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Category: Elementary Info

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, July 1, 2021

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Unofficial RISE Data Available on Tableau

RISE data downloaded from TIDE are now available on school administrator Tableau Viewer accounts.  The dashboards contain RISE proficiency data for ELA, math and science for both the 2021 test administration as well as longitudinal SAGE/RISE data as far back as the 2013-14 school year.  Included in the dashboard are demographic filters (i.e., socioeconomic status, EL, minority and special education status) that will allow administrators to interact with the data to look at individual student group performance.  Dashboards that contain student level data are included as well.

With the 2021 RISE test administration, there are some key things to remember:

  • Grades 4-5 science data are not currently available. Because the core changed, the test also changed.  USBE staff and educators from across the state will be working this summer on standard setting and validation.  Science grades 4-5 data with proficiency cut scores will be released later this fall.
  • The assessment data on these Tableau dashboards are not the official state data and cannot be shared with the general public. The dashboards will be updated with official state data and can then be released to the public later this fall.  However, school administrators may use the data to target student groups for extra support as well as allocate personnel and resources where needed.
  • Student growth will not be calculated for the 2020-21 school year. Thus, for the time being, the dashboards contain only proficiency data.

School administrators will note that, in general, proficiency scores decreased from previous years across the board.  Administrators are encouraged to exercise caution as they analyze their school’s 2021 RISE data.  There are some mitigating factors that make the 2020-21 school year unique in nature and our proficiency scores, along with most LEAs across the state, reflect that.  There is still much to be done to mitigate unfinished learning in the coming year and the 2021 RISE scores are simply a snapshot of where we are in that effort.

School administrators may access RISE data at the following links:

  • District RISE Report – Explore > RISE > RISE Data Review and Analysis > 1 – District Report, RISE, 2014 – Present
  • School RISE Report – Explore > RISE > RISE Data Review and Analysis > 1 – School Report, RISE, 2014 – Present
  • RISE Student Level Data – Explore > RISE > RISE Data Review and Analysis > 1 – 2021 RISE Student Level Data > [Your School] 2021 RISE Student Level Data

Tableau dashboards containing official and final RISE data will be released this fall along with the Opportunity to Learn survey results that students took at the end of their RISE math test.  The OTL survey questions will help frame the relationship between the unique learning environments students and teachers experienced and student achievement on the RISE test and will help school administrators further address unfinished learning during the 2021-22 school year.  A copy of those OTL questions are included with this memo.

Published on

DATE:     
June 23, 2021

TO:  
Principals

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

SUBJECT: 
Fee Waiver Materials 2021-22

The annual Certificate of Compliance report will be due October 31, 2021. October 1st of each year the Local Board Chair, District Superintendent, and each Principal will receive an email containing a personalized link to complete the Certificate of Compliance. The email will be titled Utah State Board of Education School Year 2021-2022 Certificate of Compliance. Each individual will have 30 days to complete the certificate. Click here to access a sample Certificate of Compliance.

All USBE School Fees Notices and School Fee Waiver Applications can be found by clicking HERE.

Forms can be found under Grades K-6 and Grades 7-12 in multiple languages. The Fee Waiver Application, for both elementary and secondary was revised 3/24/2021. Use the current form when having parents fill out the application.

Attention:  Students who previously showed verification of eligibility do not need to resubmit documentation. It may be necessary for the principal (or designee) to contact the previous school of transferring students for verification of fee waiver status. Kindergarten students coming into the school, new students to the District, and students with extenuating circumstances will still be required to submit documentation.

 

Published on

DATE:   
June 17, 2021

TO:  
Elementary Principals

FROM: 
Shelley Nordick, PhD, Teaching and Learning Administrator
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services Consultant

SUBJECT: 
2021-22 Elementary Area Library Media Specialist School Assignments

Please see document below for information and school assignments.

Published on

Due to the recent approval of changes made to BP178 – Purchasing Provisions, the Accounting and Purchasing Departments would like to announce the following changes. Effective July 1, 2021, the Purchasing Guidelines will have increased spending thresholds at each level, which will also include Pcard and eCheck purchases. Most notable in the changes is the increase of the individual procurement item threshold (single item) from $1,000 to $5,000. There will not be a distinction under the Level 1 purchase threshold of a single item purchased and a single procurement aggregate (multiple items purchased from one source at one time) purchase. They will both be $5,000 and will not require any additional quotes.

This also means that the maximum one-time charge that can be made using the district Pcard is $5,000. Because some administrators may not be comfortable with their employees having a higher limit on the Pcard, all cardholders will remain at current levels. A new application needs to be filled out with an acknowledgement for the higher dollar amount authorization must be signed by the cardholder and their supervisor. That form will be made available on the Purchasing website beginning July 1st. The Purchasing Card Manual has also been updated and must be read and understood before making any credit limit increases.

Attached is the updated and revised Purchasing Guidelines. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Purchasing Department with assistance with future purchases that will be affected by these changes.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, June 24, 2021

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Acadience Reading Dashboard and Data Analysis Protocol

Acadience Reading assessment data have been added to administrator Tableau Viewer Accounts.  School administrators may view longitudinal data from 2015 through 2021 for the entire district as well as any elementary school. Dashboards include proficiency and growth (Pathways Achieved) data as well as grade level measure performance. In addition, for the 2020-21 school year, there is also a dashboard that analyzes performance based on form of instruction (in-person vs. online).

These dashboards may be found here:

  • Explore > Acadience Reading & Early Literacy > School Acadience Reading Analysis, 2015-2021 > Acadience Reading Analysis, 2015-2021

School administrators may also view student and teacher level data for their school.

Student and teacher level dashboards may be found here:

  • Explore > Acadience Reading & Early Literacy > School Acadience Reading Analysis, 2015-2021 > [Your School Name] – 2021 Acadience Reading Student Level Data

To help you make sense of and analyze your Acadience Reading assessment data in terms of core instruction and tier II interventions, a data analysis protocol has been included with this memo.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with questions about the dashboards or data analysis protocol.

Published on

The 12-Week Virtual Camp Adventure

Capstone Reading has created the “Virtual Camp Adventure,” in which students may stay connected to reading, writing, and creative experiences throughout the summer. Enrollment is free, and further information is available at https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2020/05/its-time-for-12-week-virtual-camp.html.

Published on

Information Systems would like you to be aware that as of tomorrow, June 11, 2021, all Kajeet devices throughout the district will be disabled for the summer. They will be re-enabled on August 16th. If you have any questions, please contact Mark Sowa at 801-567-8392.

Published on

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective July 1, 2021:

  • James Groethe, assistant principal at Copper Hills High appointed assistant principal at Bingham High School, replacing Kenneth Damron who resigned.
  • Sterling Hunt, assistant principal at West Jordan High appointed assistant principal at Copper Hills High, replacing James Groethe who was transferred.
  • Noelapoomaikala (Noelani) Ioane, teacher specialist in Teaching & Learning appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Sterling Hunt who was transferred.
  • Josh Sullivan, assistant principal at Channing Hall, appointed assistant principal at Bluffdale and Antelope Canyon Elementary.
  • Aubri Moench, teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary, appointed assistant principal, on an open contract, at a location to be determined.

Published on

We have translated the following forms:

Home Language Survey
Fee Waiver
Chrome Book Agreement
Student/Family Residency
ACT Letter and Consent Release Form
Discrimination Complaint
Parental Exclusion

You can access the forms in 9 (nine) translated languages here. Please contact the Language and Culture Services Department (ELS) for more questions.

Published on

Date:
June 10, 2021

To:
All School Administrators

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

Subject:
2021 WIDA Access Results and Dashboard

Results for the 2021 WIDA Access assessment administered in January-March this year are now available on your Tableau Viewer account. School administrators may access the following data:

  • District level data
  • School level data
  • Student level data

School administrators may interact with the data using the following demographic filters:

  • School year
  • Grade level
  • Gender
  • Economically disadvantaged
  • Race/ethnicity
  • Students with a disability

A data analysis protocol has been provided to help school leadership and EL teams examine the assessment data and brainstorm possible responses or implementations to further support the learning of EL students.

As a reminder, if having a group of teachers work with the Tableau dashboards is something principals are interested in, temporary access to the 2021 WIDA Access results may be granted through Tableau. Please contact Ben Jameson for more information.

 

Published on

Starting Fall 2021, Utah’s K-3 educators in 69 Districts and/or charter schools will be engaging in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional learning to advance their knowledge and skills in the science of reading.

In light of Utah’s early reading data over the last several years, Utah State Board of Education has prioritized literacy instruction for K-3 students and has selected LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional learning to support teachers in advancing their knowledge about the science of reading. Based on middle of year Acadience Reading growth data from the 2020-2021 school year, 69 school districts and charters were chosen to participate in this training. Jordan District was among the 69 school districts. As part of this initiative, all K-3 classroom and special education teachers and instructional coaches serving grades K-3 in the area of literacy are asked to participate in this particular professional learning. School administrators and school psychologists will participate in a leaders training.

The professional learning sessions will be held in regional locations across the state. Actual locations and dates will be determined in coordination with each school district. Sessions will likely occur between August 2021 through September 2023. Because of the implementation of Really Great Reading and Walk to Read, we have requested to start LETRS trainings as late as possible.  We are currently waiting for approval from USBE.

LETRS training consists of 8 units. Each unit includes online coursework, classroom application with students, and an in-person session. LETRS training will closely align with the training teachers will receive this summer and the work that will be taking place at your schools. An informational handout is attached.

We are sending out a brief introductory message to K-3 teachers regarding LETRS training. We understand we don’t have full information, but we would like teachers to know a little about LETRS before the Literacy Launch training that begins next week. Please feel free to reach out to Shelley Nordick with questions or concerns.

Published on

The training links for teachers who are new to Really Great Reading have been sent to each teacher’s district email. Please be aware that the links come from messages@matrixlms.com. Since this is an unusual email address, teachers sometimes delete the email. If this happens, please contact Cindy Stevenson and she can have the links resent. This training can be done anytime this summer and the links will stay active for one year. Teachers will receive a $300.00 stipend for completing this training. It is not necessary to contact anyone when teachers have completed the training. The company supplies the district with a report of who has completed the training. If teachers have completed the training earlier this year, it is not necessary for them to do the training again.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, June 3, 2021

TO: 
School Administrators
School Administrative Assistants

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

SUBJECT: 
RISE Individual Student Reports in Skyward

Summative RISE Individual Student Reports (ISRs) are being uploaded into Skyward Family Access student portfolios by the Information Systems Department. Reports for tests completed prior to May 24 are already uploaded. Score reports will continue to be uploaded as RISE testing closes out. The last reports for year-round students will be uploaded the week of June 14. Test scores will be uploaded to the test scores modules in Skyward after the testing window is completed in June.

Included with this memo are step-by-step instructions for parents on how to access these ISRs. Principals are encouraged to disseminate this information to parents via Skylert or by any other means deemed appropriate. Principals may also consider keeping copies of the step-by-step instructions in the main office to distribute to parents as needed.

Please contact Ben Jameson or Brooke Anderson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions about the RISE ISRs.

Published on

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective July 1, 2021:

  • Michael Haynes, JEF Board Member appointed director of the Jordan Education Foundation, replacing Steve Hall who is retiring.
  • Amanda Bollinger, consultant in Special Education appointed staff assistant in the Special Education Department.
  • Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies teacher at Elk Ridge Middle appointed consultant in the Teaching & Learning Department, replacing Pam Su’a who is retiring.
  • Tamara Rajczyk, teacher specialist in Special Education appointed consultant in the Special Education Department, replacing Shelly Davis who is retiring.
  • Audrey Fish, assistant principal at Fort Herriman Middle appointed principal at Sunset Ridge Middle, replacing Kim Searle who is retiring.
  • Lisa Jackson, principal at Southland Elementary appointed assistant principal at Fort Herriman Middle, replacing Audrey Fish who was transferred.
  • Garett York, assistant principal at Westvale Elementary appointed principal at Southland Elementary, replacing Lisa Jackson who was transferred.
  • Tyler (TJ) Davenport, elementary teacher at Plymouth Elementary in the Granite School District, who was offered open contract in February 2021, appointed assistant principal at Westvale Elementary, replacing Garett York who was transferred.
  • Frank Preston, assistant principal at Herriman and Butterfield Canyon Elementary appointed assistant principal at Herriman and Daybreak Elementary.
  • Jennifer Smith, assistant principal at Foothills Elementary appointed assistant principal at Copper Canyon and Welby Elementary.
  • Michelle Kilcrease, assistant principal at Blackridge Elementary appointed assistant principal at Blackridge and Foothills Elementary.
  • Angela Hamilton, assistant principal at Bastian Elementary appointed assistant principal at Bastian and Butterfield Canyon Elementary.
  • Allyson Stovall, assistant principal at Southland and Welby Elementary appointed part-time assistant principal at Southland Elementary.
  • Kami Taylor, teacher specialist in Teaching & Learning appointed consultant for STEM and Computer Science in the Teaching & Learning Department.
  • Todd Theobald, assistant principal at Daybreak Elementary, part-time, appointed part-time administrator on special assignment in the Teaching & Learning Department.

Published on

DATE:  
May 26, 2021

TO:  
All Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources
Administrators of Schools

SUBJECT: 
Summer Hours for School Personnel

Please review the schedule of Summer Hours for School Personnel below, with all designated summer school personnel at your location. Extended school office/business hours are acceptable; however, other adjusted schedules are NOT acceptable because they limit public access to school personnel.