Level 2 Flexibility Allocations

Custodial Guidance

Custodial Guidance

Program 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.

Program Guidance

Requirements & Restrictions

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

• Every school is required to staff a minimum of 3 custodians.
• Every school is required to have a custodial foreman (SW). 
• Only RW-5 or SW custodians (Foremen) 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:

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.). Schools must allocate appropriately for custodial overtime. In FY22 (SY21-22), schools will be allocated $100 per student for Administrative Premium and Custodial Overtime. Principals must budget for custodial overtime based on prior year spending and should budget enough to cover all planned activities or programs, as well as coverage for custodial leave. Spending will be closely monitored to ensure schools remain within their allocated budget. Principals receive regular reports from OCFO budget analysts to ensure that they are using Custodial Overtime funds appropriately and that they remain aware of their monthly usage. The lack of appropriate funding for overtime may affect a school’s ability to offer programs outside of regular hours.

Custodial Supplies

Schools are allocated custodial supplies at a base rate of $2,456 with an additional amount added on that multiplies building utilization rate (enrollment/capacity) by square footage, 7 cents per square foot for high schools and 5 cents per square foot for all other school types. All schools must budget for custodial supplies.

Menus of Options

With all petition requests, Principals should ensure they:

• Meet the mandatory minimum requirement of 3 custodial staff per building
• If allocation is the same, remain at or higher than the number of staffing from the previous year or have a justification for reduction of staff
• Have an 85% or higher on school cleaning walk dashboard

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 a new or additional custodial foreman, please reach out to your strategic staffing coordinator to determine SW grade level.

Budgeting Recommendations

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 supply 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.

Custodial Equipment

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

A baseline equipment list is below:

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 FY22 will meet the schools’ needs. Principals should work closely with their custodial foreman 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

• Cinthia Ruiz, Deputy Chief, Strategic School Operations, Ruiz@k12.dc.gov
• Jacqueline Speight, Manager, Strategic School Operations, Jacqueline.Speight@k12.dc.gov
• Lisa Richardson, Manager, Strategic School Operations, Richardson@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Teamsters Local 639 Contract

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Visual Arts, Music, and Performing Arts

Program Purpose

Arts education in DC Public Schools cultivates each student’s ability to create and empowers them to use their voice with courage. DCPS Arts develops the critical problem solving and communication skills of students that are vital in creating today’s complex society. Through the Framework for Arts Learning, all students engage with themes across developmental stages, revisiting ideas as they progress and grow through arts learning. 

Throughout their time in DCPS, students increase their ability to address complex issues and explore multiple perspectives through the arts. Students of DCPS arts education will be innovative in their approach to contemporary society’s most pressing issues, as they become savvy consumers and producers of culture. The Arts offer students multiple modalities to engage with subjects/ideas/hopes, freeing the student’s agency to true authenticity and exploration.

Program Guidance

Requirements and Course Offering Recommendations

DCPS provides students with arts education throughout their educational career, and Art and Music teachers must be licensed in their content areas. The following are the required minutes of instruction at each grade level: 

Elementary (PK-5) 

• 45 minutes per week of visual art 
• 45 minutes per week of music  

Middle Grades (6-8) 

• One semester (or the equivalent) of visual art each year 
• One semester (or the equivalent) of music each year 

High School (9-12) 

• OSSE requires 0.5 credit of visual arts to graduate.
  • Options include but are not limited to: Art A/B, Ceramics, Cinematic Arts, Drawing and Painting, and Sculpture.
• OSSE requires 0.5 credit of music to graduate.
  • Options include but are not limited to: General Music, Bach to Rap, Concert Band/Orchestra/Choir (I-IV), Piano/Guitar Lab, Computer Music Tech, and Jazz Ensemble.
• Additionally, all arts courses count toward the required 0.5 of elective credit, necessary for students to graduate.
  • Course offerings in theater and dance can satisfy this requirement.
  • Schools should offer course options for students to fulfill their visual art and music requirement, as well as to encourage sustained engagement in the arts. The pathway documents below offer insight to suggested course sequencing for the arts.
  • Visual Arts Pathways
  • Music Pathways
  • Performing Arts Pathways

How Funds Are Allocated

Elementary (K-5) Personnel Allocation

Allocations for related arts teachers including art and music are based on projected student enrollment.

Middle and High School Allocations

Secondary schools are not separately allocated related arts teachers for art and music. Related arts teachers are included in the grades 6-8 teacher allocation for middle schools and as part of the overall teacher allocation to meet scheduling requirements for high schools. Schools budget for their art and music programs using these allocations.

Budgeting Recommendations

Personnel

The DCPS arts program team recommends:

• Hiring full-time classroom educators to allow for full programs that include band and arts clubs and promote retention and teacher commitment to the community. In cases of part-time 0.5 FTE teachers, some schools have found success in sharing a full-time teacher across two schools.
• Using community partnerships to supplement art and music programs at the school and not to replace or supplant the role of the arts educator

Central Support

Financial

• All schools have access to partnerships for performances, teaching artists, and classroom supports from:
  • Washington Performing Arts
  • The Kennedy Center
  • Pulitzer Center
• Teachers may apply to the ACE Fellowship: Cultivating Compassionate Classrooms on trauma sensitive teaching in the arts
• Instrument repairing service and piano tuning service
• Cornerstone supplies and culminating events

Non-Financial

• Four professional learning days per year
• LEAP modules for self-paced professional learning
• Teacher coaching and leadership opportunities
• Teacher fellowships in partnership with outside organizations
• District-wide events
• Arts curricula and resources
• New teacher support group
• Local arts education partnerships providing teacher workshops and classroom supports
• Curriculum writing institutes

Points of Contact

• Mary Lambert, Director, Arts, lambert@k12.dc.gov
• Lindsey Vance, Manager, Visual Arts, vance@k12.dc.gov
• James Mitaritonna, Manager, Music and Performing Arts, mitaritonna@k12.dc.gov
• Katy Weatherly, Manager, Music, weatherly@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• DCPS Arts website
• Arts Portal on Canvas
• Academic and Creative Empowerment Planning

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Health and Physical Education Programs

Program Purpose

Health and Physical Education (HPE) for the District of Columbia Public Schools is an integral part of the total education process. DCPS employs a variety of curricula and tools to teach health and physical education.

The goal of health education is to empower students to become health-literate individuals who have the capacity to obtain, interpret, understand, and apply health information and services. Students will use this knowledge in ways to enhance the health of themselves, their families, and the communities of Washington, D.C.

The goal of physical education is to develop physically-literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. A physically-literate individual has learned the skills necessary to participate in a variety of physical activities, knows the implications of and benefits from involvement in various types of physical activities, participates regularly in physical activity, is physically fit, and values physical activity and its contributions to a healthful lifestyle.

Healthy Schools Act

Definitions

• Health Education means instruction of the District of Columbia Health Education Standards.
• Physical Activity means bodily movement, including walking, dancing, or gardening.
• Physical Education means instruction based on the District of Columbia Physical Education Standards, of which at least 50% of the time is spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Program Guidance

Requirements

• Grades K-5 Physical Education
  • Requirement of 90 minutes/week, goal of 150 minutes/week
• Grades K-8 Health Education
  • Requirement of 75 minutes/week
• Grades 6-8 Physical Education
  • Requirement of 135 minutes/week, goal of 225 minutes/week
  • 75 minutes of health education in grades K-8.
• Grades 9-12 Health Education and Physical Education
  • Requirement of 1.5 Carnegie units for graduation.
  • One full credit of physical education: PE1 and PE2 and 0.5 credits of health; P26 are required for graduation per DCMR.

All minutes are based on average for the week throughout the school year

Restrictions

• Health and PE must be taught by a licensed and certified teacher
• Health and PE cannot be withheld as punishment or for remediation/intervention needs, per DC Code.
• Recess, dance, and other movement-based acts of physical activity are not substitutes for physical education requirements.

How Funds Are Allocated

Personnel

• All elementary schools receive an allocation of 1 HPE teacher. Based on school size, schools will budget for additional physical education teachers using flexible dollars and/or a related arts teacher
• Middle and High Schools do not receive specific allocations HPE teachers, as these positions are part of their general education teacher allocation.

Recommendations on how to budget for this program

Grades K-5 – Personnel Recommendations

Grades 6-8 – Personnel Recommendations to meet Healthy Schools Act

Menus of Options and Best Practices by School Type

• Best practices:
  • Dually-certified Health and Physical Education teacher with degree in physical education.
• Elementary Sample Schedules/Recommendations
  • Prioritize teaching positions. Please do not remove your art, music, or world language teacher to add a PE teacher. The district values equity and aims to help develop the whole child through a broad, rich, and engaging curriculum.
  • The law requires PK students to have 60 minutes of physical activity which can be PE or another type of physical activity depending on scheduling allowability and age-appropriate physical activities.
  • Health (instruction aligned to Health Standards) can be taught in elementary grades by the classroom teacher and can count towards the 75-minute requirement.
  • When teaching in person, maximize the HPE teachers’ schedules and use spaces creatively. Many PE standards can be met in classroom sized open spaces, outdoors and sometimes even a large hallway.
    • Sample Schedule 1
    • Sample Schedule 2
  • Middle school/EC recommendations
    • Schools can assign teachers to a grade level to reduce content/equipment changes.
    • Schedule planning periods or changeover window to accommodate with changes between ES and MS content (EC recommendation).
  • High school recommendations
    • Certified Physical Education teachers with a Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor endorsement should only be scheduled for swim classes.
    • Physical Education in high school should be focused on fitness and lifetime sports.
    • Best practice: Health certified teacher should be dedicated to only health instruction.

Central Support

Non-Financial

Physical Education Emerging Leader (PEEL) and Physical Education Leader (PEL) program provides additional PD experiences for select groups of teachers annually, which includes an annual trip to the SHAPE America Conference.

Points of Contact

• Miriam Kenyon, kenyon@k12.dc.gov
• Michael Posey, Posey@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Academic and Creative Empowerment Planning

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Library Programs

Program Purpose:

DCPS continues to make significant investments to school library programs, including with technology applications and online learning tools. An effective school library program implemented by a certified School Librarian supports student learning.

Requirements/Restrictions:

• School Librarians must be licensed per the OSSE requirements for school librarians.
• The Library Programs team interviews all applicants to create a pool from which Principals must select. The team works with schools to match candidates to schools. 

How Funds Are Allocated:

Personnel

Funding for a School Librarian position is allocated to every school based on total school enrollment.

• 0.5 School Librarians to all schools with less than 300 students
• 1.0 School Librarians to all schools with 300 or more students

Budgeting Recommendations

The School Librarian is expected to be a collaborative instructional partner with every teacher. The School Librarian should also be an integral part of the school leadership team to develop a library program that is responsive to and supportive of school goals. The School Librarian is to be an effective program administrator, developing and managing the library collection and library programs to support student learning. To achieve this and to provide equitable access to library resources and instructional partnership, the School Librarian should have a flexible schedule and cannot be a teacher of record for any course. During SY20-21, schools with a designated OMS professional or library aide staff member saw higher utilization of district offered electronic eBooks. These resources are important for library programs at schools.

Menus of Options

Staffing of the library program reflects the type of services that library staff can provide. Descriptions below describe roles based on budgeted amounts whether schools are allocated a full-time School Librarian, add to a part-time allocation, or petition their allocation to another priority area.

Full time 1.0 School Librarian

• Supports online learning by working with students and collaborating with teachers to leverage access to quality online reading materials, serve as a school-based lead for Canvas, Clever, BrainPop, SORA, OverDrive, etc.
• Serves as the liaison between the school and the DC Public Librar
• Engages students and staff in research skills development, digital citizenship, and information literacy strategies
• Fosters a culture of reading and engagement
• Works directly with DCPS Educational Technology to coordinate access, solutions, and problem-solving for application
• Serves as the “Go To” knowledge expert for the school, providing answers and/or recommendations to district-wide resources and best practices
• Provides virtual support through our School Library LibAnswers/LibChat. This is an online FAQ portal that School Librarians use to build a knowledge database to support engagement with students and staff

Part Time 0.5 School Librarian or Library Aide

• Part Time School Librarian
• Likely will work at an additional school
• Will only be available during 20 hours of the work week and typically work 2 full-days and one ½ day at a school site
• Should not be assigned any additional duties in the building to enable them to successfully support instruction, inner-core, and management of the school library
• Library Aide
• Defined as a school Point of Contact with DCPS Library Programs
• Must not be assigned any instructional roles or responsibilities as defined by the OSSE School Librarian licensure
• Supports goals of school library by working with students and staff to leverage and provide access to information and reading materials
• Assist in the maintenance of the school library by shelving materials, following procedures and best practices for the school library, and supporting the culture of reading
• Supports and/or assist the School Librarian in the management of the school library as outlined in the School Librarian role as shown above.

[Not Recommended] No School Librarian or Library Aide

This is not a recommended best practice option by the library programs team. However, if a school budgets as such, the school must utilize the Library Monitor role and ensure the individual has the time and ability to complete needed duties for library programming, including: 

• Coordinating the access schedule for the library
• Attending monthly virtual support meetings offered by Central Office Library programs
• Maintaining equipment in the library
• Shelving materials in the library
• Preparing volunteers to support the library

Schools that opt for a library monitor option, must complete an online form to the library programs team.

Central Support

Non-Financial

• Library Programs team handles the procurement of the library materials on behalf of schools.
• Library Programs provides monthly PD meetings for School Librarian and support staff
• Library Programs team provides collection development support through analysis and recommendations for the library collection using computer-based reporting

Points of Contact

• Dr. Kevin M. Washburn – Manager, Library Programs, Kevin.Washburn@k12.dc.gov, 202-680-2842
• Dr. Karen Cole – Deputy Chief, Academic and Creative Empowerment – OTL, Karen.Cole@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• OSSE Licensure Requirements
• Academic and Creative Empowerment Planning
• SharePoint Website
• External DCPS Website
• FAQ Website (LibChat/LibAnswers)

 

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DCPS World Languages

Program Purpose

DCPS believes that acquisition of multiple languages is an imperative skill for globally competent students, critical to students’ future interactions in college, career, and community. In addition to developing cultural competency, research suggests that language learning correlates with higher academic achievement on standardized test measures (ACTFL). Investment in strong language learning pathways from elementary through high school ensures that students are college and career-ready, and able to communicate and collaborate with culturally diverse audiences, to think globally, and to become active global citizens.

Program Guidance

Requirements

• Elementary School:
  • World Languages is optional for elementary schools. If offering World Languages, a minimum of 45 minutes each week is recommended. Flexible Acceleration Minutes can be used for a variety of purposes, such as specialized programming for Inner Core subjects including World Languages.
• Middle School:
  • Required: Students in 7th and 8th grade are required to take 60 hours of instruction in a yearlong format for a total of 120 hours across 7th and 8th grade, which is approximately 45 minutes every other day for an A day/B Day schedule.
  • Recommended: Students in 6th grade are recommended 60 hours of instruction in a yearlong format to provide continuous access to World Languages from elementary through high school, which is approximately 45 minutes every other day for an A day/B Day schedule.
• High School: To receive a diploma in DC, students must earn 2.0 credits (or Carnegie Units) in World Languages.
• Secondary Schools
  • Dual Language specific schools with strand dual language programming must still have the required World Language program offerings by grade band available for their students in English only strand.

How Funds Are Allocated

Elementary (K-5) Personnel Allocation

World language is not required at the elementary grade levels. The table below illustrates allocations for related arts teachers (including World Language) based on projected student enrollment.

Middle and High School Allocations

Secondary schools are not separately allocated related arts teachers. Related arts teachers are included in the grades 6-8 teacher allocation for middle schools and as part of the overall teacher allocation to meet scheduling requirements for high schools. Schools budget for their world language programs using these allocations along with flexible funds.

Recommendations on how to budget for this program

To ensure that students can reach advanced levels of proficiency in the language studied, it is critical that schools consider feeder patterns when hiring and scheduling language offerings, especially middle to high school. If you are considering making changes

To budget for World Language teachers, Principals use flexible dollars or the related arts allocation. The world language team recommends the below staffing guidance as a best practice and to ensure students have access to 45 minutes of instruction each week.

Menus of Options

• Designating a full 1.0FTE is the best way to have a robust and successful Elementary world language program, as 0.5 FTE positions can potentially create retention and program articulation challenges for students.
• For schools who do staff world language program with a part time teacher, consider sharing the teacher with a nearby school and coordinate to support smooth transitions for teachers.
• Consider staffing your program to ensure common planning time for language teachers and some collaboration opportunities with classroom teachers (at the elementary level).
• World language can and should be integrated into the school community and curriculum at all grade levels. World language curricular documents highlight potential collaboration opportunities with other core content areas.

Central Support

Non-Financial

The DCPS World Language teams provides PD opportunities including but not limited to:

• District-wide PD days
• Optional cohort PD opportunities (i.e., New Teacher Mentor Program, GLOBE Fellowship)
• Canvas resources: curricular materials, on-demand asynchronous PD resources

Points of Contact

For questions related to World Language, please contact:

• Allyson Williams Eubanks, WL Manager williams@k12.dc.gov
• Kate Burkett, WL Specialist Burkett@k12.dc.gov
• Elizabeth Sauler, Director Language Learning, Elizabeth.sauler@k12.dc.gov
• DCPS World Languages Inbox, DCPSWorldLang@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• Academic and Creative Empowerment Planning
• To learn more about our program and curricular resources, visit the World Language Canvas page.

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LEAP (LEarning together to Advance our Practice)

Program Purpose

LEAP is DCPS’ school-based approach for content-focused professional development.

All core content teachers are assigned to a content-area and grade-band LEAP Team. Each LEAP Team is led by a LEAP Leader: Assistant Principal (AP), Instructional Coach (IC), TLI Teacher Leader, or Secondary Department Chair with expertise in the content area of their team. Together, teams focus on instructional planning and practice, content knowledge development, and student work and data analysis.

During budget development, Principals submit their LEAP Plan for SY21-22 via the LEAP Design Tool (more information and a link to the tool will be provided to Principals by the Central Office LEAP Team in OTL). Principals may choose to largely keep the current LEAP structures at the school and make refinements, or, after considering the efficacy of LEAP this year, they may choose to start anew with a different team and/or LEAP leadership structure. Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for complete LEAP design guidance.

Program Guidance

Requirements

While this model will look different depending on the subject and grade, every core content teacher will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing professional learning via LEAP.

There are three guiding principles for designing LEAP Teams:

• All core content teachers are on a LEAP Team, including Special Education and ESL teachers.
  • Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for specific guidance regarding Special Education and ESL LEAP requirements.
• Each LEAP Team is led by a LEAP Leader with expertise in the content area of their team.
  • At the secondary level, a Department Chair may replace a TLI Teacher Leader.
  • Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for specific guidance regarding release time for TLI Teacher Leaders and/or Department Chairs.

• Most core content teachers, including Special Education and ESL teachers, receive a one-on-one coaching touchpoint weekly (at the elementary and middle school levels) or bi-weekly (at the high school level) from their LEAP Leader.
  • Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for specific guidance regarding Inner Core LEAP options and Library Media Specialist LEAP participation.

How Funds Are Allocated

Assistant Principals (Level 3 Flexibility based on enrollment):

Elementary schools receive a proportional Assistant Principal allocation once they reach 300 students and are funded at a ratio of 1 to 400.  All middle and high schools are allocated funding for an Assistant Principal and receive a proportional allocation once they reach 300 students at a ratio of 1 to 300. Education Campuses follow the different school types by their students’ enrollment of those grades.

Schools may choose to use these funds to budget for an Assistant Principal or to support other initiatives. If a school was not allocated funds specifically for an Assistant Principal, Principals may still choose to use other fund sources to budget for this position.

• Hours: Assistant Principals are full-time, 12-month employees of their school and follow their specific school’s calendar and guidelines.

Instructional Coaches (Level 2 Flexibility):

Every school is allocated one Instructional Coach – ELA by default. Schools may petition during the budget window to reallocate this position to another LEAP Leader role or content area. Principals may still choose to use other fund sources to budget for additional Instructional Coaches.

• Hours: ICs are full-time, 10-month employees of their school and will follow their specific school’s calendar and guidelines.

TLI Teacher Leaders (Not allocated, can be budgeted through petitions or flexible funds):

TLI Teacher Leaders have the same budget cost as teachers and should spend at least 50% of their time teaching students.

• Hours: TLI Teacher Leaders are full-time 10-month employees of their school and follow their specific school’s calendar and guidelines.

Staffing Recommendations

As Principals plan for next year’s LEAP Teams, they will consider the grade bands for teams, the teachers who are part of those teams, and the LEAP Leaders who are leading those teams.

• When determining which LEAP Leader role to allocate, please keep the following release time and caseload recommendations in mind:

*TLI Teacher Leaders/Department Chairs should be teaching students for at least 50% of the day.

Menus of Options

Schools may select whichever LEAP Leader positions aligns best with their school vision, if all ELA Math, Science, and Social Studies teachers (including Special Education and ESL teachers) are a part of a LEAP Team and all LEAP Teams are within the above teachers-to-leader ratio for observation and feedback.

The following LEAP roles are available to schools:

• Assistant Principals
  • Assistant Principal – English Language Arts
  • Assistant Principal – Math
  • Assistant Principal – Social Studies
  • Assistant Principal – Science
• Instructional Coaches
  • Instructional Coach – English Language Arts
  • Instructional Coach – Math
• TLI Teacher Leaders
  • TLI Teacher Leader – English Language Arts
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Math
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Early Childhood Education
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Special Education
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Science
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Social Studies
  • TLI Teacher Leader – Culture

Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for scheduling and release time guidance, as well as sample schedules.

Central Support

Financial

To recognize the expanded role being taken on by TLI Teacher Leaders, Teacher Leaders receive an annual stipend for their roles. Even with 25% – 50% release time from teaching duties, the role of a TLI Teacher Leader exceeds normal responsibilities, as TLIs are planning for and leading instruction for students, alongside planning for and leading adult professional development and coaching.

• TLI stipends are centrally funded with no additional cost to the school.
• TLI Teacher Leaders who are also Secondary Department Chairs will only receive the Secondary Department Chair stipend. The amount of the TLI Teacher Leader Stipend for SY21-22 has not yet been determined.

Non-Financial

• Content teams provide school support for LEAP leaders to improve the effectiveness of LEAP seminars, data/planning protocols, and coaching touchpoints.
• Content teams engage with various stakeholders to prioritize content for new LEAP seminars so that their design is responsive to school needs.
• Content teams plan and facilitate LEAP Leader PD at key points throughout the school year. LEAP Leader PD provides the opportunity for LEAP Leaders to deepen their knowledge of district-wide and cluster-specific priorities. They may include learning walks to gather instructional data on implementation of school priorities and leverage the data gathered to support LEAP Leaders in planning upcoming professional learning for teachers.

Points of Contact

Please reach out to leap@k12.dc.gov with any questions or concerns.

Helpful Resources

Please refer to the LEAP Design Guide for full guidance and additional resources. Principals will also be contacted via email with further details including a link to the LEAP Design Tool.

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School Counselors

Program Purpose

To successfully prepare students to become global leaders in the 21^st century, School Counselors design, develop, and implement a data-driven, comprehensive (PK-12) school counseling program. 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 the world community.

• Elementary School Counselors teach students about study skills, problem solving skills, emotional regulation, resilience, and help students successfully transition to middle school.
• Middle School Counselors help students discover college and career interests and support students in selecting appropriate and rigorous courses to earn high school credits in math and world language. Middle School Counselors also provide community service opportunities to eighth grade students so students can earn community service hours before high school. Middle School Counselors also help students successfully transition from middle school to high school.
• High School Counselors have a critical role in graduation requirements. High School Counselors schedule students to ensure they are placed in every course required for graduation. High School Counselors connect with students on an ongoing basis about their progress towards graduation requirements and hold formal annual meetings. High School Counselors also provide community service opportunities so students can fulfill 100-hours of community service before graduation. High School Counselors help students successfully transition to various post-secondary options, including college.

How Funds Are Allocated

Counselor allocations are provided by school type:

• Grades PK-5: There is no central allocation for Elementary School Counselors. We recommend that elementary schools budget 1.0 counselor for every 400 students.
• Grades 6-8: 1.0 School Counselor for every 400 students; partial allocations are rounded up to the nearest 0.5 allocation; all schools with fewer than 400 students receive a 1.0 counselor allocation
• Grades 9-12: 1.0 School Counselor for every 250 students; partial allocations are rounded up to the nearest 0.5 allocation
• For bilingual/linguistically diverse students, schools receive an allocation of 1 Bilingual School Counselor for every 100 students.

Budgeting Recommendations/Menus of Options

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 the building Homeless Liaison and SEL Lead.

Best Practices:

• School Counselors should not serve as 504 Coordinator, Bullying Coordinator, Testing Coordinator, Attendance Lead, Hall Monitor, 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 diverse students, the recommendation is one school counselor for every 100 students.

Central Support

Financial

There is a small Central Office budget to purchase curriculum and resources for School Counselors. Counselors receive a list of approved school counseling vendors and can submit their budget request (up to $300) 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 Office provide professional development, coaching, leadership, and mentoring.

Points of Contact

• Fallon Dodson, School Counseling Manager, Graduation Excellence Division, Office of Secondary Schools; Fallon.Dodson@k12.dc.gov
• Steve Rockey, School Counseling Coordinator, Graduation Excellence Division, Office of Secondary Schools; Rockey@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

• The Role of the School Counselor
• Appropriate/Inappropriate Activities for School Counselors
• Guidance Counselor vs. School Counselor
• Effectiveness of School Counseling
• Measuring the Impact of School Counselor Ratios on Student Outcomes
• The School Counselor and Student Mental Health

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Attendance Counselors

DCPS’ vision for attendance is that every adult makes each student feel welcomed and encouraged to attend school every day. In addition, DC Code and regulations establish specific requirements related to the obligations of schools to ensure attendance intervention and reporting. These requirements are outlined in DCPS’ Attendance Policy. The Attendance Counselor provides school-based support to improve student attendance. The objective of this position is to monitor and support the school’s compliance with DCPS attendance policies and procedures and implementation of truancy and attendance improvement strategies.

Requirements/Restrictions

All schools must develop a system to adequately oversee attendance intervention and reporting requirements in accordance with DC Code, DCMR, and DCPS policy.

How Funds Are Allocated:

• All high schools are allocated funding for 1 full-time attendance counselor.
• In elementary and middle schools, there is no allocation for an attendance counselor. Principals designate staff in the building to complete the necessary attendance tasks.

Role of the Attendance Counselor

Attendance Counselor duties can be divided into responsibilities that relate to student interventions and those related to data input and management. Schools must ensure that data management and student intervention responsibilities outlined in Attendance Counselor Job Description and the Attendance Implementation Protocol are consistently completed and have a clear owner within the school.

Menus of Options/Budgeting Recommendations

High Schools

It is highly recommended that all high schools budget for an attendance counselor; however, Principals may petition to assign the duties to other staff in the building. Opting to assign these duties to another staff should only be done in schools designated as having low attendance needs, based on the qualifications in the following sections.

All Schools

All schools must have designated staff in the building to complete attendance tasks. Principals are strongly encouraged to use the below attendance model to determine adequate attendance staffing for their buildings (using data from the previous three years). As a best practice, it is recommended that  designated staff members dedicate approximately seven hours of work time over a six-week period for every chronically absent or truant student, to appropriately prepare for and hold a student support team meeting and monitor attendance intervention plans.

High Attendance Needs

Secondary Schools with 40% or more students who are chronically absent

Elementary Schools with 17 % or more students who are chronically absent 

• Attendance counselor, one full time employee per ~200 students
• Example: A school with a 65% chronic absenteeism rate and 800 enrolled students would have four attendance counselors, when following this model.
• Role: Student intervention responsibilities
  • Clerk, Admin. Assistant, or Business Manager
  • At least one per school dedicated to attendance, plus identified backup
• Role: Data management responsibilities
  • Social worker support, as needed
• Additional identified staff may be needed depending upon the needs of the school

Medium Attendance Needs

Secondary Schools between 10% and 40% of students who are chronically absent

Elementary Schools between 5% and 17% of students who are chronically absent

• Attendance counselor, one full time employee (minimum one with dedicated support from identified attendance designees and social worker)
• Role: Student intervention responsibilities
  • Clerk, Admin. Assistant, or Business Manager (principal can assign tasks rather than have the role— but must ensure primary and backups are identified)
• Role: Data management responsibilities
  • Social worker support, as needed

Low Attendance Needs

Secondary Schools less than 10% % of students who are chronically absent

Elementary Schools less than 5% of students who are chronically absent

• Attendance counselor or designee
  • Role: Data management and student intervention responsibilities
• Identified back-up POC
  • Identified and trained to support, as needed

Central Office Supports

Central Office provides district-wide attendance letters, post cards, and Robo Calls. The attendance team also provides DDAC for data research.

Point of Contact 

Andrea E. Allen, Director, Attendance and Support Services, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Andrea.Allen@k12.dc.gov

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Global Studies School Programming

Program 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.

Current Global Studies Schools include: H.D. Cooke ES, MacFarland MS, and Roosevelt HS. Schools that are interested in becoming a Global Studies School should contact Bianca Bennett, Manager, Global Studies, and their instructional superintendent.

How Funds Are Allocated

Global Studies schools receive an allocation of 1 Coordinator to support the program.

Requirements

Staffing requirements for SY 21-22 by program and school are as follows:

Menus of Options

Schools may petition to repurpose the allocated coordinator position in support of global studies programming for positions such as a global studies electives teacher or world languages teachers. Schools must have a concrete plan for how their staffing will account for a global studies coordination point person.

Central Support

Financial

While there are not financial supports provided to the school from the Central Office budget, as funding opportunities arise, the team will provide opportunities for supports such as teacher professional development for global studies schools.

Non-Financial

Central Office provides support for schools by providing professional development and supporting in identifying and securing school partnerships. Central Office also supports schools as they develop and implement plans for school global studies programming. Additionally, Central Office supports the coordination and publicity of district-wide Global Studies Schools showcases and events.

Points of Contact

• Donna Phillips, Director, Academic Innovation, Phillips@k12.dc.gov
• Bianca Bennett, Manager, Global Studies, Bennett2@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Contact Bianca Bennett for the Global Studies Implementation Guide.

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Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)

Program 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

As part of the district’s continued investment in middle grades, the following schools will receive 1.0 SEM position as part of their allocation through the Comprehensive Staffing Model (CSM):

K-8 Schools that wish to participate in the SEM program can budget for the program using flexible funds. To fully implement the SEM program, we recommend hiring 1.0 ET-15 FTE SEM Enrichment Resource Teacher who should have at least 80% of their focus be on 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 do not have the ability to staff an Enrichment Resource Teacher position, they may organize 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 Office staff for training and resource

Central 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.

Non-Financial

The Office of Teaching and Learning provides additional support of year-round professional development and coaching as well as providing any available curricular and instructional resources.

Points of Contact

Felicia Messina-D’Haiti, Felicia.Messina-Dhaiti@k12.dc.gov

Helpful Resources

Schoolwide Enrichment Model

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