Jordan School District
DATE:
Thursday, February 25, 2021
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
USBE School Climate Survey
Please see the attached memo and documents that are mentioned in the memo.
DATE:
Thursday, February 25, 2021
TO:
Elementary School Principals
Middle School Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
Teacher Training for RISE Summative Testing
With end-of-year testing season starting in a month (or two), it’s a good time to plan for teacher training. Please work with testing coordinators and administrators to schedule or facilitate faculty training at school. The format of the training is flexible and can be done as an all-in-one meeting, or you can ask teachers to complete the RISE Canvas course, or a combination thereof. All administrators, elementary coaches and RISE-testing teachers will be added to the RISE Canvas course, so each teacher has access to the same resources: https://jordanpd.instructure.com/enroll/6XW9EE
If you’d like Brooke Anderson to lead a 45-minute overview of RISE testing, please join her via Zoom during one of the dates & times below:
Wednesday, March 10 @ 4:00 PM:
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/89177570866?pwd=bElTZWJsZkN4YWYwOGh0d3lRZ05YUT09
Meeting ID: 891 7757 0866
Passcode: 414957
Friday, March 12 @ 8:30 AM:
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/89781595565?pwd=T2VOVlgxci9LL2o4L21PN0hoTWtPUT09
Meeting ID: 897 8159 5565
Passcode: 784457
Friday, March 19 @ 9:00 AM:
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/82987533837?pwd=cmwwZ2VTTXhkTk5SUm1RYjhjUXordz09
Meeting ID: 829 8753 3837
Passcode: 508653
Please contact Brooke Anderson at 801-567-8393 or brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org if you need to set up another training at a different time/date than the ones listed above.
Thank you for your participation in the Virtual Teacher Transfer Fair! We hope it was a valuable experience. To help continually improve future fairs, we would appreciate your genuine feedback. Please complete the following brief survey https://forms.gle/cVad2HeUmSxSbhk9A.
The LAND Trust Plan needs to be a component of your TSSA Plan. Your School Community Council reviews the data and provides comments on the TSSA Plan. Understand what the TSSA Plan is and be familiar with the data.
When presenting the data to SCC present what is in place in your LAND Trust and TSSA Plans. Make it parent friendly with the statements used. Give time for them to ask questions. Make sure they feel comfortable.
When putting together your 2021-22 LAND Trust Plan be a brief as possible in providing all of the necessary information.
Use the Data Review to identify critical academic needs.
Create the Goal: Goals must be – Student Centered, Measurable, and Academic
Focus on student improvement and success
Identify the goal and fit your needs to the goal. Don’t just use it as a shopping list
How do we define success?
What will we do?
What do we need?
If multiple goals are in the same subject combine it into one goal
Keep the amount of goals smaller
GOAL:
One Statement
Such as – “Improve 8th grade science scores from 55% to 59%”
MEASUREMENT:
What is the method of coming up with the assessment? How will we know that goal has been met? “Acadience scores”
ACTION PLAN:
Have it be research based. Every expenditure should be discussed in the Action Plan and matched to the action - so it shows how it all fits together. Use:
* A bullet list or
* Outline
“If we receive more funds” – Be thinking of other things you could do, in current goals as well as additional goals.
Recent changes regarding Behavioral Intervention:
Can be a part of the action plan
No longer has a $ limit
Must be tied to an academic goal
Use data to show how it will support the goal
Regarding the website update
It will be more steam lined
The website should be ready for the final reports to be added by March 5, 2021
The 2021-22 Upcoming Plan can’t be submitted until the final report is done and submitted
Final Reports
Using a copy of the 2019-2020 School Plan as a template, prepare responses to each item (text) in each goal or question entered in the original School Plan and Amendment, as necessary.
Expenditures will not be entered by the principal but will be displayed for response and explanation by the council.
School plan expenditures from 2019-2020 may be obtained from the business administrator.
2021-22 Upcoming Plan
A template from the State LAND Trust website is attached to this JAM
Your school plan is due to your AOS by March 26, 2021
The same deadlines are necessary in order to stay on track with reviews by the AOS’ and the approval by the Jordan School District Board of Education.
Please review the attached Land Trust Guidelines in order to place the expenditures under the correct categories.
This is a reminder for principals to complete their EARS funding request form. EARS funding provides an opportunity for schools to respond to the needs of their EL (ML) students. As you begin to think of ways to use the money, the Educational Language Services Department can provide training on what great Parent Home Visits look like, how to use the WIDA Can-Do statements, and how to strengthen Tier I instruction. Please reach out to Michelle Love-Day in Educational Language Services for any questions. Please use this link to request the EARS funding for use with your EL(ML) students this year.
We are preparing for the second year of our Elementary STEM PLC. This program supports elementary STEM rotations by training teachers/instructional assistants to use the tech tools from the JSD STEM Library. This PLC focuses on the T in STEM and provides both training and technology throughout the school year. This program will not provide a full-year of activities, but we will discuss several online tools that can be used at any time and add your school to a rotation to use a variety of tech tools during the year.
During 2020-2021, 13 elementary schools participated in this program. We will be extending this to an additional 13-14 schools in 2021-2022. The feedback so far has been positive, and I am happy to connect you with participating schools if you would like to ask questions.
All costs for tech tools and training are covered by a grant from the STEM Action Center. Participants will spend hours outside their regular school contract/hourly commitment, but they will be paid through the grant.
What does your school need to participate?
A scheduled school-wide STEM Rotation that serves the majority of your students
A commitment to using the tech tools when they arrive at your school
A teacher or instructional assistant who can commit to additional hours outside regular contract time
We will meet a few days in August for hands-on training with the tech tools, the plan is to complete this prior to the start of STEM rotations. We will also meet once or twice a month during the school year to share resources, develop lesson plans, and identify best practices.
If your school is interested in participating, please complete this Google Form. I will add schools as I receive the form responses. The grant is a three-year commitment. If your school does not participate in 2021-2022, you will be invited to participate in 2022-2023.
We are excited to announce the JSD Virtual Teacher Transfer Fair will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 from 4:00PM-6:30PM in lieu of the traditional in-person transfer fair. All principals can access Virtual Teacher Transfer Fair resources and tools immediately by clicking on the following link: Feb 2021 JSD Virtual Teacher Transfer Fair. Anticipated openings, based on your 2.0 FTE projections, and school Zoom Meeting links must be added to the “JSD Virtual Transfer Fair Links/Openings” Google spreadsheet by February 16th.
Interested licensed employees will have the ability to start uploading resumes and video introductions on February 10th. Principals can begin previewing these documents by school level (Elementary, Middle, High, Special Ed) in the Form Responses spreadsheet. 2020-2021 Teacher Transfer Fair (Responses) This document will also give you access to a live support Google chat during the JSD Virtual Teacher Transfer Fair on February 17th for any questions or concerns that you may have during your interviews.
If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources:
Elementary - Kim Gibson kim.gibson@jordandistrict.org
Brittany Bauer brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org
Secondary - Wyatt Bentley wyatt.bentley@jordandistrict.org
Mark Sowa mark.sowa@jordandistrict.org
DATE:
February 4, 2021
TO:
Elementary School Principals
FROM:
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kathy S. Jones, Trainer/Risk Coordinator of Transportation
SUBJECT:
“Safety in the Schools” – Bus Safety Video
Utah State Standards for school buses require students to receive annual bus safety instruction.
This year, bus safety instruction and awareness for students in grades K-6 will come in the form of a video. The video is available at the following link for each individual teacher to present to his or her class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-xtDcfE5sw&feature=emb_logo
In addition, please require all teachers in grades K-1 to have their students watch the Winnie the Pooh video at the link provided below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF_3MrYXDw4
When every teacher in grades K-6 has shown the video(s) to his or her class, please send a quick email confirmation to tammy.spearman@jordandistrict.org indicating that your school has completed this process.
Feel free to contact Denise Dallin in the Transportation Training Department at (801) 567-8856 with any questions you may have.
We would like to have this completed and turned into the Utah State Office by February 26, 2021.
Thank you for helping Jordan School District achieve “Safety in the Schools”.
The Utah Legislature has allocated funding to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) to use to incentivize educators across the state to achieve endorsements in the STEM subjects. The USBE will be using these funds to provide reimbursement for applicable STEM endorsement coursework for both elementary and secondary educators for courses. Funding distribution will be on a first come first serve basis until allocated funds are depleted.
Please see information below or click HERE.
Schools are required to send letters home notifying families of Acadience testing results in grade 1-3. The testing window closes on February 5 and letters should be sent out no later than March 5. Letters may be sent home with students and do not need to be mailed.
Brigham Young University Career Services is seeking feedback that will help them not only recruit people into education but also help prepare graduates in education to perform well in the hiring process. The attached survey is brief but will provide significant information. Responses will be confidential. Please help out by taking the survey. Thank you!
Principal Survey - https://byu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e3EcN4ztIyxGYkJ
This meeting will follow the format of the past meetings. The agenda and meeting links will be sent out by Monday, February 1st. The meeting will start at 8:00 a.m. and a beverage service will be available beginning at 7:30 a.m.
At this meeting we are going to have Natalie Gordon, from the State Land Trust Office, come and do training with all of you on how to make a concise Land Trust Plan. The plan needs to be Student Centered, Measurable, and Academic. She's going to explain what needs to go into the different parts of the plan; Goal, Measurements, and Action Plan Steps. She will also be available to answer questions at the end.
Looking forward, the website is still under construction and it will come back up later than expected. When it comes back up the 2019-20 Final Reports will need to be completed as well as the 2021-22 plan.
Below is information to clarify how full evaluations will be completed. Remember that only provisional teachers will complete a full evaluation.
Administrators may sign up for a virtual training to help refresh the features of the Perform evaluation system. The trainings will last up to two hours depending on need. These trainings will begin next week. To register search “Administrator Perform Refresher” in JPLS. A Zoom link will be sent out to participants before the training.
Administrators may use the bubble sheet to complete observations and enter the information into Perform. If you need help entering the data, please contact the JES office for assistance.
Teachers who will be evaluated using the Perform system now have access to sign up for the Canvas training through JPLS. Teachers who will be evaluated using the JPLS system (teacher specialists) do not need to complete the training as the training focuses on the in-class observations. Have teachers search “UETS-based JPAS Online Training 2020-2021” in JPLS to register.
Dear Principals:
As some registration dates for Middle Schools have shifted to earlier in the year, it is important that we seek to accommodate their efforts. As a result, we ask that the HMH RI (formerly SRI) and Reading Benchmark 1 be administered no later than Jan 15 where possible. We realize this is a week earlier than advised in the Testing Bulletin, and appreciate your flexibility and commitment to helping our team members across the district succeed.
As a reference, the following Rubric will be used for providing reading data to Middle Schools for the transition from 6th to 7th Grade.
Thank you for all of your hard work.
Reading Placement Rubric
Current (20-21 Students)
6th Grade Students going into 7th Grade
| CATEGORY | Highly Proficient | Proficient | Approaching Proficient | Below Proficient |
| District Benchmark (Most Recent)
Out of 30 |
29-30 | 24-28 | 17-23 | 0-16 |
| HMH RI
Lexile Score |
1041+ | 955-1040 | 755-954 | 100-754 |
| CogAt Verbal | Stanine 7+
PR: 77+ |
Stanine 5-6
PR: 43-76 |
Stanine 4
PR: 25-42 |
Stanine 1-3
PR: 1-24 |
A few housekeeping items for Land Trust:
At the February 2, 2021 Principal Meeting we are going to have Natalie Gordon, from the State Office, come and do training with all of you on how to make a concise Land Trust Plan. The plans need to be Student Centered, Measurable, and Academic. She's going to explain what needs to go into the different parts of the plan; Goal, Measurements, and Action Plan Steps. She will also be available to answer questions at the end.
The website is still under construction. When it comes back up the 2019-20 Final Reports will need to be completed.
Our Board of Education has asked that we verify that training with your School Community Councils has been completed prior to the 2021-22 plan being submitted. Completion of the training will be confirmed with your AOS. To help you with the training we are including some links and a Power Point as resources to provide this training.
This video gives a brief introduction of how Utah received trust lands at statehood, how the land creates revenue for schools, how that revenue is invested, and how earnings are distributed through the School LAND Trust program.
Utah School & Institutional Trust System can be found on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/qlr0wFacsyk.
School Community Council Training videos and more information can be found on the School Trust System on the website.
https://schools.utah.gov/schoollandtrust/training
A Jordan School District training video was recorded previously with Mike Anderson and Tracy Miller. That link can be found here:
https://jordandistrict.org/resources/communitycouncil/
Here is the PowerPoint that Mike Anderson has used in previous trainings.
A new record, Method of Instruction, has been created in the Skyward student profile to track a student’s learning method, whether full-time In-Person, full-time Online, or Hybrid (both in-person and online). The Method of Instruction can be used in many reports, including attendance reports, scheduling reports and data mining. In addition, an indicator will appear in the upper, right-hand corner of the student’s profile screen for Virtual and Hybrid students. The indicator is a blue-green . This will help to quickly identify the student’s instruction method.
Below are some key dates in regards to Method of Instruction:
A tutorial on how to add/update the Method of Instruction record can be found in the Information Systems Documentation Folder. If you have any questions regarding Method of Instruction, please reference this tutorial or contact the help desk.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding this year with your technology orders. We have experienced unprecedented delays on the most popular models of Chromebooks, laptops, and even Apple laptops and iPads.
Here are a few updates and recommendations regarding these devices:
Please contact Tonya Hodges in the Purchasing Department at tonya.hodges@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8706 for assistance with your Technology orders.
In anticipation of next year's planning and scheduling, we will be turning pre-transfers on earlier than we have in the past. We have scheduled this task for the afternoon of December 11th. You should then be able to start running reports and see your next year's students beginning December 14th.
A few reminders about pre-transfers:
In addition to turning on pre-transfers, the course master will be rolled over on December 10th for next year scheduling preparation.
Please contact the help desk with any questions or concerns regarding the timing of the pre-transfer process.
DATE:
Thursday, December 3, 2020
TO:
Elementary School Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
Updates for Fall Testing
Reading Inventory
Reading Inventory (RI) is up and available for all elementary (4-6) schools. Please contact the teachers at your school to make sure they know that it is available and ready to use. All in-person teachers and virtual teachers should have access to the Reading Inventory test. If teachers are unable to login, please have them email kira.jensen@jordandistrict.org. Kira is now able to easily add any virtual classes that could not be added with the original upload.
Additionally, Teaching & Learning has just purchased more licenses so that all the students who qualify to use RI can test! This means no more shuffling licenses at your schools!
CogAT Testing for 6th Graders
Schools that have gone virtual for two weeks can still complete their CogAT testing when students return to school. We will be extending the testing window until December 18, 2020, to allow for the change in circumstances. Please contact kira.jensen@jordandistrict.org if you need help with CogAT, or if you have any questions or concerns. Principals are strongly encouraged to not wait until the end of the window to test students, if at all possible.
AAPPL Testing for DLI Schools
The AAPPL testing window has now been extended through January 15, 2021. If any teachers at your school do not complete their AAPPL testing by the original deadline of 12/11/2020, they can still test until 01/15/2021, but they will need to let us know so we can contact the State Office. Please email that information to kira.jensen@jordandistrict.org.
Any and all websites that are domain specific to Weebly or Wix will be blocked by the JSD iBoss Filter on January 18, 2021. All Weebly or Wix sites content will need to be transferred to a JSD supported website. For assistance please contact your school Digital Coach and your school assigned Digital Learning Specialist, Contact Us.
