The Chief of Staff oversees internal agency operations and external agency programs, supports the Superintendent to carry out his goals, and provides leadership and resources to support districts in helping all students develop skills necessary for their future.

The Chief of Staff:

• Directs the administration of agency operations.
• Manages the development, administration, and evaluation of agency policies and procedures that affect the operations of the agency.
• Oversees the Financial Resources, Government Relations, Communications, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Agency Support divisions.
• Develops, implements, and oversees key projects and programs on behalf of the Superintendent.

The Chief of Staff serves as a member of the OSPI Executive Leadership Team.

The Financial Resources division is responsible for the distribution of funding: agency budgeting; research on school funding; and collecting data on enrollment, personnel, and financial information. 

Financial Resources:

• Distributes billions of dollars in state and federal funding to school districts.
• Manages state and federal grants to districts and other organizations.
• Coordinates planning, construction, and renovation of school buildings.
• Serves as the agency's budget office, including providing fiscal services to every section within OSPI.
• Coordinates audit management and resolution.
• Coordinates student transportation funding and requirements and traffic safety education.
• Assists school districts and other organizations in providing high-quality nutrition programs.

The Chief Financial Officer serves as a member of the OSPI Executive Leadership Team.

The Communications department serves as the chief liaison between the agency and the media, ensures the Superintendent's priorities are reflected in agency messaging, and oversees the agency's brand.

Communications:

• Strategizes how to communicate information effectively to school districts, the media, and the public.
• Coordinates interviews and speeches given by the Superintendent and other members of the Executive Leadership Team.
• Serves as the agency's spokespeople and coordinates press responses in consultation with content experts.
• Oversees and maintains the agency’s website and social media channels.
• Creates communication materials and plans for internal and external audiences.

The Director of Communications serves as a member of the OSPI Executive Leadership Team.

The Assessment and Student Information division produces and implements state and federally required tests and collects and reports information about Washington’s public school students.

Assessment and Student Information:

• Administers assessments in reading, mathematics, writing, and science in grades 3–8 and in high school.
• Monitors student progress toward meeting testing requirements for high school graduates.
• Coordinates the regular collection and reporting of student data from school districts.
• Disseminates formative assessments for teachers to use in the classroom for the purpose of monitoring instruction and improving learning.

The Center for the Improvement of Student Learning acts as the agency’s chief research office. In this capacity, they lead efforts to connect policymakers, schools, families, and communities with research and information about effective educational improvement strategies.

The Center for the Improvement of Student Learning: 

• Works in collaboration with staff at OSPI and external partners to identify both systemic changes and practical strategies to improve student learning through equitable opportunities and access to academic and non-academic supports.
• Leads the development of the Washington Integrated Student Supports Protocol and the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
• Coordinates with internal and external partners to achieve equitable outcomes in student discipline related to race, ethnicity, disability, family income, housing instability, and other factors.
• Coordinates data governance within OSPI by overseeing the development and implementation of a K–12 education data system for financial, student, and educator data. 
• Maintains data systems to serve the needs of policymakers and education stakeholders including educators, families, school administrators, the Legislature, OSPI staff, and the public.
• Provides facilitation, research, policy, and data analyses for legislative workgroups.

The Human Resources department is responsible for leadership and oversight of human resources functions in support of OSPI as well as the State Board of Education, Professional Educator Standards Board, Paraeducator Board, Financial Education Public-Private Partnership, and Charter School Commission.

Human Resources:

• Serves as a strategic business partner in development and service delivery within the agency.
• Develops and implements agency human resource policies and procedures.
• Provides expert advice to managers and supervisors in the agency while ensuring accurate and consistent application of federal and state laws and agency policies.
• Oversees agency training plans for professional learning and development.
• Leads agency initiatives involving cultural competency, recruitment, and workplace flexibility.
• Monitors hiring and other personnel actions to ensure non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and ethical practices are maintained.

The Legal Affairs division is responsible for coordinating legal services, civil rights, professional practice investigations, public records management, and risk management for the agency.

Legal Affairs oversees:

• The Office of Equity and Civil Rights
• The Office of Professional Practices
• Legal Services and Enterprise Risk Management, including public records

The Special Education Services division is responsible for ensuring the provision of special education and related services on behalf of more than 130,000 eligible students in Washington. 

Special Education Services:

• Provides technical assistance and professional development designed to support and facilitate special education program improvement efforts by disseminating evidence-based and promising practices for the development of academic, health, and post-school outcomes for students eligible under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Engages stakeholders involved in, or affected by, special education services and outcomes for students with disabilities to review, analyze, and plan for system improvements and celebrate successes.
• Provides general supervision of the provision of special education services through an integrated monitoring system, dispute resolution options, and coordinated data management efforts.
• Allocates federal special education funding and manages the supplemental Safety Net program for individual high need students and school districts that demonstrate a unique community impact in the area of special education.

The Student Engagement and Support division helps school districts prepare each student for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement by embracing an approach to education that encompasses the whole child. In doing so, the division works to ensure every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. 

Student Engagement and Support:

• Administers state and federal grants and programs designed to remove barriers to learning, including those targeted to vulnerable students, such as children and youth in foster care or experiencing homelessness.
• Provides professional development and technical assistance in partnership with education leaders and regional and local stakeholders statewide to build and improve a whole child focus.
• Collaborates with other local, regional, state, and national organizations serving children and families to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed at school.
• Provides oversight, coordination, and support for learning options and school choice in Washington, including online learning and alternative education.