Skip to content

Category: Elementary Schools

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
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.

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:
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.

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:
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.

Published on

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.

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