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Category: Elementary Action Required

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Beginning the 2022-23 academic year, all Beverly Taylor Sorenson (BTS) educators will be evaluated using the UETS-based JPAS tool.

BTS Full Evaluation

  • Two classroom observations
  • Educator uploads required evidence into Perform (stakeholder input, student growth with data)
  • Professional development meeting with goal setting

BTS Interim Evaluation

  • Beginning of the year
    • Self-evaluation
    • Three required goals
    • Evaluator approval
  • End of the year
    • Reflection on three goals
    • BTS educator uploads stakeholder input and student growth with data
    • Evaluator and educator signatures

Action Required: Please let all BTS educators know of the change to their evaluation type so they may be prepared. Contact the JES office with any questions at (801) 567-8369 or rebecca.lee@jordandistrict.org.

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We have money to assist at-risk students at your school. Each school needs to email the LCS Administrative Assistant, Nicole Woodburn, for your budget form. You will have to fill that form out before the funds appear in your 5336 account. Contact: nicole.woodburn@jordandistrict.org

At-Risk Students (EARS) Definition
“Students at risk are those students who are in an at-risk category such as: primary
language is other than English, poverty, homelessness, trauma, scores below proficient on state assessments, or has other adverse childhood experiences (ACE).

Please be responsible in budgeting this money. It is one-time and may not be available next year.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:   
Acadience Training Options for Instructional Coaches, Teachers and ESPs

We recognize that with the start of the new school year comes personnel who are new to their positions. Instructional coaches, some classroom assistants, and grades 4-6 teachers will all have varied responsibilities to administer Acadience benchmarks and progress monitoring probes. Personnel new to their positions this year should be trained on administering the Acadience measures. There are both online and in-person training options. Principals are asked to pass the following information on to relevant personnel.

Please see the memo below for all the details.

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DATE:    
May 19, 2021

TO:   
Elementary Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Consultant Student Support Services
Michelle Reyes, Prevention Specialist

SUBJECT:
Attendance Brochure for Back to School Night

Principals,

Please remember that Back to School Night is the best time to stress the importance of regular attendance to school and the benefits for learning. Please print some of the enclosed brochures and have them visible around the school during your Back to School Night. The brochures are available in both English and Spanish.

Research shows that Back to School Night is often the only point of contact for new families and parents who may not come to the school at any other time. Studies also show that when principals talk about attendance and the link to learning in the Back to School Night meetings it makes a difference in the communities’ perception of the importance of attendance.

We hope that your Back to School Night is wonderful and very well attended.

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DATE: 
August 9, 2022

TO:  
Assistant Principals
Principals (info only)
Teaching & Learning Consultants

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

SUBJECT:   
Safe School Hearing Calendar/Assignments
Please add on your calendar now!

To broaden everyone’s experience, most assistant principals will be a part of the Safe Schools Committee this year. Please add this date to your calendar as a top priority. If your name is not listed, you will be one of the first contacts in case of an emergency and a substitute committee member is needed. PLEASE DO NOT FIND YOUR OWN SUBSITUTE. The committee is balanced by level and gender each week. If an emergency comes up the week of your assignment, please email janie.hyde@jordandistrict.org

The Safe School Committee meets on Wednesdays from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM at the main district office in conference room 123 back by the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Compliance folks. Bring your own lunch or there is an hour break built in to buy lunch at the many offerings in Jordan Landing.

We are grateful to have your experience, wisdom and skill set to help with this important decision-making committee.

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Please send all updates and information for the instructional coaching positions in your school to Michelle Williams in the JSD Teaching and Learning Department. Please include names, email, and details about their coaching FTE amounts. We need your prompt response if you have not already communicated your personnel updates. Michelle may be contacted at 801-567-8365 or michelle.williams@jordandistrict.org

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Attached are the special education budget allocations for Resource, Self-Contained Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists for the 2022-23 school year. (Cluster Leaders 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. It will be up to you, your team, and your school principal/financial secretary to keep track of how much of your budget you have spent individually.

Please note equipment purchases, electronic games and/or any materials that are not instructional in nature must be pre-approved from the Special Education Department. Equipment purchases that are not pre-approved will not be reimbursed. Requests must include the approval from your teacher specialist.

When submitting requisitions, follow Skyward procedures and guidelines. Requisitions for the 2022-23 school year can be submitted anytime between July 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. The final deadline for all purchasing requests, reimbursement requests, E-checks and P-Card purchases is March 1, 2023. This is a different deadline than we have previously had and will not be extended.

If you have questions regarding your Special Education budget, please call Amanda Hamblin at (801) 567-8177 or the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school.

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Reminder: We're getting close to the deadline (May 1, 2023) for the timesheets to be turned in. Your teachers would need to have already submitted their "Educator-Directed Paid Professional Hours PLAN" by the first day of school in order to be eligible for this payment. Please make sure to total the hours listed on the timesheet and put this number on the Google Sheet. If you have questions please reach out to Nadine Page at x88182 or nadine.page@jordandistrict.org.

Please see attached documents for how to complete the necessary steps to be paid for up to 32 hours of work from funding allocated by HB396.

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Please refer to the attached documents for information to help you prepare for next week's event. Direct any questions to Becky Gerber at becky.gerber@jordandistrict.org.

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This information was originally sent out in March 10, 2022 JAM. Please note the following budget code updates for 2022-2023 school year below.

The following positions will be available for schools for the 2022-2023 school year only using ESSER III funds.

  • High Schools 1.0 FTE for a tracker
  • Middle Schools 0.25 FTE for a tracker
  • Elementary Schools 25-hour assistant to support intervention

Any additional trackers or aides that have previously been paid for using CARES / ESSER funds will be the responsibility of the school for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Schools will need to update budget codes for personnel who will be covered through ESSER III funds in 2022-2023. Please complete a New Hire/Change Form and code ESSER III Budget #7225 starting July 1, 2022.  

The following Budget Codes will be discontinued after July 1, 2022:

10 E xxx 7211 xxxx xxx and 10 E xxx 7215 xxxx xxx

Schools will need to update budget codes for any personnel who were paid through these budgets.

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DATE:
August 1, 2022

TO:
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:
Legislative Classroom Supplies Appropriation for 2022-23

Legislative supply envelopes for the 2022-23 school year were sent to administrative assistants via interoffice mail on Monday, August 1st. A copy of the attached memo was enclosed with the envelopes. This year, each eligible full-time teacher will receive $175 for supply purchases (or portion, if less than full-time). The memo includes important information about carry-over funds, payroll deductions, and the date supply funds will be deposited to teacher's accounts.

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DATE: 
August 3, 2022

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

SUBJECT:   
Early Warning System - Panorama

State Code §53F-4-207 establishes a student intervention Early Warning System (EWS) and on May 2, 2022 it become an ongoing law (the pilot program status was repealed). Under this law an LEA that is accepted as a part of the funding through the USBE shall pay for ½ of the cost of the program, but LEA’s may pay the full cost unsubsidized. ALL Jordan Schools, except the special schools, were approved by USBE for the subsidized amount of $2,000 annually. Panorama was paid for by Student Services for the 2022-23 school year only.

Panorama is an effective data-dashboard that sits on top of Skyward, pulling its data from Skyward and presenting it in an easy-to-use graphical user interface. Using course performance, behavior, attendance, and social emotional data Panorama presents information that helps educators get to the correct intervention/help sooner.

Social emotional surveys are integral to Panorama. These surveys are strongly recommended as they provide key SEL data several times each year. However, they are optional and schools may choose to administer them once, twice, three times or not at all. Each survey administration is optional and parents may choose for their student(s) to not participate. Students may choose to not participate as well. SEL surveys should never be required, part of an academic grade, or high stakes. The same questions are used for every survey administration and have been vetted by the district and its attorney and are NOT mental health screening questions. However, PRIOR to any survey, parents shall be notified and given an opportunity to opt out. Students access the survey via the web and use their student ID to access the survey.

Survey information including survey windows, sample parent letters, survey questions, and FAQ’s will be provided to you and your survey coordinator prior to EACH survey window. You may share any or all of the resources provided – including the survey questions, with parents and staff.

The first survey window of the 2022-23 school year will be August 29, 2022 through September 21, 2022. A second survey window will open in January with the third and final survey window opening in April.

Should you have any Panorama questions or training needs please contact Travis Hamblin (801.567.8439 or travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org).

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Employee donations support programs like: Principal's Pantries, Wellness Rooms, Outstanding Educator Awards, Classroom Grants, Unified Sports, and Christmas for Kids.

Please see the flyer for more information on how you can make a BIG difference!

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DATE: 
July 1, 2022

TO:  
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School-Age)
Speech-Language Pathologists

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

SUBJECT: 
Extended Year Special Educator Stipends 2022-23

Attached you will find information and guidelines regarding the Extended Year Stipend that is available to Special Education Teachers and SLP's. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully.

The state has allotted 5 extra days to work either two weeks before or two weeks after your contract ends. The eligible timeline for these days is July 27-Aug 9, 2022 and/or June 6-19, 2023. You can work them all before, all after, or a combination of both. Please keep track of the days you worked in the fall so when spring comes you will know how many you have left.

The days you work are turned in on a Qualtrics survey that the state sends us to generate the payroll information. Unfortunately, we have not yet received this link, but we wanted you to know what the timeline was since it is coming up quickly. The link will be emailed to you as soon as we receive it.