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Author: npage

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Please take note of the following clarification on the difference between "Grade Transmittal Days" and "Professional Development Days." This information is also being distributed to employees via JEM.

Grade Transmittal Days are scheduled three times per year (October 21, January 17, March 27) as required in District Policy D207 - Calendar Development. These days occur each year in the Jordan School District. Payment for these days is built into the base teacher salary. Students do not attend. In-person work by teachers is not required; however, schools are open and teachers may use time on this day for finalizing and submitting grades.

Professional Development Days are three days throughout the year (September 16, November 4, April 21) where the Board of Education and District Administration have converted a student instructional day to a professional development day, as allowed by Utah Code 53F-2-102(d). These days are authorized on a year-to-year basis. These days are included in the 187 days of the standard teacher contract. Students do not attend. Principals may use up to three hours of each day for required professional development activities. The remainder of the contract day is to be used by teachers for planning and preparation.

The level and teacher calendars have been updated to clarify this change:

Published on

DATE:   
August 24, 2022

TO: 
All Elementary Principals

FROM:  
Administrators of Schools
Carolyn Gough, Administrator, Teaching and Learning Department
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services/Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT: 
Utah Symphony Performance at Abravanel Hall for 4th Grade Students

Once again, we are pleased to announce Utah Symphony concerts for your 4th grade students at Abravanel Hall. The performance dates are November 14 and 15, 2022 at 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. Your school’s date and time are provided on the attached spreadsheet. Schools will be seated upon arrival.

Study materials for use in preparing your students will be provided by the Utah Symphony in the weeks prior to the performance.

Your secretary will need to complete a transportation request on Skyward (your school's date and time shown on spreadsheet). The number of teachers (which may also include a parent and two chaperones for each class) should be included in your school’s final count. When entering your busing request, please include the correct group name (e.g. Daybreak, 115 Curr). This will ensure that the Teaching and Learning Department will cover the busing fee.

Transportation requests should be completed as soon as possible. Due to the number of buses that need to be used for the Symphony concerts, there will be a moratorium on any other transportation requests for these dates.

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DATE: 
September 1, 2022

TO: 
All Jordan School District Principals (with bus route students)

FROM:   
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kathy Jones, Transportation Trainer/Risk Coordinator

SUBJECT: 
State Required Bus Evacuations and School Bus Safety 2022-2023

State required semi-annual school bus evacuations have been scheduled for this spring. This applies to those students that ride the bus daily to and from school.

The evacuations will be conducted during the week of:

Monday, September 12, 2022 through Friday, September 16, 2022

Your school’s regular bus drivers will perform this evacuation one day during the week as they drop your students off in the morning. This procedure takes place at your school and is located in your normal bus drop off/pick up zone. All professional school bus drivers that transport students are required to perform evacuation procedures in case of an emergency. Bus evacuation will be through the front door this year. Students will then, under the direction and supervision of the bus driver, evacuate and meet in a safe place approximately 100 feet away from the bus.

Your assistance is welcome but not mandatory to complete this required evacuation drill quickly, safely and effectively.

We appreciate all you do to help us safely transport your students.

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All new principals and new SCC Chairs need to attend one of the SCC Trainings for this year. Two trainings will be held in a Zoom format. If you have any questions contact Nadine Page, nadine.page@jordandistrict.org or 801.567.8182 (x88182).

September 28, 2022 - 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting    LINK

September 29, 2022 - 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting    LINK

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With the restructure of the Human Resource Department, which includes Brittany Bauer and Jane Olsen in their new assignments as HR Specialists, the HR Department has a new look. While Brittany and Jane will focus on NEW EMPLOYEES, Brent and June will focus on CURRENT EMPLOYEES for all employee groups. For additional details, please see the attached graphic. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

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1-year temporary agreements are not required for part-time employees.

1-year temporary agreements are required for all full-time/contracted employees who are paid from the following programs and program codes. Please submit these completed forms to the HR Department by or during the FTE audits in September 2022. Click this link for the 1-Year Temporary Agreement form found on the employment.jordandistrict.org/AdminOnly website.

Program Code:  5679
Program Name:  School Based Mental Health
Department:  Student Services
Employee Type:  Licensed

Program Code:  5886
Program Name:  Beverly Taylor Arts Learning Program
Department:  Teaching & Learning
Employee Type:  Licensed

Program Code:  7685
Program Name:  SAMHSA AWARE Grant
Department:  Student Services
Employee Type:  Licensed

Program Code:  7220
Program Name:  GEERS
Department:  Special Education
Employee Type:  ESP

Published on

DATE:   
August 15, 2022

TO:  
Elementary Principals

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Teaching and Learning Administrator
Norman R. Emerson, Fine Arts Consultant

SUBJECT:  
Assemblies by Artistic Resources for Teachers and Students, Inc. (ARTS, Inc.)

ARTS, Inc., now in its sixty-third year of operation, was founded in 1959 and has provided performances in all forty-one school districts in Utah, reaching more than 250 schools each year with professional arts and education programming. We welcome their artists in our schools again for the 2021-22 school year.

Click this link to find:

  • The assembly schedule with the date and time the artists will be at your school.
  • The contact information for the performing group coming to your school.

The artists have been instructed to contact you at least two weeks prior to their assembly to verify starting times and specific needs for their performance. If the date selected for the music group to perform at your school does not work with your schedule, please contact the music group as soon as possible to reschedule. The name and phone number of the contact person for each group have been provided.

If you have any questions, please contact Norman Emerson at 801-567-8364.

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Educators who enroll and complete the online new mentor training in August or September (2022) will receive a $150 stipend. This training is a 3-hour online course and is for BRAND NEW MENTORS ONLY.

Educators will need to register on JPLS. Please contact the JES office with any questions at (801) 567-8369 or rebecca.lee@jordandistrict.org.

Please let educators know who may be interested in becoming certified as a mentor.

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Please note the following changes to the Transportation Moratorium Field/Activity Trips Dates 2022-23. The 4th Grade Utah Symphony has been changed to November 14 and 15 at Abravanel Hall. November 16 is no longer a moratorium date. Please plan accordingly.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 25, 2022

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Tableau Login Moving to Google SSO

Due to a change on Tableau’s security policies, we will be transitioning all Tableau logins to Google single sign on (SSO). Beginning Thursday, September 1, when Tableau users try to sign into their accounts, they will be redirected to a Google login page. Tableau users will use the same login credentials as their district email for Tableau. Here are the new login procedures effective September 1st:

  1. Navigate to the Tableau login page: https://sso.online.tableau.com/public/idp/SSO
  2. Enter your district email address.
  3. You will be redirected to a Google login page. Enter your district email and password.

Please direct any questions about Tableau to Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability.

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US Code 106 has declared September 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day. All educational institutions are urged to “make plans for the proper observance of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.”

This year September 17 is on a Saturday. Please find a way to celebrate this important document and citizenship with your students sometime during the week of September 12-16. UEN has provided some great resources for all grade levels which could be done in the social studies classrooms.  

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Principals received both an email and an announcement in the New Teacher Induction (NTI) CANVAS course. This access allows you the ability to preview what your new teachers will view tomorrow, August 12, 2022, which contains important information regarding their employment.

Please remind your new teachers that the NTI CANVAS course is to be completed prior to the start of school for students.

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Workshops focused on the enrichment side of Walk to Read will be offered for aides who work with students in grades K-6. The workshops are optional. Schools can opt to send aides during their contracted time or to pay them for attending at a time they are not working. Please see the flyer for dates and times specific to grade bands. Registration is through a Google form, linked on the flyer.

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The following professional development days have been added to this year’s calendar. 

2022-23 School Year Calendar

Professional Development Day (No Students Attend)
Friday, September 16, 2022
Friday, November 4, 2022
Friday, April 21, 2023

All employees should work in the building on these days. Principals are authorized to use up to 3 hours of principal-directed time each professional day, which includes time spent in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The remaining time should be at the teacher’s discretion. 

Please provide these dates to your employees.
If you have any questions please contact your Administrator of Schools.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 11, 2022

TO: 
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
Utah Aspire Plus Dashboard Updated with 2022 Assessment Results

The Utah Aspire Plus dashboard in Tableau has been updated with 2022 assessment results. School administrators will be able to access proficiency data and predicted ACT data from 2019-2022 for the English, Math, Reading and Science subtests. Each dataset comes equipped with demographic and student group filters. School administrators may also view a school comparison with 2022 results as well as individual student results.

The school Utah Aspire Plus dashboard may be found here.
Explore > Utah Aspire Plus > 2-School Utah Aspire Plus, 2019-Present

Student level data may be found here.
Explore > Utah Aspire Plus > [Your School Name] Student Level Data

The district-level Utah Aspire Plus dashboard may be found here.
Explore > Utah Aspire Plus > 1-District Utah Aspire Plus, 2019-Present

Please contact Evaluation, Research & Accountability with questions about the dashboard or the Utah Aspire Plus assessment.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 11, 2022

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:     
KEEP Entry Administration and Materials

Principals are asked to pass this information, along with the materials included with this memo, to their kindergarten teachers as soon as possible.

KEEP Entry administration for the 2022-23 school year is still required by the state. The KEEP Entry assessment window ends on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Data entry into the Data Gateway is due by Friday, September 30, 2022. Those who are administering the KEEP Entry (including kindergarten teachers and classroom aides) should have been trained. Test administrators can access training in one of two ways:

Only kindergarten teachers and instructional coaches will have access to enter data into the Data Gateway. Classroom assistants will not have access to KEEP data entry in the Data Gateway.

Included with this memo are the following materials:

  • KEEP Entry Test Administration Manual (TAM) – Kindergarten teachers should use this manual to access the script they should read while testing. The manual also contains instructions on how to administer and score the assessment.
  • KEEP Entry Student Materials – Schools will be responsible for printing their own student materials booklet for each KEEP Entry test administrator. No changes to the assessment have been made, so teachers may use last year’s student materials.
  • KEEP Entry Score Sheet – Kindergarten teachers may fill out the scoring sheet online in their Data Gateway account while administering the assessment. They may also fill out the attached scoring sheet and then enter the data in the Data Gateway at a later time.
  • KEEP Entry Data Entry – Getting Started – This document provides a brief explanation of how to enter KEEP Entry data into the Data Gateway.

If you have questions about the KEEP Entry assessment or the data entry in the Data Gateway, please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 11, 2022

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
BOY Acadience Reading and Math Testing Reminders

The beginning-of-year Acadience Reading and Math testing window opens on the first day of school and closes on Friday, September 30th. As we prepare for Acadience testing, there are a few friendly reminders that help the district testing teams be as efficient as possible while they are at your school testing students:

  • Because our assessment teams are still not fully staffed, we are asking that instructional coaches plan to assist with testing on your school’s scheduled day(s) again this year. Full-time personnel from Evaluation, Research & Accountability will also be assisting with testing.
  • Please avoid scheduling kindergarten and first grade classes back to back, when possible. They take longer because assessment assistants are administering both the reading and math measures. Staggering them between second and third grade classes helps the team stay on time.
  • Encourage your teachers to be flexible. They need to be prepared to come early or late to their allotted time.
  • Be sure to have an adult runner available who knows the school and can quickly get the next class to come to the testing area, distribute student cards, and help the testing run as efficiently as possible. If schools don’t have a runner available, a parent who knows where teacher classrooms are is a viable option. If there is no runner, one of our assessment assistants has to do it, which means she is testing less students.
  • Because Kindergarten students will not be in school the first six days of the testing window, there is very little time for district assessment assistants to come back to your school to do absent testing. While we will do our best to complete testing with students who were absent on test day, please plan on having school personnel help to complete absent testing.

Change to Accommodations Policy:
Please note that USBE has updated its accommodations policy for both Acadience Reading and Math. They are no longer allowing us to translate the instructions provided for each measure for English Learners. All EL students, regardless of language proficiency level, will be given the measure instructions in English.

Please contact Ben Jameson or Shannon Johnson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions or concerns about the reminders listed above as well as the change in USBE’s accommodation policy.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, August 11, 2022

TO:  
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
AP Analysis Dashboard Updated

The AP Analysis Dashboard has been updated with 2021-22 AP exam data in Tableau. School administrators may access both district and school dashboards here.

School administrators will be able to view participation rates, pass rates, and a distribution of scores by school, discipline, and assessment from 2016 to 2022. In addition, the dashboard also contains scores by AP teacher and student.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions about the AP Analysis Dashboard.