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Certifications

Certifications

All athletics personnel that interact with students must complete the following certifications. This includes paid coaches, volunteer coaches, and athletic directors. All certifications should be shared with your Athletic Director before the season begins. Athletic Directors should verify and forward certifications to dciaa.certs@k12.dc.gov. You may not work with students until all certifications have been completed and verified by the DCIAA.

DCPS Employment and Volunteer Clearance

All current and prospective DCPS employees, volunteers, program partners, and contractors must complete several safety checks before providing services to any DCPS student, school, or office. This process typically takes 3-4 weeks to complete.

Step 1: Create a DCPS Clearance Application.

Step 2: Register for a drug screening. You will receive an email in 2-4 business days from OTSWebApp@labcorp.com; with instructions to complete your drug screening test at a lab near your current location. You have 15 days from receipt of the email to complete the test. The testing process looks for the presence of opiates, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), Cocaine, and marijuana. Unpaid coaches will not be subject to the screening of marijuana as part of their pre-service testing. There are provisions for individuals who are in a certified Medical Marijuana Program. Email dcps.mdat@k12.dc.gov for more details.

Step 3: Request a Child Protection Register Check. All individuals seeking a DCPS Clearance must complete a Child Protection Register (CPR) check and Sex Offender Registry (SOR) check. Both checks are processed through a vendor, First Advantage. A few days after creating a DCPS Clearance Application, you will receive an email from First Advantage with instructions on how to complete the checks. Please lookout for this email and promptly respond to all requests.

Step 4: Register to have your fingerprints taken. DCPS is currently contracting with FieldPrint to conduct all fingerprinting. Follow these instructions to register for an appointment at FieldPrint. Fingerprints are used to complete the background check.

Step 5: Pick-up your coach identification badge. After DCPS has confirmed that all above steps have been successfully completed, you will receive an email inviting you to pick-up your badge at Central Office. This completes the clearance process. The DCIAA typically receives notification from DCPS when individuals are cleared. You may also submit a photo of your badge to your Athletic Director.

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​Concussion Training

  1. Go to nfhslearn.com.

  2. Sign-in or create an account.

  3. Select the course “Concussion in Sports”.

  4. Order the course for District of Columbia and checkout (the course is free).

  5. Navigate to your dashboard and complete the course. The course takes about 1 hour.

  6. Upon completion, you will receive a PDF certificate. Send this to your Athletic Director.

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Heat Acclimatization

  1. Go to nfhslearn.com.

  2. Sign-in or create an account.

  3. Select the course “Heat Illness Prevention”.

  4. Order the course for District of Columbia and checkout (the course is free).

  5. Navigate to your dashboard and complete the course.

  6. Upon completion, you will receive a PDF certificate. Send this to your Athletic Director.

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CPR and AED Training

All CPR trainings must include an in-person component. You are free to receive your certification through any agency that meets this criteria. Most DCPS coaches choose to certify through one of the following organizations:

  1. American Red Cross. The Red Cross typically offers multiple courses throughout the week at different locations in the DC-area. You can take any version of their CPR classes (“Adult CPR/AED”, “Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED”, etc.).

  2. American Heart Association. The AHA similarly offers multiple courses at different times and locations in the region through a network of partners.

  3. National Safety Council.

Once you complete your training, you should receive a certificate. Give this certificate to your Athletic Director. Some organizations give two certificates – one for the online portion, and a second for the in-person portion. Make sure you share the in-person certificate.

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DCIAA Coaches Test

  1. Complete the test here.

  2. After taking the test, you can review your score and see which questions were answered correctly.

  3. You must score 80/100 (80%) to pass. You can retake the test as many times as necessary to receive a passing score.

  4. Screenshot your passing score and send it to your Athletic Director. The screenshot must include your name, school, and score.

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DCIAA Coaching Agreement

Print and sign this coaching agreement. Return it to your Athletic Director.

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DCIAA Coaches Meeting

The sport coordinator will schedule a coaches’ meeting before the season begins. This meeting will review the rules, competition format, schedule, and other points of emphasis for the upcoming season. Ask your athletic director for the meeting date, time, and location. You can also reach out directly to the sport coordinator. Be sure to sign-in when you attend the meeting. You will need to attend a different meeting for every sport you coach.

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