top of page

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.

​

Please follow this link to receive guidance on the clearance process.

​

​

​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.

​

​

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.

​

​

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.

​

​

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.

​

​

DCIAA Coaching Agreement

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

​

​

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.

​

​

bottom of page