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Category: Elementary Info

Published on

TO:
Elementary School Administrators

FROM:
Mike Haynes, Director, Jordan Education Foundation

This virtual clinic is for all elementary classrooms in Utah. Classrooms can join via zoom* or participate as a school from your gymnasium. Kids and teachers will take part in various fun events following along with Utah Jazz player, dancers, coach, Bear, and others. There will be fun exercises you can do in place as well as other mental and physical activities. BE SURE TO SCAN THE QR CODE TO REGISTER!

*Note, the zoom link will be provided prior to the event.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, October 24, 2024

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:   
Schools At Risk for Being Designated for Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI)

When a school has one or more low-performing student groups for two consecutive years, the state designates that school for Targeted Support and Improvement or TSI. The state identifies a low-performing student group by calculating a school accountability report card score for each student group. Low-performing is defined as a student group that accrues a percentage of school accountability report card points that is less than the state’s bottom 5% threshold of Title I schools. In other words, that student group is performing below the bottom 5% of Title I schools from across the state.

The student groups that can be designated for TSI are as follows:

  • Asian
  • American Indian
  • Black
  • Hispanic
  • Multiple Races
  • Pacific Islander
  • White
  • Economically Disadvantaged
  • Multi-lingual Learner (ML)
  • Student with a Disability

Recently, USBE released TSI calculations for the 2023-24 school year for each student group in every school in the state. A Tableau dashboard contains two views that will help you determine if any of your student groups are at risk for being designated as TSI:

  • A list of schools at risk for a TSI designation in one or more student groups (there are 25 schools)
  • A breakdown of school report card indicator scores for each student group for one school at a time

While individual report card scores for student groups at each school are not published on the state’s school report card website, the school accountability report card for an entire school population may be found here.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability with questions about Utah’s school accountability system or TSI.

Published on

DATE:     
Thursday, October 24, 2024

TO:    
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
BOY Acadience Reading and Math Dashboards in Tableau

Beginning of the year Acadience Reading and Math data and results are available in Tableau Viewer accounts. Administrators may view aggregate student participation, benchmark proficiency, and measure proficiency by school and grade level over time for both assessments. In addition, school administrators may view individual student and teacher data. Demographic filters are also available to help school administrators drill down to the data they wish to see.

These dashboards may be accessed through the Explore menu in Tableau or directly using the links below:

Acadience Reading, 2015-Present
Explore > Assessments > Acadience Reading & Early Literacy > Acadience Reading Analysis, 2015-Present

Acadience Math, 2021-Present
Explore > Assessments > Acadience Math & Early Numeracy > Acadience Math, 2021-Present

In addition, Acadience Reading and Math results for this year may be accessed in ALO.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability for more information about this tool and to obtain login credentials.

Published on

DATE:
October 17, 2024

TO:
District Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Planning Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT:
Fall Enrollment as of October 1, 2024 - REVISED

Attached to this memo is District enrollment as of October 1, 2024. These totals are revised and approved by the State Board of Education.

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators

FROM:
Garett York, JAESP, UEASP

Join UAESP's Assistant/Aspiring Principal Conference coming up on December 5th from 8:30-3:00 at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan featuring Andrew Marotta and Hank Smith. You do not have to be a member of UAESP to attend. Register for the event at uaesp.org!

Published on

TO:
Teachers and Coaches

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

The Teaching & Learning department will be hosting a series of Wit & Wisdom workshops for teachers and coaches. The workshops are a great place to learn tricks and tips for planning and implementation and it is a time to get answers to all of your Wit & Wisdom questions. Participants can join one session, or come to multiple sessions. Teachers will earn 2 relicensure credits for each session attended. USBE credit will be offered to teachers who attend at least seven sessions. Please see the attached flyer for more information. Sign up is now available on the pd.jordandistrict.org website.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems

Dear Employees,

This is a friendly reminder about the upcoming requirement to use your JSD Google account to log in to Skyward Student. As previously announced in JEM, this change will enhance security and streamline your login process.

Key Dates:

  • Friday, October 11, 2024 - Google login is required for all staff with a JSD Google account in the Skyward Finance system
  • Friday, November 1, 2024 - Google login will be required for all staff with a JSD Google account in the Skyward Student system

Two Easy Methods to Login to Skyward Using Google

  • Navigate to the Skyward login screen and select the “Staff Login with Google” button. If you are already logged in to your JSD Google account, you will be immediately logged in to Skyward. If you are not already logged in to your JSD Google account, you will be taken to a Google login screen where you will need to login to your JSD Google account.
  • After logging in to your JSD Google account, click the waffle menu in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Scroll down and select “Skyward Finance” or “Skyward Student”.

Need Assistance?

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact the Information Systems help desk at (801) 567-8737.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Published on

TO:
Directors
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist, Leave Benefits

Please review the 2024-25 Leave policy overview by employee type for information regarding leave options.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources

Exciting Scholarship Opportunity for Future Teachers

All Administrators,

WGU has deepened its partnership with Jordan School District to now include the Pathway to Become a Teacher Scholarship. This scholarship offers new students or returning graduates the opportunity to further their education at WGU. The scholarship, worth up to $5,000, will help cover some of the costs of tuition to become teachers.

WGU will provide these scholarships to be used exclusively by students who want to continue on their path to becoming teachers in any of WGU's Teachers College degree programs leading to teacher licensure.

We are truly excited about this opportunity and wanted to make sure all employees were aware of it. Please feel free to share this information with any of your employees who may be interested in pursuing a teaching career or continuing their education.

For more information, you can visit: https://www.wgu.edu/financial-aid-tuition/scholarships/partner/pathway-become-teacher.html

Best regards,
Human Resources

Published on

DATE:  
October 7, 2024

TO:
All Principals

FROM:  
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT:   
Professional Development Opportunities for November and December

Attached is a listing of all the professional development opportunities for Special Education Licensed Staff for November and December. A link to sign up for each training will be sent to all Special Education Licensed Staff Members.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Chris Richards-Khong, Associate Administrator in Teaching and Learning

The Jordan Teacher Leader Fellows is searching for sixteen educators from a variety of teaching experiences and expertise. During their 2-year fellowship cohort, Teacher Leader Fellows will earn an annual $1500 stipend while engaging in a variety of professional learning experiences focused on developing skills related to the Utah Teacher Leader Roles and Utah's Portrait of a Teacher Leader. Encourage your teachers to apply today for this exciting new opportunity!

Link to Application

Published on

TO:
Directors
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator of Human Resources

The Utah State Board of Education Teacher Salary Supplement Program (TSSP) qualifications and application deadlines are available for 2024-2025. The application deadlines are printed below.  Information regarding the TSSP program and qualifications is found at the following Utah State Board of Education (USBE) link:

Application Term Dates

An application term indicates a preference of when and how often the educator would like to receive any bonus. Applicants may select one of the following terms before the respective deadline:

Term # of Payments Application Available & Accepted Application Deadline
Trimester 3 Tuesday, October 1, 2024 6:00 AM Friday, November 15, 2024 11:59 PM
Semester 2 Tuesday, October 1, 2024 6:00 AM Friday, January 31, 2025 11:59 PM
Annual 1 Tuesday, October 1, 2024 6:00 AM Wednesday, April 30, 2025 11:59 PM

Please note that the 2024-2025 school year will be the final funding opportunity under the current TSSP. The Utah Legislature has approved the new Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE) Program in the 2024 session that will go into effect July 1, 2025.

Published on

TO:
All Principals

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

Take note of the following quarterly newsletter with important communication about the School LAND Trust (SLT) Program.

If you missed the training resources shared by email in August, please navigate to the Compliance Newsletter section titled "Training Newsletters" and select the one that applies to you.

FY25 Q1 Compliance Newsletter

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

The Jordan School District Board of Education has approved a new Districtwide cellphone policy, AA453 Personal Use of Electronic and Communication Devices. A video will be shared with parents explaining how the new policy applies to our elementary and secondary schools.

We invite you to watch the video:

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator

The annual Business and Auxiliary Services Training was recorded on October 10, 2024. To access the Zoom recording, click on this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pOin2UbSlIHy_0xt21l4_1KLF00Fip6L/view?usp=drive_link

Published on

TO:
School Administrators
School Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services

JSD Nutrition Services has purchased local apples from Pyne Farms in Santaquin, Utah to celebrate this day with our district. Check out the YouTube link below for a great 3-minute Pyne Farm tour video and to learn about apples.

This year, Apple Crunch Day falls during National School Lunch Week! The theme for this year is "School Lunch Pirates...Find Your Treasure". Attached are some fun handouts about apples that incorporate the pirate theme.

Touch base with your school's kitchen manager to brainstorm how you would like to serve the apples in your school. We hope you enjoy this celebration!

Published on

TO:
All Kindergarten Teachers, Coaches, and Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Consultant, Elementary Language Arts, Teaching & Learning

Join us as we learn and explore Wit and Wisdom. We will be diving into planning strategies. There will be giveaways and prizes. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign up HERE

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, October 10, 2024

TO:   
Elementary School Administrators

FROM:  
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Michelle Lovell, Elementary Language Arts Consultant

SUBJECT: 
BOY Acadience Reading Parent Letters

ALO does not have a parent letter that complies with the requirements for parent communication in 53E-4-307 for benchmark assessments in reading. Thus, we have created our own letter that meets legislative compliance and still communicates the basics of what parents need to know about their student’s reading skills.

Parent letters will be distributed as a PDF file to school administrators, instructional coaches and administrative assistants soon. Each school will need to decide who will take responsibility for ensuring these parent letters are printed and then sent home.

For questions about these parent letters, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability or Michelle Lovell in Literacy.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

A new policy, AA453 Use of Personal Electronic and Communication Devices, commonly referred to as the "cell phone policy" will take effect on Tuesday, October 29. Please take time to review the policy with your administrative team. More information will be provided at principal meeting on October 15th. Please contact your AOS with any questions.

 AA453 Use of Personal Electronic and Communication Devices

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Rebecca Smith, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning is offering an optional, half-day PD for all elementary teachers: Sparking Minds – Transform your Teaching with Engaging Questions, Socratic Seminars, and Dynamic Dialogue.

The PD will include supporting information for Wit & Wisdom. Half-day substitutes will be provided. The PD will be offered specific to grade bands: K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.

Registration LINK

Please see the flyer for details and dates. Share this information with your teachers. Contact Rebecca Smith (88368) if you have questions.