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Category: High Schools

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, February 5, 2026

TO:
All High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Tableau Dashboards for Trustlands and TSSA Planning and Reporting

The following Tableau dashboards may be helpful to school administrators as they plan for the 2026-27 school year Trustlands and TSSA plans.  As you look at each of these dashboards, please remember to change the School Name filter to your school.

Assessments:

ACT (11th Grade Administration)

Utah Aspire Plus Proficiency and Growth

WIDA ACCESS Proficiency and Growth

AP Distribution of Scores and Pass Rates

Other Relevant Data

Advanced Course Enrollments Over Time

Attendance

Behavior & Discipline

Demographics

Grades

Graduation and Dropout Rates

Graduation Rates, Compare by Student Group

State’s Data Gateway

School Report Cards

 

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Chris Richards-Khong, Staff Assistant of Teaching and Learning

The Jordan Teacher Fellows Inaugural Exhibition
Professional Development Day: April 17, 2026
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Jordan Learning Center 3706 West 9800
South Jordan, Utah 84009

This distinctive JSD Professional Development Day session offers a brief Keynote and then features opportunities to engage with each Teacher Fellow educator who will share their action project findings in an exhibition fair style format. Please join us for this signature collegial event; providing time to connect around practice and enjoy refreshments.

The Jordan Teacher Fellows is composed of competitively selected educators who form the first-of-a-kind cohort conducting a deep dive within the 6 Roles of a Utah Teacher Leader. Building from these experiences, the Teacher Fellows have launched action projects which are directed toward benefitting their school or our district.

This opportunity has been provided by the Teaching and Learning Department with the support of The Jordan Education Foundation and the USBE MASTER pilot grant. The Teacher Fellows programming aligns with the pillar of High Quality Instruction within our Jordan School District Strategic Plan. For more information about JSD Teacher Fellows see https://teacherfellows.jordandistrict.org/

Teacher Leader Facilitators:
Brooke Anderson, Jordan Data Scientist
Kierra Beddes, Digital Teaching & Learning
Shlori Daniels, Instructional Coach

Jordan Teacher Fellows:
Tamara Baggett, Riverside Elementary
Jill Bodine, Secondary Math Specialist
Rae Boren, Copper Hills High School
Melissa Brunke, Aspen Elementary
Michael Draut, West Hills Middle School
Amy Geilman, West Jordan Middle School
Jessica Hacking,Foothills Elementary
Christina Jacobs, MTSS Specialist
Kyle Jensen, Copper Hills High School
Lay Kou, Southland Elementary
Xin Lou, Eastland Elementary
Lucia Martin Garcia, Herriman Elementary
Holli Mattingly, Copper Canyon
Haley McCall, Aspen Elementary
Kami Mecham, Jordan Ridge Elementary
Cassen Williams, Antelope Canyon Elementary

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

Jordan School District is seeking a Director of Special Education to provide strategic leadership and comprehensive program management. This role involves overseeing policy implementation, ensuring Federal/State IDEA compliance, and managing talent and budgets. The Director will also spearhead professional development while fostering strong collaboration between staff, parents, and external agencies.

The successful candidate will have:
- A professional educator license in "School Leadership"
- Prior administration experience preferred
- A minimum of 5 years of teaching experience
- An excellent knowledge of State/Federal rules/regulation related to IDEA

Submit your online application and all required documents by February 15, 2026. Visit https://hr.jordandistrict.org/apply/ to apply. (Job ID 13765)

Published on

TO:
Administrators & Directors

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Chris Richards-Khong, Staff Assistant of Teaching & Learning

Each year education organizations and individuals are selected based upon their exemplary efforts in building student resilience in their schools, homes, and communities. The Education Tribute Award is a prestigious honor presented annually by the state-wide program ResilientYOU.

The Education Tribute Award nominations need to be completed online no later than March 15, 2026. For Questions text Barbara Smith 801-560-6511 or email baarbaarasmith@gmail.com
Find the nomination form at resiliantyou.org/nominate.

Nomination categories include:
High School
Middle School
Elementary School
Administrator
Secondary School Teacher
Elementary School Teacher
Wellness Professional
Parenting Organization
*School nominations are for school-wide programs and efforts. Please don't feature individuals if you are nominating their school.

Awards will be announced and delivered to each school location by a member of the ResilientYOU Board during “Resilient Utah Month” in April 2026. The recipients will be announced on social media, other channels and educational networks. Recipients will also be honored at a special awards event called the ResilientYOU Spectacular in April.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of High Schools
Jason Skidmore, CTE Director

Follow along as Jordan CTE celebrates Career & Technical Education Month in February 2026.

Throughout February we will highlight our dedicated Jordan School District CTE educators, CTSO's, local industry leaders, and share amazing CTE student stories.

Published on

DATE:
February 5, 2026

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior

SUBJECT:
Emergency Safety Interventions (ESI) Documenting and Reporting

In January there were two different memos sent about how to document an ESI. This information was discussed in the  December principals meeting. Because there is a difference on how to retain documentation for a student in special  education versus a student in general education, it was decided to create one memo for all students. This memo  replaces both previous memos.

In accordance with the rules and guidelines provided in the Least Restrictive Behavior Intervention (LRBI) Technical  Assistance Manual (2023) as well as guidance from the Utah State Legislature (R277-608 and 53G-8-301), the following  is updated guidance on the use and reporting requirements of Emergency Safety Interventions (ESIs), including reporting  requirements in Jordan School District.

What is an Emergency Safety Intervention?
Emergency Safety Intervention or ‘ESI’ is the use of seclusion or physical restraint when a student presents an  immediate danger to self or others. An ESI is not used for disciplinary purposes. ESIs are emergency measures of last  resort to prevent imminent serious harm to an individual in a school setting. Even in these circumstances, ESIs should be  avoided if less restrictive means of managing the student’s behavior and ensuring safety are available.

How do I provide notification of the use of an Emergency Safety Intervention?

  1. Notify your administration within 15 minutes of the beginning of the use of an ESI.
  2. Notify the student's guardian within 15 minutes of the beginning of the use of an ESI. This must be done by email, and includes the required notification that guardians may receive a copy of the student's ESI documentation upon request. Please use the wording in this template email.
  3. In addition to the email notification, you may communicate with guardians by phone or in-person.

How do I submit Emergency Safety Intervention documentation?

  1. Fill out an Emergency Safety Intervention Report to document the event.
  2. Using a district device, submit the information from the ESI Report into the digital database.
  3. Scan a copy of the paper ESI report to jbat@jordandistrict.org (or send a copy to JBAT at River’s Edge School via district mail).
  4. Forward the parent notification email to jbat@jordandistrict.org (or print it and send the hard copy JBAT at River’s Edge School via district mail).
  5. For students with an IEP, all original copies of the Emergency Safety Intervention Report and a copy of the parent notification email should be placed in the student’s special education file.
  6. For all other students, upload these documents to the cumulative folder.
  7. A copy of the email (either printed directly to a PDF or printed and scanned) and the ESI form should be combined into a single PDF file.
  8. The file should be uploaded to the student’s cumulative folder under the category “ESI-Emer Sfty Interv”. The description should include the date and time of the ESI.
  9. Take time to debrief with your team.

Please refer to the Jordan School District Emergency Safety Interventions Manual or contact a member of the JBAT team for more information.

Published on

TO:
Secondary Administrators

FROM: 
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Nate Foster, Health & PE Teacher Specialist

The State Standards writing team has completed the draft of the Limited Health Education Standards Revision to add the Success Sequence to the Utah Core Standards for Health Education as required by H.B. 281 last year. We would like to share the 30-day public feedback survey with all your teams. Public feedback is a critical step in the process of revising standards and we hope to get many voices to help reach the best standard for Utah students as possible.

Please share this information with your secondary health teachers. Thank you for your support in this step of the process.

Health Standards Public Survey Feedback

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator of Teaching and Learning

We are excited to announce that we've opened up more spots for the T&L New Educator Cohorts! Please share the attached flyer with your new teachers.

Published on

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Cabinet

Refer to the links below for the Purple Star Schools application process for the 2026 school year. In addition, there is an annual report link for schools to verify that they have met requirements throughout the year. This is in conjunction with R277-929 State Council on Military Children.
2026 Purple Star Schools Application Open from January 15th through March 30th.
2026 PSS Annual Report Required by November 1st  for all PSS.

USBE Purple Star Schools website

For questions or more information, please contact Cassie Hays.

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

The Utah State Board of Education is seeking public feedback to guide their decision on whether to adopt Integrated Secondary Mathematics Standards statewide, to adopt AGA Secondary Mathematics Standards statewide, or to adopt both sets of Standards and allow each district or charter to choose which standard structure they will implement.

This information is being shared with teachers through JEM. Please encourage them to complete the survey and share their input. The survey window closes on February 27, 2026.

Here is the link to the survey.

Thank you for your support!

Published on

TO:
Elementary and Middle Principals and Assistant Principals

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

ALPS testing will be conducted during the school day at local schools from February 2 - March 13. The GT office and/or the proctor for your site will contact you to schedule dates and times for your school. Please contact Rebecca Smith (88368) with any questions you may have. Thank you for accommodating the ALPS testing at your sites.

Published on

DATE:
January 29, 2026

TO:
Principals and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, High School Level AOS

SUBJECT:
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences for High Schools

The dates for Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools are Wednesday,
February 11, 2026, and Thursday, February 12, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

High Schools:
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – In-person
Thursday, February 12, 2026 – Virtual

Make a copy of the High School Parent Teacher Conference Spring 2026 Data Summary Form.
Once it is complete share with Nancy Bolduc.

 

Published on

DATE:
January 28, 2026

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT: 
Monthly Drill Preparation (SECURE)

Our monthly drill preparation will be held on February 4th at 2:40 PM, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:40 PM. Each session will last about 20 minutes. This month we will be covering SECURE.  Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety.  All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also opened to any staff who may be interested.

After each monthly training all school staff should be trained by the administrator over school safety and the School Safety Specialist. After being trained each month, teachers should educate their students on each safety drill. Additionally, schools should communicate with their patrons regarding Standard Response Protocol(s) (SRP) and the drill being conducted each month. Videos, handouts, and other resources can be found at the link(s) below.

Information regarding the SECURE response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 8-11.  We will discuss how to implement and execute the drill.  This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas amongst the schools.

We will be holding this meeting over ZOOM so please join using this link.

Published on

DATE: 
January 29, 2026

TO:  
All Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Bullying Action Plan (BAP) Training Dates

Bullying Action Plan (BAP) Training for all school-based administrators is required by State Law (53G-9-605.5). NEW training dates have been made available and are described below. This is the same training that has been offered previously and is intended to accommodate any school-based administrators who are new to the District or have not yet attended the BAP training.

Jordan District has created a “Bullying Action Plan” to support a caring, proactive response to bullying incidents. Training on the Bullying Action Plan (BAP) will occur through in-person, 2-hour sessions. All school-based administrators who are new to the district or did not attend the BAP training last year are required to attend one of the following training sessions:

Wednesday, February 25th, DO Room 129, (8:30am-10:30am)) Register Here
Wednesday, February 25th,  DO Room 129, (1:00pm-3:00pm) Register Here

Register for all sessions on Canvas (https://pd.jordandistrict.org/)

Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE: 
January 29, 2026

TO:  
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: FREE Mental Health Education for Parents and Caregivers

Jordan District has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide ongoing mental health education for parents and caregivers. This collaboration offers FREE access to live, virtual educational sessions covering various topics. Please share the following resources with your school community:

  • A calendar for February’s Mental Health Series sessions is attached. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this site: https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex.
  • Ask a Therapist live virtual event is an anonymous opportunity to ask questions from a licensed family therapist about your child’s mental health. It is a live event on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 with access to the recording afterwards. Registration Link: https://cookcenter.info/ATLFeb17
  • Included in the mental health series is a "Watch Together Series" to highlight for families. While the Mental Health Series is designed for parents, these “Watch Together” events are for the whole family, especially teens and young adults. In this series, each month, you'll meet a new animated character facing real challenges that teens and young adults experience. Together, you and your family can watch their story and learn how to start meaningful conversations at home.
    • February Event: Together, teens and parents will watch the animated short “Are You with Me?” This story follows three 15-year-olds as they confront a dangerous situation when one friend is groomed by another’s college-aged brother. Families will explore how to recognize the warning signs of grooming, how to respond when a friend is at risk, and where to turn for trusted help. In this interactive session, parents and teens will leave prepared to spot red flags, approach difficult conversations with care, and build a community where everyone looks out for each other’s safety.
    • Wednesday, February 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm MST REGISTER NOW

Please share the attached flyers/resources with your school communities. Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

DATE: 
February 1, 2026

TO: 
Principals
Special Education Staff
School Secretaries

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
Special Education Budget Closeout for the 2025-26 School Year

Please note that Special Education purchase orders/requisitions/reimbursement requests for the 2025-26 school year must be received by Friday, March 6, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m. Remember that the SLPs/SLTs who received their legislative funds through the SpEd department this year are under these same guidelines and deadlines for those funds as well.


Please remember the following:
• Budgets are not carried over from one year to the next.

• Remember to deduct any previously submitted amounts from your Special Education budget (so that you know your balance) before submitting new orders. This includes reimbursements submitted through your school. No orders will be processed that exceed your budgeted allocation.

• Please check with your school secretary to make sure all Special Education reimbursements have been submitted to the Special Education Department by the March 6th deadline.

• When ordering supplies, follow Skyward procedures.

• Be sure to follow the ordering guidelines outlined in the attached budget information page, as you close out your current year budgets.

• Any purchases that were inadvertently charged to the Special Ed budget or do not qualify using the guidelines should be removed from the budget using a journal entry form prior to March 6th.

Staff will be notified of the new budget allocation amount prior to the start of the new school year. Keep in mind that new purchase orders/requisitions will not be processed until late July.

As you close out your budgets for the current school year, please note the following:
1. All purchase orders/requisitions, should be routed through Amanda Hamblin in the Special Education Department.

2. Use the following codes for Purchase Orders/Requisitions, P-Cards, and ECHECKS submitted through the year.

Coding for P.O.s/Requisitions, NPOs, P-Cards, ECHECKS:
FUND TYPE LOCATION PROGRAM FUNCTION OBJECT
10 E (School #) 1295 1090 Use object code

If you have questions regarding your Special Education budget, please contact Amanda Hamblin at
(801) 567-8177.

Published on

DATE:
January 29, 2026

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:
2026 Special Education Transition Fair

Special Education is excited to announce an in-person, Special Education Transition Fair for 2026. There will be over twenty community resources attending to help answer any post-secondary questions for our students and families.

The Transition Fair will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the JATC-South Campus. For questions please contact Ashley Calhoun at 801-567-8208 or ashley.calhoun@jordandistrict.org

Please make sure to send the attached fliers out to your community.

See attached Memo for more information and links.

Published on

DATE:
January 21, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT: 
District Inter-City SRO Training

The District Inter-City School Resource Officer training will be held as shown below and is strongly encouraged for each SRO and all administrators.  At least one administrator is desired if possible.  This is a great opportunity for the cities to collaborate and discuss students and/or issues of concern that cross borders.

Date: January 30, 2026
Time: 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Location: Riverton High School Tech Atrium

Please contact District School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801) 567-8623 if you have any questions.

Published on

TO:
All Principals
All Directors
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Tonya Hodges, Senior Buyer, Purchasing

With the excitement of AI and the increased demand for data centers worldwide (think OpenAI, Meta, Google, Microsoft, xAI, Anthropic, etc.), the demand for processing chips, RAM memory and storage is exceeding the availability in the production markets.

HP is warning customers to expect pricing on any equipment needing processors, memory or storage to increase significantly in 2026. We may also start seeing longer manufacturing lead times as they wait for parts to become available. For instance, the basic HP Fortis G10 11.6” Chromebooks (part# 9R3A9UT#ABA) will soon be replaced with a newer model and will no longer be available. There are currently about 75,000 of these units still available in the HP distribution channels. Since these have already been built, price should not fluctuate too much, but supplies may dwindle quickly. It is recommended if you have funds available in your budgets to start purchasing devices for the 2026-27 school year as soon as possible to take advantage of the cost savings. January pricing is $206.47/each for this model.

The replacement for this model (part# B69P5UT#ABA) is at $289.75/each for January. As price increases on the parts come into play, this model is expected to see additional price increases during the year.

We encourage you to consider placing orders soon to take advantage of current pricing and availability. Please contact Tonya Hodges in Purchasing if you need assistance with ordering.

Published on

DATE:
January 22, 2026

TO:
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Utah Aspire Plus Summative Training

The Utah Aspire Plus summative testing window is from March 2-May 8, 2026.

Please make sure you complete the yearly Utah Aspire Plus test administration training. Only teachers who will administer the Utah Aspire Plus test need to be trained. For your reference, here is a link to the Testing Ethics Policy.

School administrators are responsible for making sure relevant teachers get trained in the Utah Aspire Plus test administration. Should school administrators choose to hold a training at their schools, this fulfills the training requirement. There are two other training options available:

Utah Aspire Plus Canvas Course
The Utah Aspire Plus test administration training requirement can be fulfilled by completing the Canvas course online. Teachers can self-enroll in the course UT Aspire Plus Summative Test Administration Training.

Access to the course will be available starting on February 2, 2026. A certificate of completion will be available for download at the end of the course.

Zoom Utah Aspire Plus Training
Teachers can attend one of the virtual Utah Aspire Plus trainings through Zoom to fulfill the training requirement. Here is the Zoom link for these trainings. Meeting ID: 526 613 4800

  • Friday, February 27 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 6 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 13 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 20 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, April 10 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, April 17 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM

For questions about Utah Aspire Plus training or test administration, please contact Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability.