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Author: communications

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Elementary Principals:

Here are some updates to the Early Interactive Software Program (EISP).

Fidelity:   Fidelity will be calculated as of March 13th. All vendor data will be gathered up until March 13th of 2020. This means that schools will not be held accountable for usage after the school dismissals.

Applications for 2020-2021:  The window for software applications opens on April 15th. The state is requesting that only one person respond for each district. The programs supported by Jordan School District are i-Ready, Imagine Learning, and Lexia. If you want to continue to use the program you are currently using at your school, you do not need to do anything. If you wish to make a change to the program you are currently using, please contact Michelle Lovell by May 10th.

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DATE:
April 8, 2020

TO:
All Principals
All Budget Directors

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
June LeMaster, PH.D., Administrator, Human Resources
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets & Audits
Derek Anderson, Director of Accounting, Budgets & Audits
Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services
Michael Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing

SUBJECT:
Year-End Processing Deadlines

Please observe the following critical deadlines listed in the memo below regarding the financial year-end processes for the 2019-20 year. Please review these dates as they could have a major effect on your location’s ability to operate.

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DATE:
April 13, 2020

TO:
Principals
All Certified Special Education Staff

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

SUBJECT:
End of Year SCRAM Detail Report

Our last SCRAM count deadline is fast approaching. SCRAM reports for each school have been sent to the team leaders via Move-It, and school teams should work together to ensure that it is correct and up to date as our Special Education funding is dependent on these numbers. Please make sure your Resource and Cluster teams have the Reports and corrections turned in to Amanda Hamblin at the Special Education Office by Monday, May 4, 2020. Please see memo below.

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DATE:   
April 13, 2020

TO:
Principals and District Administrators

FROM:      
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:  
Stipend for Department Chairs and Team Leaders

Stipends for Department Chairs and Team Leaders will be paid in May.

  • Elementary Schools may pay $300 for 8 Team Leaders.
  • Middle Schools may pay $500 for 12 Department Chairs or Team Leaders.
  • High Schools may pay $500 for 16 Department Chairs or Team Leaders.

A multiple time sheet roster should be submitted to the Payroll Department by May 1, 2020. All Department Chairs or Team Leaders will be paid out of the same program number from which their salary is paid. Each roster should be clearly marked “Stipend for Department Chair” or “Stipend for Team Leader.”

Kauri Sue, River’s Edge, South Valley, and JATC will be paid as middle schools. If a school houses an additional special education program (cluster program or preschool program), the school will have an additional team leader allocation.

Budget Code

10 xxx xxxx 2216 131

10 xxx 7551 2216 131 (Special Education)

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Opportunity to Work
Principals and Directors should work with employees to give them the opportunity to continue working if they choose.  If their current position is not available during the dismissal, they could opt to telework if possible, do online training from home, or to perform other job functions.

Record Leave Time
If contracted employees are not working during the school dismissal (March 16-TBD), they will still need to record their leave time in Skyward as the leave time occurs.  They do not need to apply for FMLA to use available personal, vacation, or no-pay days.  Employees are able to utilize all available personal leave days and vacation days.  Employees can also use no-pay days, and will not be terminated for using more than 15 during the dismissal.  These no-pay days will be docked from the employee’s paycheck(s).  Leave days used from March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 will not count against the Attendance Incentive.

Sick Days
Sick days may also still be used for employees if the reason is eligible as per sick leave policy.

Apply for FMLA
Employees will still need to apply for FMLA leave through Human Resources, as usual, if they or family members are having health issues for longer than five (5) consecutive days.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
Employees may apply for leave due to COVID19 reasons through Human Resources.  Please refer to the attached notice for this paid leave and expanded family and medical leave.

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Hello - Jordan School district employees, attached you will find a message from the USBE. We wanted to share with you the most recent information that has been shared with us. While there is a disruption to some of the normal processing that takes place in new hiring, renewals, and upgrades in teacher licensing there is still much that can be done with people working at home. If you are trying to do any of these things and are struggling to make progress please let us know and we will see what we can do to help you move forward. We would encourage you to make what progress you can because when all of these offices are up and running they will be inundated with people trying to get their licenses in good status. Thank you for your help in moving forward and we hope that you and your families are safe and well!!

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If an employee is going to take leave using these days they MUST apply for the time off. Please share this information with them. A flyer explaining the leave time is included as well as a tutorial on how to apply for the time off.

JSD Administrators:

All employees will receive an email in JEM today outlining the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This act may entitle eligible employees who have worked for the District for 30 days to receive a limited amount of paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.  Attached to this email is a FFCRA notice from the Department of Labor outlining eligibility, paid leave entitlements and qualifying reasons for leave related to COVID-19.

Also attached is a tutorial on how employees can submit a FFCRA Leave application through Skyward Employee Access if they believe they have a qualifying reason.  If employees need assistance in accessing their Skyward employee account, direct them to contact the Information Systems Help Desk at 801-567-8737.  For questions regarding FFCRA, please review the attached notice or contact HR at 801-567-8249.

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DATE: 
Thursday, April 2, 2020

TO:  
All Principals

FROM:   
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
End of Year State Testing Updates

The Utah State Board of Education released the following updates for the various end-of-year state summative assessments:

Please see memo below.

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Dear Administrators:

Once again, thank you for all the amazing work you are doing to help teachers and students during this trying time. In reviewing the needs for evaluations and also understanding the amount of stress administrators and teachers are under we will be making one more change to evaluations. Our hope is to be of help and to support you all the best way we can. Please make the necessary contact with your teachers to let them know what they will need to do.

ARL/APT/Interns/Provisional Psychologist/ Provisional Educators  

If the teacher has had at least one passing evaluation for the 2019-2020 school year, the teacher will now be considered complete and no further action will be required.

If no evaluations have been completed, then you will need to contact the teacher and instruct them to complete the educator interim on JPLS (or the provisional psychologist).

Note: If you have already completed and signed off on a teacher specialist evaluation for an ARL, APT, intern, or provisional teacher you will not need to have the teacher complete an interim.

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DATE:   
March 30, 2020

TO:
Secondary School Principals
Secondary School Financial Secretaries

FROM: 
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Jason Mott, Accountant / Internal Auditor

SUBJECT: 
Quarterly School Financial Report for January, February, and March 2020

Each school is asked to report the quarter end account balance and transaction detail with the Apple Volume Purchase Program and return with your bank reconciliation. If your school has no Apple account, please so indicate and return.

Please include the account balance with Apple on the reconciliation sign off form and print a report or screen shot(s) of the balances and quarterly transactions from Apple’s website.  If you need assistance, please contact your Curriculum Technology Specialist – Bonnie, Deanna, Nancy, Ross, and Beth.

Please photocopy the selected elements and send to Accounting by Friday, April 24, 2020.

Please include:

  • The signed attached memo to Accounting
  • A copy of your January, February, and March 2020 Reconciliation Worksheets
  • A copy of your January, February, and March 2020 Bank Statements
  • A copy of your January, February, and March 2020 Skyward Balance Sheets
  • A copy of your January, February, and March 2020 Outstanding Check Reports
  • Screen shot(s) of your March 31, 2020 Apple Volume Purchase Program transaction history and balance

If you have questions or need assistance, please call Jason Mott at (801)567-8388.

Thank you.

Cc:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools

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Volunteer reports need to be submitted to Insurance Services.

Workers' Compensation insurance costs are based on numbers submitted by schools. It is important that this information be accurate and complete.

PTA figures must be separate from other volunteer hours.

Attached is a copy of the Volunteer Report for the period from December 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020.

Please complete this form and return it to Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services, by April 30, 2020.

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DATE:  
Thursday, March 26, 2020

TO:
High School Principals

FROM:  
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Vouchers for 11th Grade Students Needing to Take the ACT

The districtwide 11th grade ACT test administration date was Tuesday, March 3, 2020.  Most of our 11th graders were able to take the test on this date; however, we have a handful of 11th grade students at our high schools who were going to take the ACT during one of the other test dates in April made available by the state.  With the soft closure of schools being extended until May 1st, those April test dates have been cancelled.

However, USBE and ACT have provided another flexible option for those 11th graders that missed taking the ACT on March 3rd and would still like to participate in their “free” ACT test.  Here are the options that are currently approved by ACT:

  • Students can used serialized vouchers to take the ACT on one of two national testing days – either June 13th or July 18th.
    • Serialized vouchers will be distributed by USBE to the district and by the district to students. More information on this process will be released at a later date.
  • USBE and ACT are working on a fall solution as well where this year’s 11th grade students can take the ACT at a national testing site or a local site in the fall, likely in October.

More specific and concrete information will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.

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DATE:  
Thursday, March 26, 2020

TO:    
Middle School Principals
High School Principals

FROM:   
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Spring 2020 AAPPL Testing for Foreign Language Students

With schools in a soft closure until May 1st, several educators have reached out to us regarding AAPPL testing for foreign language students.  For the spring of 2020 only, AAPPL testing for foreign language students is optional.  LTI, the software platform vendor of the AAPPL test, has made it possible for students to take the AAPPL online at home.  Here are the conditions that would have to be met for this to happen:

  • Foreign language teachers and schools would need to order AAPPL tests as they have done in years past.
  • The student must have access to audio and a microphone on the testing device at home.
  • A parent or another adult at home would have to sign the AAPPL proctoring agreement available here and adhere to its stipulations: https://www.languagetesting.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/remote-admin/aappl-testing-proctoring-agreement-signable.pdf
  • Once the proctoring agreement has been signed and returned digitally to the teacher, the teacher would then send login information to get into the testing platform.
  • Once a student logs into the test, he/she must complete the test within 48 hours.

For more information regarding at-home AAPPL testing, please follow this link: https://www.languagetesting.com/k-12-covid-response

Foreign language teachers have already been sent this information, including guidance on how to use Canvas to have parents download and then upload a signed proctor agreement.

For more information, please contact Brooke Anderson at 801-567-8393 or via email at brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org.

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DATE:   
Thursday, March 26, 2020

TO:  
High School Principals
Middle School Principals

FROM:   
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Pam Su’a, Consultant, Social Studies

SUBJECT:    
Civics Test Administration

Passing the U.S. Civics test is still a state-mandated graduation requirement and, under the circumstances where schools are in a soft closure, it can be administered at home and unproctored. The test items are public anyway, and there are few other administration guidelines, unlike other mandated tests. U.S. History I and U.S. Government & Citizenship teachers have already received instructions on how to administer the unproctored test in their Canvas courses.

Counselors received a list of seniors who have not yet passed on Friday, March 20, along with further information about unproctored testing. Students who will take this outside of a Canvas course should use the jordan.utips.org site to test.

Student instructions for accessing the test:
https://assessments.jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/Student-Instructions-US-Civics-Test.pdf

To view your students’ passed/not passed status at any time, go to Skyward → Office → Curriculum & Assessment → Educational Milestones → Reports. From there, you can run a report on the “Passed Civics Test” educational milestone.

Please reach out to Brooke Anderson at 801-567-8393 or brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org with any question or concerns and thank you for your efforts.

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Dear Administrators,

Thank you for your patience in regards to teacher evaluations during this time of change and uncertainty.  Many have asked what will be the next steps in the evaluation process.  In order to help relieve the stress for both administrators and teachers the following changes will be made, effective immediately.  Please contact Rebecca Lee with all questions and concerns at rebecca.lee@jordandistrict.org or (801) 567-8369.  Thank you for all your continued help and support.

Career Educators on Full – Not Completed Yet

Career educators who are a full cycle for the 2019-2020 school year and have not been through the evaluation process, or have begun but not finished one or more pieces of the process (missing an in classroom observation, interview), will be placed on an interim.

Action Required: Administrators will need to contact all career teachers and have them

complete the interim on JPLS.  This will include the beginning of the year activities and then the end of the year reflection.  What will need to be completed by the teacher: three goals, self-evaluation, reflection on all three goals. Lists will be updated to reflect the change.

Provisional Educators

All provisional educators that have already had one full evaluation will be considered complete. If you have a provisional educator that has not yet received a full evaluation we will place them on a full Teacher Specialist evaluation on JPLS to complete the one full required evaluation. Lists will be updated to reflect this change.

Action Required: Notify any provisional that have not been through one cycle and let them know they need to complete the teacher specialist online.  Note: Teacher Specialist evaluations will need to be manually added and may take until Monday, March 30th to appear.

Educators Currently on an Interim

Educators currently on an interim will have no change.  Please remind these teachers to complete their reflection piece so that they may be acknowledged by the assigned administrator.

Action Required:  Send out reminder emails to teachers on interims reminding them to complete the reflection piece of the interim.

Note:  Each administrator will receive an email with a list of changes for their schools by Monday, March 30, 2020. It will indicate who they need to contact in regards to the above changes. 

 

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The Utah Legislative Session wrapped up a week ago. The Utah State Board of Education adopted an amended rule yesterday with changes related to appropriate expenditures for the School LAND Trust Program. This link will take you to a more detailed description. You can also see the document below.

https://site.utah.gov/slt/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/03/Attachment-to-End-of-Session-Email.pdf