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Author: npage

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
Elementary Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Acadience Reading Training Options

District assessment assistants will administer the Acadience Reading benchmarks for students in grades K-3 as in years past. Schools should already have their benchmark testing dates for all three windows for the 2025-26 school year.

Any school personnel that will be involved in administering the Acadience Reading benchmarks in grades 4-6 and/or progress monitoring probes in grades K-6 should be trained in test administration procedures on an annual basis. There are several training options depending on the employee’s work assignment.

Classroom Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Teachers and coaches need complete only one of the following options:

  • Training Option 1: USBE Canvas Course
  • Training Option 2: In-person training – Please sign up using this link. The in-person course is a half day. Schools will need to cover the cost of the sub.
  • Training Option 3: JSD Training Course

ESP Employees
ESP employees should complete one of the following options as part of their regular contract time:

  • Training Option 1: In-person training – Please sign up using this link. The in-person course is a half day. Schools will need to cover the cost of the sub.
  • Training Option 2: JSD Training Course

Please note that ALO account access will be granted once ESP employees successfully complete one of the two training options listed above.

For questions about Acadience Reading training, please contact Janice Sperry in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:     
Middle and High School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Fall 2025 Assessment Updates

There are several assessment updates of which middle and high school administrators should be aware:

RISE ELA and Writing Scores, School Report Card, and TSI/ATSI/CSI Designation Delays
The RISE ELA assessment was updated to match the new ELA core recently approved by the USBE. Whenever an assessment is changed, it must go through a standard setting process. USBE is currently conducting that standard setting process, which will delay the release of RISE ELA and writing scores until sometime in September or October. The delayed score release will also delay the release of school report cards and new TSI/ATSI/CSI designations and exits until January 2026.

Currently designated TSI/ATSI/CSI schools should continue implementing their school improvement plans for the duration of the 2025-26 school year.

Grades 9-10 Summative Assessment
SB 39 was passed in the 2025 legislative session, which mandates the transition back to a standards assessment for grades 9-10. This means that the Utah Aspire Plus will be administered for the last time in the spring of 2026 and then will be retired.

Cambium Assessment (CAI), the current RISE grades 3-8 vendor, won the RFP for the new standards assessment for grades 9-10, which means middle and high schools will now participate in a grades 3-10 RISE summative assessment using a single testing platform. Student participation on the RISE assessment will be based on course enrollment rather than grade, similar to the way it was done when we had SAGE. Actual tested courses in 9th and 10th grades are still being determined.

Grades 9-10 RISE summative testing will begin in the spring of 2027. RISE Benchmarks and Interims for grades 9-10 will also be developed but will likely not be available during the 2026-27 school year.

Civics Exam Graduation Requirement
With the passing of HB 381, which took effect on July 1, 2025, students no longer have to take and pass a civics exam to graduate from high school. Instead, students will need to take and pass a US government and citizenship course. While the removal of the requirement to take a civics exam goes into effect beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the required government and citizenship course applies to the freshman class of 2026-27 to give USBE time to develop course standards and schools time to hire personnel. Thus, the classes of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 do not have to pass the civics exam nor take the government and citizenship class to graduate. The new government and citizenship course requirement will apply first to the class of 2030.

USBE is still working on this issue; thus, more updates will be released as they become available.

RISE ELA and Writing Benchmarks
The RISE ELA and writing benchmarks based on the new ELA core for grades 3-8 will be available beginning November 4, 2025, except for the 7th grade informational writing benchmark, which will not be available for the 2025-26 school year. The 7th grade informational writing benchmark pilot did not receive enough responses to validate its usage.

RISE math and science benchmarks are currently available.

New DLI Assessment
The state’s contract with LTI and its AAPPL assessment for DLI classes ended with the 2024-25 school year. Avant’s STAMP assessment won the new contract and will be implemented beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Assessment, Research & Accountability will release additional updates as we receive them from USBE.

Please note that AAPPL for world language testing in the spring will continue as in years past.

For questions or concerns about any of these changes, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:   
Fall 2025 Assessment Updates

There are several assessment updates of which elementary school administrators should be aware:

RISE ELA and Writing Scores, School Report Card, and TSI/ATSI/CSI Designation Delays
The RISE ELA assessment was updated to match the new ELA core recently approved by the USBE. Whenever an assessment is changed, it must go through a standard setting process. USBE is currently conducting that standard setting process, which will delay the release of RISE ELA and writing scores until sometime in September or October. The delayed score release will also delay the release of school report cards and new TSI/ATSI/CSI designations and exits until January 2026.

Currently designated TSI/ATSI/CSI schools should continue implementing their school improvement plans for the duration of the 2025-26 school year.

RISE ELA and Writing Benchmarks
The RISE ELA and writing benchmarks based on the new ELA core for grades 3-8 will be available beginning November 4, 2025.

RISE math and science benchmarks are currently available.

New DLI Assessment
The state’s contract with LTI and its AAPPL assessment for DLI classes ended with the 2024-25 school year. Avant’s STAMP assessment won the new contract and will be implemented beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Assessment, Research & Accountability will release additional updates as we receive them from USBE.

Please note that AAPPL for world language testing in the spring will continue as in years past.

For questions or concerns about any of these changes, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
High School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:    
Fall 2025 Testing Bulletin

School administrators may view the most up-to-date testing bulletin, complete with test administration and survey administration windows, by clicking on ‘High School’ under the heading Testing Bulletins on the front page of the website for Assessment, Research & Accountability. See the memo for the link and all the details.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:   
Middle School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Fall 2025 Testing Bulletin

School administrators may view the most up-to-date testing bulletin, complete with test administration and survey administration windows, by clicking on ‘Middle School’ under the heading Testing Bulletins on the front page of the website for Assessment, Research & Accountability. See the memo for the link and all the details.

 

Published on

DATE:      
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators

FROM:    
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
Fall 2025 Testing Bulletin

School administrators may view the most up-to-date testing bulletin, complete with test administration and survey administration windows, by clicking on ‘Elementary School’ under the heading Testing Bulletins on the front page of the website for Assessment, Research & Accountability. See the memo for the link and all the details.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
All School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:   
2025-26 Parental Exclusion Forms

2025-26 Parental Exclusion from State Assessments forms have been released by the state. Elementary and secondary versions may be found attached with this memo (including Spanish versions for each level). In addition, the forms may be found on the Assessment, Research & Accountability website.

Parents must notify schools of their desire to opt their student out of a state-mandated assessment on an annual basis. Parental exclusions should be recorded on your school’s opt out log so that both school and district personnel have one source of truth for all parental exclusions. Schools are discouraged from keeping parental exclusion lists that are separate or different from the opt out log received from Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Please direct questions about parental exclusions to Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 7, 2025

TO:  
All School Administrators

FROM:   
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:   
Research Project

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: Online Mental Health Training to Improve Physiological Stress Outcomes in Schoolteachers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Applicant: Katelyn Jackman, Brigham Young University-Provo

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The applicant will contact teachers via email directly to invite them to participate in the research project. The applicant has been directed to contact principals to discuss the extent of the project and arrange a private area in which to meet with teachers. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

TO:
Building & District Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

The 2025-26 updates of the “Assistant Principal Directory” have been finalized and are available below.

These links will be valid all year and any updates will be saved to these locations.

If changes or corrections need to be made, you may contact Caleb Olson in Student Services or make the changes on the web version of the directories at the link below.

Link to the Web Version of the Directory to make changes

 

Published on

DATE:     
August 7, 2025

TO:   
Elementary Administrators

FROM: 
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

SUBJECT:   
Save Valuable Time with Chromebook Badges for K-2 Students

Elementary Principals, are your K-2nd grade teachers losing valuable learning time because they are helping students log into their Chromebooks? If so, Clever Badges may be the solution! Clever Badges allow students to login to their Chromebooks using a QR code held up to the camera. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it allows teachers to focus on curriculum, not login issues.

Discover the magic of Clever Badges! This short 1 minute video gives an overview of Clever Badges.

If you are interested in implementing Clever Badges at your school, please let Information Systems know by filling out this brief Google Survey.

More information on Clever Badges

  • Teachers have the ability to print Clever Badges, void and regenerate badges as needed.
  • Clever Badges are specific to individual students, and anyone with the QR code can access their Google account. Thus it is important to protect the badges like a password and keep them in a secure location.
  • Implementing Clever Badges at your school is fast and easy. Once you’ve completed the request form, we’ll contact you with instructions to get your teachers started.

Published on

TO:
All Principals
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Nadine Page, Administrative Assistant

The following instructions are to help you in compiling the timesheets that will be coming to you from your licensed personnel. The complete list of instructions is attached to this JAM.

PRINCIPAL/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT INSTRUCTIONS 

Principals and administrative assistants have 11 assignments:

  1. Assign a designated person to oversee this program. Add their name to the google sheet.
  2. Make sure the plans are turned in on or before September 30, 2025.
  3. All plans must be logged (with the date received), by the designated person, no later than October 31, 2025 on the provided google sheet.
  4. Provide time for eligible staff to complete the plan.
  5. Gather and track the timesheets as licensed employees complete them.
  6. Make sure teachers follow through.
  7. Add the actual number of hours the employee worked, (up to a maximum of 32 hours, which is determined by the FTE of the employee for work that is not already compensated, e.g. contract time or other paid time) after you receive the timesheet.
  8. Verify that all employees, that are eligible, have turned in their timesheet on or before April 10, 2026.
  9. If an employee works at multiple sites, the school listed as the check location is to track the timesheet for that employee.
  10. If an employee changes locations during the school year, the administrative assistant for the new location must collect the timesheet and log it by the April 10, 2026 deadline.
  11. Keep the plans and timesheets on file at your location for auditing purposes.

Eligible licensed personnel must turn in their plan to the principal or administrative assistant (designated person) on or before September 30, 2025.

Principals are asked to give time in a meeting at the beginning of the year for eligible staff to fill out the Professional Hours Plan and turn it in.

A google doc (school name – Educator Directed 32 Hours 2025-26) will be shared to each individual school to be used in tracking the plan as well as the timesheet. Please use this original google doc to track the hours. Do not create your own form. 

    • Administrative assistants, or other designed person will add 
      • the school location, 
      • names of the employees, 
      • employee ID (six digit #), 
      • FTE of the employee (the awarded amount is determined by the FTE of the employee; 1 FTE = 32 hours, .5 FTE = 16 hours,
  • ***the items above will be prefilled. Please double check to make sure all employees are listed correctly for your school, 
    • date that you received the plan, 
    • finally, the date when you have received the timesheet and the hours to be paid (once you have received the final hours worked).

Thank you for your help in making sure all eligible employees receive the correct pay.

Published on

TO:
All District Administration

FROM:
Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

Please take the time to fill out the requested survey. See the information and links below regarding the facts for this survey.

What: The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is conducting a brief survey of local education agency (LEA) school and district administrators to assess the Utah Educational Leadership Standards and determine whether a revision process should be considered.

Who: District Superintendents, Charter School Directors, appropriate District Directors, Principal Supervisors, and school-based administrators, including Principals, Assistant Principals and Administrative Interns.

When: The survey will be open for responses through August 8th, 2025.

Information: 

As required by state code, it is noted that this survey response is being requested to seek input on the Utah Educational Leadership Standards, but it is not a survey that is required by federal or state code. The information being requested is not available elsewhere.

For more information, please reach out to Julie Lundell, the USBE School Leadership and Improvement Specialist.

Published on

DATE: 
July 31, 2025

TO:   
Elementary School Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
Scott M. Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Stephanie Erickson, Special Education Route Coordinator

SUBJECT: 
Busing Requests for Sibling Riders

It is a pleasure for us to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation for our students. As we embark on a succesful launch of the 2025-26 school year, we at Transportation are preparing our routes to accommodate changes throughout the district for special education transportation.

Attached is the 2025-26 Special Education Busing Request form for sibling riders, which is used for all sibling riders and must be renewed each year. We ask you to please provide assistance to parents by helping them understand that the school principal’s signature is needed prior to the form either being sent to Stephanie Erickson at stephanie.erickson@jordandistrict.org or by opting to send a hard copy to Stephanie through district mail.

Copies of the individual bus route complete with student stop locations and estimated stop times are provided to our bus drivers for each special need student attending your school. Therefore, if a sibling rider is on a bus, the driver has appropriate information either prior to the first day of school or as we receive completed and approved forms throughout the school year. A bus list is then provided to the special education teachers at your school.

As student information changes throughout the year, an updated list will also be provided to the special education teachers.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to a great school year together!

Published on

DATE:
July 31, 2025

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Adminhistrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Natalie Grange, Accounting Administrator

SUBJECT:
2025-2026 School Allocations

The 2025-2026 School allocations have been provided for your review. See attached file for allocations, your carryover balances, and estimated headcounts. An explanation of changes to supplies budgets and staff appreciation and PD meals being moved to to in lieu are included in the memo.

School allocations will be updated in November after the October 1 headcounts are finalized by the State. Budgets will not be adjusted for the virtual schools.

Budget transfers can be submitted, using the attached form, to Natalie.Grange@jordandistrict.org.

If you have questions please contact Natalie Grange at 88312 or at Natalie.Grange@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

DATE:
July 31 2025

TO:
All Administrators
All Admin Assistants

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

SUBJECT: 
Exciting News! Introducing Our Enhanced Point of Sale System

We are thrilled to launch a new and enhanced Point of Sale (POS) system in your school offices! This upgrade brings a host of fantastic new features designed to make managing lunch and fee payments smoother and more efficient for everyone.

What this means for parents:

  • Low Lunch Balance Notifications - Parents can now set up alerts to notify them when their student’s lunch balance is running low, helping to ensure their students account is funded.
  • Recurring Lunch Payments - Say goodbye to forgotten payments! Parents will have the option to set up recurring lunch payments.
  • Convenient Office Payments - For those who prefer to pay in person, the ability to process lunch payments directly in the school office is a new, convenient option.
  • Step-by-Step Guide for Parents - Feel free to download and share this step-by-step guide (written in both English & Spanish) with parents. This guide directs parents how to update their account on the new eFunds site and set up recurring payments or save credit card information. It has also been included in the annual Registration for Schools.

Key Benefits for Our Schools:

  • Modern Payment Options - You can now accept a wider range of payments, including tap payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and chip reader transactions for added security.
  • Automated Receipt Entry - A huge-time saver! You’ll no longer need to manually enter receipts for payments taken in eFunds into Skyward Fee Management. The new system handles this automatically, streamlining your administrative tasks.

Training and Support:

Training on the upgraded POS interface was provided in early July. If your office staff missed this training, please call to schedule training with Information Systems. If you have any questions, or require assistance getting your school up and running with the new interface, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at (801) 567-8737 or extension 88737.

Published on

DATE:   
August 1, 2025

TO: 
Principals
Head Financial Secretaries
Special Education Teachers (Resource and Self-Contained)
Speech-Language Pathologists/Technicians

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

SUBJECT:    
Special Education Budget Allocations 2025-26

Welcome back! Listed below are the special education budget allocations for Resource, Self-Contained Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists/Technicians for the 2025-26 school year. (Cluster Leaders and school psychologists do not receive a Special Education budget.) Remember that special education monies must be spent in ways that provide the most benefit to special education students with the goal to improve student achievement and performance.

Please review the attached Memo for instructions on spending the allocated budgets and guidelines for what the money can be spent on.

Published on

DATE:  
July 31, 2025

TO: 
District employees who qualify for mileage reimbursement

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting

SUBJECT:  
Defensive Driving Course Requirement for Mileage Reimbursement

Our insurance carrier, State Risk Management, has asked that every person who receives mileage reimbursement take the Utah Defensive Driving Course. We ask that you complete this free course as soon as possible using the instructions attached to this memo.

A new District Mileage Reimbursement form can be found at this link https://jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/083_MileageReport.xlsx. This new form has a box under the title for the individual to enter the completion date of the course. Please note that beginning in January 2026, Accounting will only reimburse mileage that includes the completion date of the Risk Management Defensive Driving Course. The course must be completed every two years. Supervisors approving mileage reimbursement – please remind your employees to complete this course and enter the date at the top of their mileage reimbursement form to avoid delays in reimbursement in January 2026.

The link below provides access to the course in the Utah Learning Portal. Your username is your district email. Click “Sign Up” and fill out the required information. Note that the security key word is Jordan and you may create your own password.

https://utah-riskpool.sabacloud.com/Saba/Web_wdk/NA1PRD0101/index/prelogin.rdf#/login

Once you have passed the course, record the completion date on your mileage reimbursement form and print the certificate. You may use the print option at the top of the final page of the online assessment or print your certificate from the attachment that will be emailed to you. Retain the certificate at your location for audit purposes.

If you have questions regarding the mileage reimbursement form, please contact Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets, and Audits at 801.567.8389. If you have questions about the Risk Management Defensive Driving Course, please contact Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator at 801.567.8876.

Published on

DATE:     
July 30, 2025

TO:   
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:  
Fire Drill Required Within the First 10 School Days

All schools are required to conduct a fire drill within the first 10 days of the school year. This provides a great opportunity to review plans, emergency response/Incident Command assignments, evacuation maps, outside rally locations, communications, and related supplies.

Please call the Jordan School District 24-hr. Alarm Response 801-567-8865 at least 30 minutes in advance of the drill, so the fire department is not dispatched.

Use the JSD Incident Command System Manual - Fire Action Plan as your drill guideline. Jordan School District Safety Manual

Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Matt Alvernaz the District Safety Coordinator at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8623.

Published on

DATE: 
July 31, 2025

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM:   
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:  
Monthly Drill Schedule

This schedule is designed so that our district will remain in compliance with state regulations. The design is set up so the district can help prepare and support each of your schools throughout the year to better implement these drills. This schedule is to be followed throughout the district.

Secondary schools are required FOUR (4) evacuations a year. You may do more if desired.

Elementary schools are required to conduct an evacuation EVERY OTHER MONTH. These evacuations can follow any drill and DO NOT have to be in conjunction with a fire drill. Due to this regulation and the mandated fire drill after winter break, an evacuation drill will need to be conducted in both December and January in order to remain in compliance. This only applies to elementary schools.

Two virtual Drill Preparation trainings will be held back-to-back on the first Wednesday of each month at 3:00 PM and again at 3:30 PM. The ZOOM LINK will remain the same for each session throughout the year. School Safety Specialists and Administrators over safety are expected to attend. Other administrators or interested employees are always welcome as well.

MONTH DRILL TYPE NOTES
August Fire First 10 days of school
September Secure
October Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
November Shelter
December Hold Evacuation required for elementary schools
January Fire First 10 days of school after winter break
February Secure
March Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
April Earthquake Great Shakeout. Evacuation is optional
May Drill of Choice Choose whichever drill appropriate for your school

If there are any questions, concerns, or conflicts please contact the District Safety Coordinator Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801) 567-8623.

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

Principals,

We’re excited to share that our new K-5 Open Up math curriculum materials are on the way! Although shipment has been delayed, we’re working closely with the company to expedite delivery.

Materials will arrive in two shipments:

One copy of student manuals per teacher was delivered last week
The manipulative & center kits will be delivered by August 15, 2025

A list of the items included in the manipulative kits is attached for your reference and it has been shared with teachers as well. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm as we prepare for a great year ahead!