DATE:
June 13, 2024
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Counselors
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services
SUBJECT:
Student Records: Gender, Pronouns, Names
A student’s education record belongs to the parent/guardian and is available for use in the school setting to carry out the educational mission of the school and district. Please review the items below regarding certain fields of the student education record in Skyward and when or how changes to these fields may be appropriate.
Sex and Gender:
There are currently two fields in Skyward where information about sex and gender are recorded: “GENDER” and “GENDER IDENTITY.” The definitions of these fields for Skyward may not necessarily match how staff, students, and patrons understand and use the terms.
GENDER: This field has the same legal definition as “SEX” or “BIOLOGICAL SEX” or “SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH”. This field must match the sex marker on the student’s legal birth certificate and may only be changed when the sex marker on the legal birth certificate is officially changed.
GENDER IDENTITY: This field will be blank by default and will not necessarily be the same as “SEX”. It can be updated by a parent/guardian (through the summer registration process or through written parent/guardian request to school administration) to show the student’s preferred or expressed gender identity. Please note that this field does not override any other fields in Skyward and the value of the “GENDER” field described above will display on class rosters and other reports.
Name and “Other Name”:
NAME: This field in Skyward must match the student’s legal name as shown on the birth certificate. It may only be changed in one of two ways:
- When the student’s legal birth certificate is officially changed through the court system, or
- When the parent/guardian completes a “Name Change Affidavit” and submits it to the school.
In the event that the name is changed through either of these methods, school administration should ensure that office staff processing the request contact Information Systems prior to changing the field in Skyward to avoid complications and service disruption for the student.
The Name Change Affidavit should be saved to the student’s digital cumulative folder in Skyward.
OTHER NAME: This field in Skyward allows a parent/guardian to indicate (by written request) an alternative name that they would like their student to be called. Updating this field does not automatically overwrite other fields in Skyward; however, unlike the “GENDER IDENTITY” field, certain reports (such as the Class Roster report or the Teacher Gradebook screen) contain an option to allow the “OTHER NAME” field to display in place of the legal name.
The “OTHER NAME” field may be used by schools in programs, documents, and certificates. If no “OTHER NAME” entry exists, the legal name should be used.
The written documentation of the parent request to update the “OTHER NAME” field should be saved to the student’s digital cumulative folder in Skyward.
Name Use and Pronouns:
When a student requests that a teacher or staff member use a different name or pronouns to refer to the student, the following guidelines may be helpful:
- When the requested name is an alternative form of the legal name or “OTHER NAME” in Skyward, the teacher or staff member may use the name.
- When the requested name or pronouns do not appear to align with the “GENDER” on record in Skyward, the teacher or staff member should consult with the building principal regarding the requested name.
- Teachers or staff members who have questions about using a student’s name or preferred pronouns (either communicated by the student, by a parent/guardian, or entered in the “OTHER NAME” or “GENDER IDENTITY” fields in Skyward) should communicate with their building principal or principal’s designee, who should be the primary point-of-contact between the school and the parent/guardian on this issue. Building principals should communicate with their Administrator of Schools as needed.
- Utah code §53E-9-205 prohibits policies or actions of the school from “shield[ing] a student's education record from the student's parent” or “interfer[ing] with a parent’s…freedom of access to information regarding the parent's child.” In the event the student expresses concerns about a parent/guardian receiving information about a student’s preferred name, preferred pronouns, or gender identity, the student should be referred to school administration, counselors, or social workers for further support.
NOTE: The rights listed above as belonging to or able to be exercised by the parent/guardian transfer to the student at age 18.
