Skip to content

TO:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems


Just a reminder that our annual Utah Skyward User Conference is scheduled for next Wednesday, November 6th. The conference will be held at Jordan School District Auxiliary Services Building. Please see the attached agenda for additional details. We hope to see you there!

This conference is an opportunity to learn about Skyward directly from the source as most sessions are presented by Skyward staff. There are some fantastic sessions being offered this year, including Data Mining for Beginners, Data Mining for Advanced Users, Admin Bootcamp, Skyward Tips & Tricks, Grade Analysis, and Qmlativ Business sessions.

During these sessions, you’re welcome to ask questions. However, if you have an issue that may take more time to resolve, we suggest you call our help desk for additional support.

We hope you make the most out of this year's conference by discovering fresh insights, learning valuable tips and tricks, getting your questions answered, and exploring new possibilities within Skyward. If you have any questions about attending the conference, please feel free to call the help desk at ext. 88737.

DATE: 
October 31, 2024

TO: 
All Administrators

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant

SUBJECT:
Suicide Prevention Funds & Conference Registration


Administrators,

This memo is an update to a previous JAM regarding PBIS and Suicide Prevention Funds.

Suicide Prevention Grant funds are now available for allowable expenses up to $1,000 per school. Schools may use these funds to pay for HopeSquad or Sources of Strength program renewal fees or to conduct suicide prevention training. These funds cannot be used to purchase supplies or food related to suicide prevention programming (NO T-shirts, incentives, fidgets, etc.). For questions, contact McKinley Withers (mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org) or Angie Rasmussen (angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org) in Student Services.

As part of this allocation, schools may choose to register relevant staff members (school psychologists, school counselors, clinical support/social workers) for the Rocky Mountain Suicide Prevention Conference and code the P-Card registration fee to the grant.

Schools may register one individual for Elementary, three individuals for middle school, and up to five individuals for high school using the grant. Administrators can code the expense to program 5674 on the P-Card Reconciliation. There will not be District personnel registering school staff this year.  

If school staff have already been registered and your school would like to be reimbursed, contact Carmen Covarrubias (carmen.covarrubias@jordandistrict.org).

DATE:   
October 31, 2024

TO:
Building Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Kim Lloyd, Director, Special Education
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT: 
Clarification on Enrollment Releases for Students with IEPs


The District has seen an increase this year in requests from parents of students with IEPs to release the student from enrollment for a portion of the day. These requests can be for reasons directly connected to the disability documented on the IEP (such as therapy) or may be for traditional “non-academic” reasons.

When a student on an IEP is released from enrollment, the service minutes specified in the IEP do not decrease. As a result, the District is responsible for providing the same amount of service in a reduced amount of time (and with reduced funding due to the release).

When a release is requested for reasons connected to the disability identified in the IEP, the building principal and the IEP team should determine how those services can be provided during the school day. If the parent continues to desire outside providers to provide the service during the school day, the parent will need to check the student out each time the service occurs.

When a release is requested for “non-academic” reasons, the release should not be approved until after consultation with the IEP team on potential impacts to the services specified in the IEP.

Additional questions on this topic may be directed to the Special Education Department or Planning & Enrollment.

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator, Human Resources
Rebecca Lee, Administrator, Evaluations


NOVEMBER SUB INCENTIVE BONUS INFORMATION

Below is the information regarding the November 2024 Substitute Teacher Incentive Bonus. Remember, to qualify for this monthly bonus there are two eligibility requirements:

1) ZERO cancellations
2) Work the number of days to receive the associated bonus (see details for days and amounts below).

These bonuses are paid on the paycheck issued near the 10th of the month.

NOVEMBER 2024
15 days worked- $250
12 days worked- $150
10 days worked- $100
7 days worked- $50

If you have any questions regarding the substitute teacher incentive bonus please email the Sub Office at suboffice@jordandistrict.org.

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.

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
Rebecca Smith, Consultant, Gifted & Talented

SUBJECT:  
CogAT Sample Parent Notification Letter and Parental Exclusion Form


The 6th grade CogAT testing window opens Tuesday, October 29 and closes Friday, December 6. In preparation for testing, school administrators may wish to communicate with parents about CogAT testing. To facilitate this, a sample parent notification letter in both English and Spanish has been attached with this memo. School administrators are welcome to use the sample letter as it is written or add additional information as they see fit. It is recommended that school administrators send the parent notification letter via ParentSquare to 6th grade parents rather than sending the note home with students.

If parents express a desire to exclude their student from CogAT testing, the parental exclusion form on the main page of Assessment, Research & Accountability’s website may be used. That parental exclusion form may be found here.

Questions regarding the 6th grade CogAT may be referred to Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability or Rebecca Smith and Taryn Cox in Gifted & Talented.

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.

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.

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.

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!

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members


All licensed administrators are invited to complete the following questionnaire by November 15, 2024. This formal process of gaining your input will serve as a conversation starter with your Administrator of Schools about work assignments for the coming school year (2025-26) in Jordan District. Personal preference is one of many factors considered when determining administrative assignments. This does not take the place of the need to sign up for a formal Principal interview. Please use this link to access the form: 2024-25 Licensed Administrator Assignment Questionnaire.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Brandee Bergum, Consultant in Teaching & Learning


To prepare for using the Star Reading assessment as our new district-wide reading screener, we are offering training for two educators from each school to become school-based guides on the assessment.

These guides will assist their ELA departments or grade-level teams in accessing, administering, and understanding the reports from the assessment. We will provide multiple virtual training sessions, starting with the first session on November 8, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Additional sessions will be available before or after school in November and December. Educators will be compensated at their hourly rate for attending.

Please submit the names of your two educators or have them contact Brandee Bergum, x88152 or brandee.bergum@jordandistrict.org,  to receive the link for the November 8 training.

DATE:   
Thursday, October 17, 2024

TO:  
Elementary School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
2024-25 Stakeholder Input Survey Preview and Administration Materials


Please see the memo below for instructions of what needs to take place before the survey window opens on Friday, November 1, 2024.