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Month: October 2019

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RSL Scoring for Schools Grant Application Deadline has been extended!

ALL elementary school teachers are eligible to receive a $250 Scoring for Schools Grant. Original application deadline of October 31st has been extended to November 8th.

***All Scoring for Schools grants will be processed through Donors Choose. All elementary school teachers hoping to receive a Scoring for Schools grant should apply in 2-steps.

  1. Post a project on Donors Choose
  2. Submit an application through Jordan Education Foundation

For more information & to apply, click here: https://www.jordaneducationfoundation.org/scoring-for-schools

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Administrators and teacher leaders are invited to the 2019 Learning Edge Conference. “Arts for Life: Deep Learning, Deep Connections” is scheduled for November 12, 2019 at the Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. See attached flyer for more information.

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Elementary Principals:

Please share with 6th grade teachers.

Jordan School District will administer the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to all 6th grade students in November and December of 2019. The CogAT measures general reasoning abilities in three domains: verbal, quantitative and spatial. These abilities reflect the cognitive processes and strategies that enable individuals to learn new tasks and solve problems. The results of the assessment will:

  • Inform middle school programming decisions.
  • Identify students with high-potential in an equitable manner.
  • Provide helpful data about students’ abilities and needs.

The test will be administered online, during school hours. A staff member from Teaching & Learning will proctor the assessment. Teachers are asked to help monitor the testing events.

School administrators, 6th grade teachers, and the site testing coordinator can collaborate to set a testing schedule that will best meet the school’s needs. All testing should be completed between the dates of Monday, November 4 - Friday, December 6, 2019. Please record schedule by teacher on the  List of 6th Grade Teachers before October 18.

The total testing time is 90 minutes. The test sections include:

  • Quantitative – Three 10-minute subtests
    • The first testing session may take a few more minutes due to an optional, short system tutorial.
  • Nonverbal– Three 10-minute subtests
  • Verbal– Three 10-minute subtests

The assessment can be administered in three separate sessions across multiple days or within one day. It can also be administered in one complete session.

There are three practice tests that should be reviewed with students 1-5 days before test administration. The practice tests are designed to help students become familiar with the types of questions found on the assessment. Reviewing the practice tests will standardize the testing experience.

  • Each practice test can be done as a whole class, using a projection system.
    • A hardcopy of the practice assessments will be provided to each 6th grade teacher.
  • Either the teacher or the proctor can review the practice tests with the students.

Within the next week, the Jordan District communications office will distribute parent notification letters in regards to the CogAT testing. If parents choose to opt out of the assessment, they will bring the opt out form to the school. Results of the assessment will be shared with you and with parents after the assessment process is complete.

Of note:  The CogAT is different than most other tests students take. The test includes analogies, sentence completion, and comparisons. Students usually enjoy taking the CogAT assessment process.

For more information about the CogAT assessment, please visit:

Please contact Rebecca Smith (88368) or the Teaching & Learning staff member assigned to your school with any questions you may have.

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Optional training will be provided the mornings of October 28th and November 21st at JATC South by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments. More detail on topics and times will be provided later. This training opportunity is meant for any school or department office personnel including principals, assistant principals, administrative assistants, clerks, aides or others with responsibilities correlating with the Business or Auxiliary Services departments.

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Cabinet members will be interviewing all administrators currently employed by Jordan School District who wish to be considered for an elementary or middle school principal position between now and October 2020. Similar interviews will be held each fall for anyone who has not interviewed previously. This year's interviews will be held on Monday, November 18, and Wednesday, November 20.

Any administrator interested in being interviewed this year should email Angela Montague at angela.montague@jordandistrict.org by Monday, October 21st at 5:00 p.m. Please indicate whether you would like to be considered for an elementary principal position, a middle school principal position, or both. This process is not designed to select principals for newly-constructed schools or any school in particular. No application or documentation is required.

Any questions should be directed to a Cabinet member. We look forward to getting to know you better.

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TO:                                                                                            
All Principals

FROM:                                                                                        
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent of Schools

DATE: 
October 10, 2019

SUBJECT: 
Licensed Employee Advisory Committee for the Board

The Board of Education is forming an advisory committee made up of licensed employees from every school in the District.  The purpose of this committee is to advise the Board regarding issues that affect licensed employees (salaries, grants, leave, etc.).  Representatives will meet four times during the year (November, January, April, and July) and will be compensated at their hourly rate for participation.

Elementary and special schools, Valley High School and Academies will send one representative; middle schools two; and high schools three.  Help us in selecting the assigned number of representatives from your school by using the following process.  Please adhere to these procedures exactly as outlined.

Nomination

Elementary and special schools, Valley High School and Academies will need a minimum of two nominees; middle schools a minimum of three; and high schools a minimum of four.  Additional nominees are at your discretion.

  1. Invite licensed employees to nominate, by secret ballot, the name of the licensed employee they would like to represent your school. Administrators are not eligible to serve on this committee.
  2. Ask those nominated if they would be willing to serve. Serving as a committee member is not mandatory. If a licensed employee is unwilling or unable to serve, ask the next highest vote receiver, until you have the desired number of nominees.

Voting

  1. Prepare a secret ballot for each licensed employee (including administrators) with the names of the nominees. The Board would prefer this be done by secret ballot to ensure that no employee feels pressure to vote for a particular nominee.
  2. All licensed employees at elementary and special schools, Valley High School and Academies should be encouraged to vote for one nominee; middle school licensed employees two; and high school licensed employees three.
  3. Tally the results.
  4. For elementary and special schools, Valley High School and Academies, the top vote receiver is the representative and the next highest will serve as an alternate.
  5. For middle schools, the top two vote receivers are the representatives and the next highest will serve as an alternate.
  6. For high schools, the top three vote receivers are the representatives and the next highest will serve as an alternate.

Please inform the representatives, the alternate, your faculty, and me of the results. Representatives will be contacted with meeting dates, times and location.  The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 13th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Thank you for your help with this matter.  We are confident that this advisory committee will have a positive impact on the lives of our educators.

 

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National School Bus Safety Week is October 21-25. Since that is Fall Recess for all of our traditional schools, we would like to observe School Bus Safety Week October 14-18. The following resources are available to your students:

Elementary Schools:
  • The attached bus safety coloring packet and supporting activities
  • Encourage your students to participate in the National School Bus Safety Poster Contest.  The theme is "My School Bus, The Safest Form of Student Transportation!"  See attachment for details.

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National School Bus Safety Week is October 21-25.  Since that is Fall Recess for all of our traditional schools, we would like to observe School Bus Safety Week October 14-18.  The following resources are available to your students:

Middle Schools:

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National School Bus Safety Week is October 21-25. Since that is Fall Recess for all of our traditional schools, we would like to observe School Bus Safety Week October 14-18. The following resources are available to your students:

High Schools:
  • https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/pedestrian-and-bicycle-safety/school-bus-safety/ - This link provides critical bus safety information for students currently in Drivers Education or for students who are already driving
  • Encourage your students to participate in the National School Bus Safety Poster Contest.  The theme is "My School Bus, The Safest Form of Student Transportation!"  See attachment for details.

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Welcome to a new school year!

Here are a few helpful hints and reminders regarding SUBSTITUTES:

 

SHORT TERM SUBSITUTES (fewer than 10 consecutive days)

http://workatjordan.org/files/Substitutes-improving-coverage-2019.pdf

 

LONG TERM SUBSTITUTES (more than 10 consecutive days)

  • A new law requires that long term (LT) substitutes must have a current Utah teaching license, or the school must demonstrate their efforts to secure a licensed substitute for each position.
  • LT licensed substitutes qualify to teach any subject despite their endorsements or teaching level.
  • The administrative assistant has the ability to run a list of licensed substitute for the teacher.
  • Administrative Assistants, not the teacher are to enter the LT substitute position in Frontline and assign the LT substitute.
  • The teacher must contact Jane Olsen, HR Generalist well in advance of the LT leave to obtain approval for a LT absence.
  • The teacher must enter their absence in Skyward.
  • Maternity leave is not entered in Frontline until the baby is delivered.
  • Full time teachers may have the substitute job shadow one full day and a half day for half time teachers. This time is also entered by the administrative assistant.

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Principals

We need your help to facilitate Thanksgiving Heroes’ efforts to provide a full Thanksgiving meal to deserving families – up to 1,200 families in Jordan School District.

School Liaison

  • Please identify families at your school whom you feel might be in need of a Thanksgiving Dinner and distribute the attached form for them to fill out and sign.
  • Collect the completed forms. (Forms are due back to you by Friday, November 8th).
  • Enter the information on the forms electronically by Wednesday, November 13th using this link: TGH ELECTRONIC FORM
  • If your school does not want to participate please email steven.hall@jordandistrict.org
  • The attached form has most of the information you need to answer questions, but you are welcome to contact the JEF office if you have questions.

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Come one, Come ALL.....

The Employee Health and Wellness training is scheduled twice next Thursday. Principals are encouraged to divide their administrative teams, in order to allow all administrators the opportunity to attend. This training will include a panel of presenters who are experts in the field of Health & Wellness. Each presenter will have an opportunity to describe their program and how their program can assist you and your employees in times of need. Being able to address employee health & wellness needs is deemed essential in attracting and retaining current and future employees.
We hope to see you all there.

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DATE:
October 7, 2019

TO:
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Resource & Cluster)

FROM:  
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:  
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Testing Checklist

Attached is the DLM checklist for all special education teachers who are administering the DLM assessment to any of their students for the 2019-2020 school year. You are required to complete and return the checklist to Jen Birrell at the District Office by Friday, December 20, 2019. This form is also available online at specialed.jordandistrict.org/staff/forms on the Special Education website.

If you need help completing any portion of this checklist, please contact the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school.

Please direct any questions or concerns to Jen Birrell at 801-567-8905 or jennifer.birrell@jordandistrict.org.

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DATE:  
October 8, 2019

TO:  
Principals
All Special Educators and Related Service Providers

FROM: 
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT: 
Important Deadline--Please Read Immediately
SCRAM Data Due by the end of day Monday, November 4, 2019
Returning D Track Clusters are Due no later than Monday, November 18, 2019
Updating SCRAM for December 1 Funding Count

We are fast approaching our December 1 SCRAM count deadline. Please remember that our funding and other critical data are generated from these counts.  It is important that all information be accurate and current.  The attached report reflects the SCRAM and IEP Services we have received to date.  Please check to see that all students who are currently receiving services are on the SCRAM printout and that all information has been submitted correctly.  Submit a new SCRAM document for any changes. Please review the scram report for accuracy of services, do not just print your caseload of scram and submit it with the report.

Due:  By 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2019
D Track Clusters Due Date:
By 5:00 p.m. Monday, November 18, 2019 

This report reflects students served during the current school year. Carefully review the following:

  • The printout reflects the school’s current special education caseload. Please check that the names, entry dates, scram school, service patterns, weekly minutes and providers are correct for each student on the printout. If the information is correct for all service providers, put a check mark (√) in front of the student’s name. If the only change that needs to be made is the providers name, please write the correct name in on the report. If all of the student’s information is correct on the report, a duplicate copy does not need to be sent.
  • If a student being served in special education is not on the SCRAM report, please submit a new SCRAM document by the end of day Monday, November 4, 2019. If they are not on this printout, they are not on record as receiving services at your school.
  • Cross out any students who are not receiving services at your school and submit a SCRAM document with the correct exit date and exit code reason. The exit date is the day after the last day the student receives the services listed. If an exit date is already listed for a student, a duplicate exit scram does not need to be sent in.
  • When changing services for a student throughout the year, the SCRAM entry date for the new services will be the same as the exit date on the previous scram.  Please note that the entry date for a student coming from another school who enters your setting during the year is the first date that the student enters the new school (this will be the first date of service). Remember that there should be no delay in services (violation of IDEA and we lose days of funding).
  • If you are not aware of a student that is listed on the printout (and the student has not been exited from services), you should follow-up with that student who is now in your building. Sometimes teams are not aware of students who have entered their school and should be receiving services. A SCRAM document should be submitted which either identifies the services the student will receive or which exits the student from services (procedures must be followed for terminating a student from services).
  • If the IEP team has changed a student’s services, the changes must be documented on the services section of the IEP and a new SCRAM document must be submitted. Remember that parents must be involved in any decision to amend IEP services and must receive a copy of the revised IEP.
  • If you are submitting a corrections for a scram/entry date already submitted, please write “correction” at the top of the scram document and highlight the services or codes that need to be corrected to be sure it is not assumed to be a duplicate copy of a scram already received. (Remember, if all of the student’s information is correct on the SCRAM report, a duplicate scram does not need to be sent in.)
  • Any SCRAM document submitted must reflect all current IEP services. Every section of the form must be filled out completely or the student’s record cannot be submitted to the State for funding (this includes the classification, all services and amount of time per week, entry/exit dates, environment and regular percent codes, health services, etc.). If information is missing, the record will not be sent to the State for funding counts.
  • Please take note of the date that the report was printed (top right corner) and be aware that if scram documents were sent after the print date, they will not appear on the report, but sending multiple duplicate copies is not necessary and slows the entry process.

Special Education Resource Teams and Cluster Teams are being sent one complete list of all students in the school who are being served by resource/cluster, speech-language, guidance and/or OT, PT, itinerant teachers for the hearing impaired or visually impaired, etc. Please review and sign the one original list with ALL team members before sending it back to the SCRAM office. Please do not copy and send multiple reports back to the SCRAM office.

All primary SLP and Guidance services will be included on the master list sent to Special Education Resource Teams. If the provider is serving two different schools, the services will be included on the master list at each school. Teams are expected to work together to review and complete all required SCRAM information.

SCRAM corrections must be sent through District Mail to the SCRAM Secretary or delivered to the District Office. If the current report is correct as printed, each team member must sign the report, verifying that it is accurate and return it to the SCRAM Secretary in the Special Education Department at the District Office. If you have questions, please call the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school. Please sign and return the current report with all corrections/changes marked along with the corresponding SCRAM documents by the due date.

Reminders:

  • It is critical that information be received by the specified due dates so that all data can be entered by the December 1 due date.
  • Minutes are entered as weekly minutes. Whatever is listed in the last column on the scram document labeled “Scram Minutes Weekly” is what will be entered into skyward.

Funding Implications
Special education funding and, therefore, school staffing/assistant allocations, etc. are contingent upon the accuracy of this data.  Your timely and accurate response is critical!  Thank you for all your efforts to get us the correct information in a very short time period.

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DATE:
October 3, 2019

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Administrators of Schools
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director Student Services

SUBJECT:
Fall Enrollment as of October 1, 2019

Please see memo and totals below.

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Overview

The Teacher Salary Supplement Program (TSSP) was created to draw qualified individuals into education for specific subject areas that have been identified with staffing shortages and/or for the assistance with the fees affiliated with obtaining and maintaining accreditations with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification (NBPTS).

Before submitting an application at the TSSP Service Site, please review the Utah State Board of Education website regarding the program details and legislation at the following link:

https://schools.utah.gov/curr/licensing/tssp

Applications must be submitted between October 1 and April 30 for each program year.

 

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Reminder of the Lexia Upgrade coming January 2020 and the Teaching and Learning Technology Support Match.

In an effort to help schools update and add to their technology, the Teaching and Learning Department will match funding up to $12,000 for schools. See document below for details.

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Principals:

The State LAND Trust fall reports are due October 20, 2019. Please see information below regarding what reports are due and how to complete them. There is also a document to help with making certain that your school website contains the correct information. The State LAND Trust office will start doing random checks of school websites on October 21, 2019. Please make sure yours is completely updated with 2019-20 information. If you have any questions please call Nadine Page at 801-567-8186.