DCPS began deploying Lenovo 13W Yoga laptops for grades K-8 and Apple iPad for PK grades. Students who take part in the Career Technology Education program will be provided a high-powered Lenovo device to support their learning.
• Will devices be LTE enabled? In SY20-21, DCPS invested in LTE-enabled student devices and hotspots to support districtwide virtual learning due the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the return to an in-person learning posture, LTE connectivity on student devices is no longer provided as of the end of SY21-22. Devices will rely on an active Wi-Fi connection to access the internet, with the exception of any students authorized to remain 100% virtual in SY22-23. This change was announced in the SY21-22 EOY Tech Guidance. Eligible families and households may visit the federal Affordable Connectivity Program website for more information on available discounts toward internet services at home.
• Why is DCPS not purchasing 1:1 devices in all grade levels? DCPS is building on the investment made during COVID-19 while also replacing devices that will be out of lifecycle in SY2023-24 to ensure we meet our commitment for year 4 of the Empowered Learners Initiative (ELi). This plan includes a contingency reserve of devices and DCPS will have over 45,000 devices available and will be prepared for a pivot to virtual learning if needed. At the same time, we are making an additional investment to ensure that all teachers and WTU members have a functional device for teaching and learning.
• What staff will receive this device? DCPS will purchase devices centrally so that all WTU staff have a dedicated and in-lifecycle device. Schools will receive devices based on the number of WTU staff after accounting for devices provided centrally and through any recent school modernizations. Schools should plan to purchase devices for all other administrative staff and non-WTU instructional staff as needed using school budgets. Schools must plan to replace any Windows 7 devices for SY2021-22.
• What device will DCPS purchase for teachers? DCPS will continue to purchase the as our standard teacher device.
• When will student and teacher devices arrive? DCPS is leveraging funds available in FY23 to procure devices. We aim to have devices arrive in schools before school year 23-24 starts but this will depend on completion of the procurement process and availability of device inventory from suppliers. We will share more specific timeline once the procurement process is complete.

 

 

ANET

ANet Interim Assessments and Professional Development

Purpose

In SY23-24, all schools are provided with ANet interim assessments in ELA for students in Grades 3-10 and Math for Grades 3-8, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Any school wishing to purchase ANet coaching, including current partnership schools, can contact the Director of Academic Acceleration, Lola Odukoya (Lola.Odukoya@k12.dc.gov), to discuss.

Budgeting Guidance

Schools can budget for additional ANet support using their contract dollars.

Point of Contact

Lola Odukoya, Director of Academic Acceleration – lola.odukoya@k12.dc.gov

 

Blended Learning

Curriculum For Content Areas (Electronic Learning)

The Office of Teaching and Learning, in collaboration with the Acceleration division, plans to purchase and provide schools with resources to support instruction in various content areas. OTL will be providing principals a SY23-24 (FY24) OTL-Provided Resources document which outlines materials that were thoroughly reviewed and selected based on school implementation needs, quality, and alignment to the standards. Schools should budget for any other digital curriculum using their flexible dollars budget in collaboration with their content cluster instructional teams.

Budgeting & Procurement Guidance

Follow these guidelines to budget for Blended Learning Curriculum by budgeting funds into “Electronic Learning.”

• Schools determine which programs they want to use based on recommendations from the specific content teams and with Instructional Superintendents. If schools do not budget and procure the program(s) on time, the program will be turned off for that school.
• Advance Funds: If the program start date is BEFORE 10/1/2023, use FY24 Advance Funds or current FY23 funds. We recommend using advance funds or current fiscal year funds whenever possible to ensure students can begin day one.
• Electronic Learning is a subscription and may cross fiscal years
  • Programs with new contract start date of 10/1/2023 or later CANNOT use advance funds. 

Points of Contact

• Gabriel Cartagena, Director, Secondary Math – gabriel.cartagena@k12.dc.gov
• Mawuena De-Souza, Manager, Secondary Interventions – mawuena.de-souza@k12.dc.gov
• Emily Hammett, Director, Elementary ELA and Social Studies – Eemily.hammett@k12.dc.gov
• Jason Moore, Manager, Elementary Assessments & Interventions – jason.moore3@k12.dc.gov
• James Rountree, Director, Secondary Science – james.rountree@k12.dc.gov
• Kate Burkett, Director, Language Learning – kate.burkett@k12.dc.gov
• Abby Welsheimer, Director, Secondary ELA – abby.welsheimer@k12.dc.gov

 

School Partnerships

Purpose

DCPS defines a partner as an organization or group that is committed to work with DCPS to make sustainable impact on a shared goal around student success. Partners may include community organizations, afterschool providers, corporations, donors, and/or vendors that collaborate with schools throughout the year (e.g., curriculum or professional development partners).

While many partner organizations are free to schools, they may still incur additional costs like security or custodial fees. There are also several partner organizations that do charge a fee. As such, schools should consider all potential budget implications related to working with external partners as schools develop their budget.

Restrictions

• All partners** must register with the DCPS Partnerships Database. For information on how to do that as well as the other necessary steps partners must take (including the clearance process and executing an MOA), click here.
• Only the Chancellor or his designated deputy has the authority to sign a legal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with partner organizations. If a partner approaches a school asking to sign a legal document that engages the school in promises and programmatic responsibilities, please refer the organization to the DCPS Office of the General Counsel.
• For partners that charge a fee, the procurement process must be completed before programming can begin. Partners cannot be paid for services rendered before the PO is in place.

**Mental Health providers should register here instead of using the link above.

Specific Partnership Reminders

Below is a reminder on how schools should budget for the following partnerships:

City Year implements a Whole School Whole Child model through a group of carefully selected, highly trained AmeriCorps members who provide individualized support to at-risk students, while establishing an overall positive learning environment throughout the schools they service. All participating schools are required to allocate $40,000 – $130,000 for City Year in contractual services from their school budget. The amount allocated is associated with the number of corps members agreed upon with City Year. Due to the current contract with City Year, which is negotiated by the Contracts & Acquisitions Division, schools should not advance any funds for services in August and September 2023 nor should the Principal or any school staff members sign a partnership agreement.

Communities in Schools (CIS) is a nonprofit organization that supports schools by implementing the model of Integrated Student Supports (ISS), a data-driven, evidence-based solution to remove barriers to student success. ISS improves the delivery of services by enabling students to be linked to a broad set of community resources that address numerous needs in a coordinated way. CIS places a full-time site coordinator in each school to assess the needs at the school and develop an annual school support plan that outlines three tiers of supports. All participating schools should allocate the cost-share for CIS in professional services from their school budget (price should be negotiated with the partner).

Literacy Lab provides effective targeted reading intervention for students, helps students develop relationships with caring and literacy-trained adults and are less expensive than many alternatives. For these reasons, Literacy Lab are a recommended component of our reading acceleration strategy at DCPS. There is a strong correlation between students enrolled in Literacy Lab and accelerated growth towards proficiency on objective measurements (such as DIBELS). All participating schools are required to allocate funds for Literacy Lab in contractual services from their school budgets.  Returning school partners typically budget $10,000 towards their services but the specific price of the partnership is negotiated with the partner based on the number of tutors provided. New partnerships should plan to spend $15,000 but the specific cost of the partnership is negotiated with the partner based on the number of tutors provided. Some schools may need to advance a portion of their funding for services in August and September 2023. Please reach out to Jason Moore (jason.moore3@k12.dc.gov) to determine if this applies to your school. 

Reading Partners provides effective targeted reading intervention for students, helps students develop relationships with caring and literacy-trained adults and are less expensive than many alternatives. For these reasons, Reading Partners are a recommended component of our reading acceleration strategy at DCPS. There is a strong correlation between students enrolled in Reading Partners and accelerated growth towards proficiency on objective measurements (such as DIBELS). All participating schools are required to allocate funds for Reading Partners in contractual services from their school budgets. School partners typically allocate $15,000 towards their services but the specific price of the partnership is negotiated with the partner based on the number of tutors provided. Schools should not advance a portion of their funding for services in August and September 2023.

SAGA Education provides high impact math tutoring to 9th and 10th grade students enrolled in Algebra 1 and Geometry through a combination of small group individualized instruction and an adaptive learning platform. SAGA partners with school administration and teachers to provide math support to students during the school day as an independent class that is aligned to the standards and objectives being covered in their math class. All participating schools should allocate $20,000 in contractual services from their school budget. Schools should not advance funds for August or September 2022. Price may be subject to change. If you are interested in forming a new partnership with SAGA please reach out to Gabriel Cartagena (gabriel.cartagena@k12.dc.gov) to confirm capacity. 

Budgeting Guidance

The following is a list of the most common costs associated with partner organizations. This is not an exhaustive list and we strongly encourage all schools to work directly with partners to identify all costs. To budget for partnerships, use contractual services funds.

• Service Fees: Partners may require payment for services directly from the school and/or Central Office team supporting the work. If the school and/or Central Office team intends to pay the partner, they must budget funds in contractual services and complete the procurement process before services begin.
• Custodial Fees: It is likely either the school or the partner will need to budget for custodial overtime if the partner requires building access after-hours or on weekends.
• Security Fees: It is likely either the school or the partner will need to request security overtime if the partner requires building access after-hours or on weekends. School Program Providers that offer programs free of charge to DCPS students and families between dismissal and 6:30pm on school days should not be charged security fees if other DCPS-operated programming is happening at the same time.
• Supplies: While partners typically cover these costs, it is important to discuss who will fund supplies. This may range from office supplies (student journals, pencils etc.), to student athletic gear/uniforms.
• Fees for Families/Students: Some partners, especially after school programs, require enrollment fees for individual families. While this does not impact school budgets, it is important to know the implications for the school community.
• Funding Reliability: Many partners are funded by grants or other funding sources that are not consistently available or are not confirmed until after the school year has begun. On occasion, partners commit to serve a school but unexpectedly lose funding and must stop services mid-school year, which can be a challenge for the school community. To ensure continuity of the partnership throughout the school year, schools must have direct conversations with key partners to clearly identify funding reliability for the full breadth of services provided. Central Office is not able to fill funding gaps to ensure continued services.
  • Ask the partner to confirm that all necessary funding is secured to cover the full scope of partnership for the upcoming year.
  • If the partner is waiting on future grant awards or other allocations, gain clarity from your partner on what will happen if those funds are not secured and identify by what date the partner will know if they are awarded funds.
  • If the school decides to proceed with the partner, even if funding is not fully confirmed, the school and partner should develop an alternative plan if funding does not come through.
  • If this situation arises with a partner, schools are encouraged to contact the DCPS Partnerships Team for guidance at partnerships@k12.dc.gov.

Note on DCPS Operated Afterschool Programs: Title I elementary schools and education campuses that are part of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Out-of-School Time Grant receive an afterschool programs allocation from the Out of School Time Programs division in the Office of Teaching and Learning. This personnel allocation cannot be reprogrammed to contractual services for an afterschool provider. These schools may budget for additional afterschool programing with partners using flexible funding.

Additionally, if a school is considering engaging with a partner to provide “fulltime” afterschool programming (Mon-Fri, 3:30-6:00pm) as a supplement to the OSTP 21stCCLC afterschool program, please reach out to the manager of OSTP afterschool programs, Daisy Hicks, daisy.hicks@k12.dc.gov to discuss it before establishing any agreement. The added partnership may have an impact on DCPS’s ability to meet the obligations of our 21stCCLC grant.

Points of Contact by Program:

• For general, afterschool, and summer partnerships: Abby Cohen, Manager, Partner Engagement, abigail.cohen@k12.dc.gov 
• For City Year: Michael Lamb, Deputy Chief, Learning and Development Sciences, michael.lamb@k12.dc.gov
• For Communities in Schools: Carla Mike, Manager, Connected Schools, carla.mike@k12.dc.gov
• For Literacy Lab and Reading Partners: Jason Moore, Manager, Elementary Assessments & Interventions, jason.moore3@k12.dc.gov
• For SAGA Education: Gabriel Cartagena, Director, Secondary Math, gabriel.cartagena@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• DCPS Partnerships Database (Search 400+ registered DCPS partners)
• DCPS School Partnership Toolkit
• School Program Provider Policies and Procedures

 

 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Positions 

Purpose

The Science of Learning and Development tells us the context in schools, meaning the learning context (environment, relationships, experiences.), drives development in positive and negative ways. School Culture and Climate Team supports all DCPS schools in working to apply the whole child lens student behavior and discipline aligned to Chapter 25 of the DCMR and the DCPS Student Behavior Tracker, Bullying Prevention, Restorative Practices, and proactive approaches to establishing and building a safe and positive school environment. This team supports schools in determining behavior support and responses to behavior. Along with student support staffing models to best meet the needs of the school’s student population.

Program Guidance

Schools are not allocated Deans, Restorative Justice Coordinators, or Behavior Techs, or; however, Principals have been provided the flexibility to hire a dedicated staff member for these positions or assign the duties to other staff in the building.

The behavior staff within a school will report to the Principal who will determine the staffing plan to include protected time for the work listed below. Typically, this team is made up of Deans, Behavior Techs, Restorative Justice Coordinators. These positions focus on creating and maintaining a safe and positive learning environment and student behavior, with the shared common goals of:

• Creating and maintaining an intentional Safe and Positive School Culture/Climate,
• Working with all school resources to provide comprehensive student supports,
• Having an instructional approach to behavior and discipline which focuses on positive skill development, and
• Ensuring the consistent implementation of discipline responses that minimize disruption to Instructional time.

In compliance with the Student Fair Access to Schools Act and DCPS’ behavior/discipline philosophy, schools should structure their staffing with the goal of working to keep students in the building and using exclusionary disciplinary practices for only severe issues.

Budgeting Recommendations

The School Culture Team provides staffing recommendations for schools based on overall enrollment, special education programming, behavior and suspension data, in-school suspension programs, and other relevant factors. Schools should intentionally fill these roles with staff members who can build positive relationships and support students’ academic success while working to develop positive Social and Emotional Learning skills to help minimize the occurrence of negative behaviors moving forward.

• Dean: Schools are recommended to have 1.0 dean of students for populations of 200 students.
• Supporting Dean/Behavior Techs: Schools are recommended to have supporting deans and/or behavior techs for each additional 200 students
  • Note that Restorative Justice Coordinators and Behavior Techs may assist the Dean, but cannot complete duties assigned to a Dean alone, as outlined in the Dean position description.
  • Schools should regularly monitor their student behavior data to see if additional support is needed.

Restorative Justice Coordinator: All middle and high schools are recommended to have at least one Restorative Justice Coordinator. Effective RP programs can help students experiencing challenges develop positive affiliations with schools and a sense of belonging, while not falling behind on their academic work. A full-time RP Coordinator is strongly recommended for schools who have the following suspension days per 100 students:

• 20 for middle and high schools
• 5 for elementary schools; and

Personal Staffing Recommendations

Based on the table of descriptions above, schools should use the following data to drive their school staffing:

• Panorama Data (LCPI)
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
• Student Behavior Tracker (Student Discipline Data)
• Trauma Responsive Schools Model Action Plan Survey

If unable to staff one of the positions above, please reach out to the Learning and Development of Science (LeaDS) team via email LDS@k12.dc.gov  to advise on how to best staff schools.

Menu of Options

In addition to the below specifics, Deans, Behavior Techs, and Restorative Justice Coordinators must be:

• Knowledgeable on Student Fair Access to School Act and Chapter 25
• Trained in Student Behavior Tracker
• Able to implement and incorporate Restorative Justice measures in their work

School Culture Staff Responsibilities

Central Office Support

The School Culture Team will build school level capacity by providing ongoing professional development in the following areas:

• Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)
• Restorative Practices
• Student Behavior Tracker (SBT)
• Bullying Prevention

Point of Contact

Justin McClain, Manager, School Culture – justin.mcclain@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• Bullying Prevention
• Student Fair Access to Schools Act
• Turnaround for Children Toolkit Summary

 

 

Pathways Programming 

Purpose 

DCPS continues to prioritize supporting over-aged and under-credited students towards earning a high school diploma and achieving postsecondary success through Pathways programming at high schools. 

Pathways Coordinators work directly with over-aged and/or under-credited students, often with a specific caseload of students, to ensure they understand what they need to graduate and are receiving the right supports and services. They also work across departments within the schools to streamline efforts and lead programming to help all students get and stay on-track towards graduation. 

How Funds Are Allocated 

High Schools and Opportunity Academies no longer receive a direct allocation for a Pathways Coordinator. Principals may use discretionary funding to budget for this coordinator or other staff member to maintain duties of Pathways Programming. 

Budgeting Recommendations/Menus of Options 

Pathways Coordinator positions are full time roles that should not be combined with other positions at the school. The Pathways Coordinator is a dedicated staff member charged with ensuring all students who are off-track to graduation complete individualized learning plans, are scheduled properly, and have the supports they need to be successful. The Pathways Coordinator collaborates with school staff (e.g., school counselors, social workers, College and Career Coordinators, etc.) to monitor the adjusted cohort graduation rate report and individual progress towards graduation to help the school leadership develop strategies to support all students who are off-track. They are also tasked with creating, leading, and monitoring school-level initiative and programming that support off-track or at-risk students. 

Principals can tailor the position to their school needs; an example of core roles and responsibilities is below. 

Central Office Support 

Financial 

Pathways Coordinators are provided a request form and may request funding from the central office POC up to $1,500 per year to support approved programmatic activities at their school.

Non-Financial 

Central Office provides: 

• Monthly professional development meetings for Pathways Coordinators along with professional development opportunities created by other Central Office teams– e.g., Counseling, College and Career Prep. 
• Data and guidance to help Pathways Coordinators identify and monitor their student caseload and overall school performance on key metrics. 

Point of Contact 

• Liz Wiemers Smith, Director, Student Engagement, Graduation Excellence, Office of Secondary Schools - Elizabeth.Wiemers@k12.dc.gov

 

 

Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)

Purpose

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is a pedagogical framework used to develop the full potential of the student through an inquiry-based, student-choice driven approach that leads to creative-productive giftedness, increased enjoyment, and student satisfaction with the learning experience. Based on the belief that all students have gifts and talents, Enrichment Resource Teachers operationalize the SEM at schools.

How Funds Are Allocated

In FY24, funds for a SEM Enrichment Resource Teacher are not specifically allocated to schools. K-12 Schools who wish to participate in the SEM will budget for the program using their discretionary funding including student-based budgeting (SBB-local) funds. To fully implement the SEM, we recommend hiring 1 (one) ET-15 FTE SEM Enrichment Resource Teacher who should have at least 80% of their focus be on implementation of the SEM.

How the Program is Implemented

Enrichment Resource Teachers serve as enrichment specialists operating within the pedagogical framework known as the SEM. Enrichment Resource Teachers primarily provide inquiry-based facilitation as well as some direct instruction for individual students or small groups of students. This instruction can occur in a pullout or scheduled-class format.

SEM teachers also plan enrichment opportunities such as field trips or recruiting speakers for the whole school. The Enrichment Resource Teacher serves as a liaison to families, to the community, and they serve as an integral part of a school’s Response to Intervention (RTI) efforts.

Menus of Options

If a school would like to implement aspects of the SEM in their school but does not have the ability to staff an Enrichment Resource Teacher position, they may create a SEM committee to organize school-wide aspects of the SEM.

• A SEM committee may organize and manage school-wide enrichment activities, clusters as well as student showcases. A SEM committee typically consists of a combination of administrators, instructional leaders, and/or teachers from various content areas and grade levels who are enthusiastic about SEM to coordinate enrichment opportunities for all students in the school.
• These opportunities could be for small or large groups of students in the form of one-time activities or weekly school-wide enrichment clusters. The point of contact for the SEM committee will communicate and collaborate with Central Services staff for training and resources.

Central Office Support

Financial

Contingent on available funding, the Office of Teaching and Learning supports teacher and administrator attendance at the Schoolwide Enrichment Model training at the University of Connecticut, held each summer. Each spring, an interest survey is sent to SEM administrators and contacts to gauge interest in attending this training. Once the registration and other costs have been confirmed, interested staff are notified if funds are available. Priority is given to participants and/or schools who have not attended in the past. Teacher and administrator SEM Resource books are provided to support implementation of the SEM.

Non-Financial

The Office of Teaching and Learning provides additional support for year-round professional development and coaching as well as providing any available curricular and instructional resources. In order to receive these resources, please contact the Central Services POC below to be added to the SEM cohort.

Point of Contact

Felicia Messina-D’Haiti, Manager – Academic Enrichment Programs, Felicia.Messina-Dhaiti@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• DCPS SEM Handbook
• Schoolwide Enrichment Model

 

 

Flamboyan

Purpose

Supported in part by Flamboyan Foundation, the Family Engagement Partnership (FEP) helps school leaders and staff engage families in ways that benefit student success.  Participating schools receive coaching, training, and ongoing support in the following areas:

• Relationship-Building: Teachers and families form trusting relationships through home/community visits or welcome phone calls. Welcome phone calls or “virtual visits” are not compensated. In order to be compensated for in-person home/community visits, teachers must enter home visit information into Flamboyan’s online database and school-based timekeepers will be responsible for using this information in order to enter home visit hours in PeopleSoft.
• Academic Partnering: Flamboyan Foundation provides training for three different types of academic partnering to enable families to support academics at home: 1) Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT); 2) Parent Teacher Conferences (PTC); and 3) Student Led Conferences (SLC).
• Ongoing Communication: Teachers receive training and support to help them establish regular and ongoing communication with students’ families.

The FEP is designed so that schools’ autonomy increases over time while Flamboyan’s coaching, direct professional development, and technical assistance reduces over time.

Program Guidance 

NEW: Both returning and new schools will be asked to complete an application if they wish to participate in FY24. The Family Engagement Division will be in touch with more details and instructions on how to apply in Spring 2024.

To ensure that DCPS has a sustainable approach for effectively embedding family engagement practices in school communities, and to enable Flamboyan to fund effective family engagement across more schools, Flamboyan asks partner schools to contribute a small amount to help with the overall costs of the partnership program.

How to budget for this partnership:

Schools (returning or new) who have applied and been selected to participate in FY24 will receive a quote for their minimum possible contribution in early February. The contribution guidance below applies for elementary and secondary partnership schools. The funding for Flamboyan must be budgeted in Contractual Services.

NOTE: If schools have limited Contract funds in their local budget, it is allowable to use Title I Parental Involvement funds or ESSER instead of local dollars. However, federal and local dollars cannot be combined to reach the total school-level contribution.

Central Office Support

Financial

The Family Engagement Division compensates teacher leads on the Family Engagement Leadership Team (FELT) who take on additional responsibility to support staff and ensure the quality of family engagement at their schools. Teacher Leads receive a stipend paid out bi-annually. The Family Engagement Division compensates 2 teacher leads for Elementary Schools, and 3 teacher leads for Secondary schools.

The Family Engagement Division also provides staff compensation for home visits from central budget.

Non-Financial

After budgets are finalized, the Family Engagement Division works with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to encumber, or freeze, the minimum contribution from each school’s budget to facilitate procurement and payment to Flamboyan.

Flexibilities and Restrictions

• Participation in this partnership is entirely voluntary. Both returning and new schools will be asked to complete an application if they wish to participate in FY24. The Family Engagement Division will be in touch with more details and instructions on how to apply in Spring 2024.
• Once partnership with Flamboyan is committed to and budgeted for, funds are swept from school budgets and cannot be reprogrammed or repurposed.

Point of Contact

Sophie Hagan, Coordinator, Family Engagement – Sophie.Hagan@k12.dc.gov

 

 

School Strategy & Logistics

Purpose 

The School Strategy & Logistics (SSL) program was designed as an option for instructional gains and operational efficiency across DCPS through school-based operational leadership.  Eligible schools will receive communication from Dedra Adams-Johnson about adding their school to the program.

Budgeting Recommendations

Continuing Schools

For schools that are already part of the SSL program, Principals can budget for positions using discretionary dollars. As Principal, if you decide to make changes to the position, please contact Dedra Adams-Johnson as soon as possible.

New Schools

Principals will have the Director of Strategy & Logistics (DSL) and Manager of Strategy & Logistics (MSL) positions as options in their budgets. Operations work must be led by a DSL or MSL based on student enrollment and other factors. If a school has budgeted for an MSL or DSL, they are also eligible to add the Coordinator of Strategy & Logistics (CSL), and Assistant of Strategy & Logistics (ASL) positions. The Central Office SSL team will advise each Principal on which is appropriate based on the table below.

The SSL staffing allocations outlined below are based on student enrollment, school type and the size of the building.

Candidates for the DSL/MSL roles are accepted through a centralized selection process managed by the SSL Team. Principals will then make final decisions about which candidates to hire from a recommended applicant pool. To petition for this position, Principals should meet with their Instructional Superintendent and the SSL Manager.

Menu of Options

Participating schools may only add Coordinators (CSL) and/or Assistants (ASL) of Strategy & Logistics if there is an MSL or DSL. These two positions will hold a broader and more flexible range of responsibilities than the previous, more narrowly defined traditional operations roles (i.e., Registrar, Administrative Aide, Attendance Counselor, and Data Clerk). These roles will address current challenges in the following ways:

• More flexible position descriptions will allow Principals to design front office and other operations roles that best meet the needs of their schools; and
• Operations staff will be trained in all office duties to ensure appropriate capacity during the natural ebbs and flows of different seasons.

Since the DSL and MSL positions are made to hold a broader and more flexible range of responsibilities, Principals are encouraged to design the roles to fit their schools’ unique needs. They may take on logistical roles that are traditionally associated with other operations positions (such as managing enrollment or attendance), and/or they may take on additional responsibilities (such as emergency response and reporting). See below for examples of responsibilities that are commonly assigned to SSL program staff.

Central Office Support

Schools that participate in the SSL program will continue to receive support and guidance from Central Office’s Operations Specialists, including streamlined communication, resources, and emergency support through their SSL staff. As part of the SSL program, DSLs and MSLs will also have regular opportunities for professional development on pertinent topics throughout the school year.

Point of Contact 

Dedra Adams-Johnson, Director, Strategic School Operations, Dedra.Adams-Johnson@k12.dc.gov

 

Resident Teachers

Purpose

In collaboration with the DCPS Office of Leadership Development, two residency partners, Urban Teachers and Relay GSE, will train residents in DCPS classrooms alongside high-performing mentor teachers for an entire academic year to prepare residents to assume a lead teaching role in the second year of the programs. DCPS’ teacher residency partnership programs prepare recent college graduates, career changers, and outstanding paraprofessionals to be highly effective teachers in DCPS schools. 

These programs are also an effective way to develop instructional aides and paraprofessionals already employed with DCPS into highly effective teachers within our district. Over the last 3 years, at least 75% of teachers completing one of these residency programs have earned either effective or highly effective on IMPACT, raising student achievement outcomes, and positively impacting our schools. 

Mentor Teacher Eligibility

Interested schools must have a sufficient number of exceptional teachers willing to serve as mentor teachers to co-plan, co-teach, and advise resident teachers in order to help them develop into strong lead teachers. Mentor teachers must have at least three years of teaching experience and be at least at the Established Teacher stage of LIFT (Leadership Initiative for Teachers), but preferably at the Advanced Teacher stage or above Urban teachers strongly prefer schools host at least two residents. Urban teachers also prefer that residents change mentor teachers in the spring to broaden their experience.

Note: Urban Teachers strongly prefers that schools host at least two residents in the same year. They also prefer that residents change mentor teachers in the spring to broaden the resident experience. 

 

Budgeting Recommendations

Schools are required to budget Urban Teachers or Relay GSE resident positions as a net-neutral replacement for an educational aide position. When budgeting for the position, we recommend that principals budget for the number of residents they want to have in the building. Whether these residents are current aides applying for acceptance into one of these two programs or new residents that the school will select externally, we recommend budgeting for those positions during budget development. In the case that no residents are ultimately hired, principals will work with the School Finance Team to reprogram the position. 

 

The Office of Leadership Development cautions against having too many residents in one school at a time. Since the goal of these residency programs is for residents to become full-time teachers at their original placement schools we urge principals to forecast if they will have enough teaching position vacancies to hire the residents as lead teachers the following year. 

 

Steps for Approval to add to your budget (new for this year)

Central OfficeSupport

Because our residency partners have a limited number of residents to offer each year, principals will need to get approval from Central Office before requesting and budgeting for resident teachers.

 

If interested in hosting resident teacher(s) at your school, email Jason Brown at Jason.Brown7@k12.dc.gov. He will confirm with our residency partners that there are available residents for your school before you submit your school budget in March. Please wait to hear confirmation from Jason before formally submitting any budgets that contain resident teachers.

 

Point of Contact

Jason Brown, Specialist, Teacher Pipelines – jason.brown7@k12.dc.gov

 

Budgeting NPS: Historical Spending and Reprogramming

Budgeting Recommendations Using Historical Spending Data

Principals and finance professionals should look through their historical spending data and identify the appropriate amount of non-personnel funding they need to budget in different spending categories. Historical data can reveal insightful trends to support spend planning and successful budget execution. Typically, non-personnel funding is the last to be budgeted and often what is sacrificed. While certain Central Services teams can be helpful when they face challenges, Central Services does not have the ability to supplement school budgets during the year if they do not have sufficient non-personnel funding. Schools should ensure an adequate NPS budget for their needs throughout the year by creating an informed and data-driven spending plan. Additionally, planning with historical data can reduce the need for reprogramming during the summer or throughout the school year. 

Reprogramming

Schools can reprogram non-personnel dollars throughout the year, but please take the time now to budget funds in the right place as reprogramming can take time. When building the NPS budget for the upcoming year, Principals should not just budget the same amount as the prior year. To minimize the need for reprogramming, the Finance team recommends that Principals consult their finance professionals and look at historical NPS spending along with projected end of year spending. 

Commonly Reprogrammed Goods and Services

The table below displays examples of goods and services commonly requiring reprogramming and the correct line to budget them in. The table below outlines a few examples of goods/services that are typically entered in the incorrect budget line. The column on the left shows examples of purchases a school may want to make, while the column on the right shows the correct budget line item schools need to have funds in to buy it. Often times, these are the budget lines that do not have enough money initially budgeted in, requiring Principals to reprogram money from other funding lines into the depleted one. 

What is the difference between professional services and contracts?

Typically, professional services are one- or two-time occurrences whereas contracts are multiple occurrences over the year whether PD, a student services, or consultant. Often times if a school has contract funds but no professional service funds, you can use contracts for a one time PD. Similarly, a school could use PD funds for a multiple occurring PD rather than contracts.

Point of Contact

• School Finance Team: dcps.schoolfunding@k12.dc.gov

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