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Category: High School Action Required

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michael Heaps, Director Information Systems

Due to recent changes in state law, schools are now required to post a notice regarding Jordan School District Policy AA445 - Student Information Network Acceptable Use Policy in a conspicuous location within each school.

To ensure compliance with this requirement, please post the attached flyer in a prominent, publicly visible location in your school as soon as possible.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this requirement and for helping ensure the District remains in compliance with state law.

Published on

DATE:
 Thursday, July 30, 2026

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Consultant of Digital Teaching & Learning

SUBJECT:
Fall 2026 Access Your Mentor List & Mentor Training Registration by Admin Invite

FALL Mentor List Updates and Mentor Contract

As the year ramps up, we know you may want to begin preparing your school’s mentor assignments for this year. To access your school’s mentor spreadsheet, please go to the Mentor Hub. If you have issues opening your list, please reach out to Tricia Ricks at tricia.ricks@jordandistrict.org.  

The mentor contract is available for you to print for your educators to sign. Administrators need to keep these contracts on file for up to three years for evidence of mentoring during an educators provisional time. Access the mentor contract at this link.

FALL Mentor Training: Enrollment Now Open

FALL Mentor Training will be available online via Canvas from August 3 to September 7 at midnight. This training is specifically for new mentors recommended by their administrators.

Stipend: Teachers will receive a $150 stipend upon successful completion of the Canvas course.

Important Requirements

Before submitting the Google Form for a potential mentor, please confirm:

  • The mentor has not previously completed this training.
  • The mentor has agreed to participate and complete the requirements.

Registration Details

Please complete the Google Form for each mentor you wish to enroll.

  • Availability: Seats are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Deadline: This form will close on August 7 at 3:00 PM.

Published on

TO:
All Schools and Departments

FROM:
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing
Kris Wishart, Administrative Assistant in Purchasing

During the 2025/26 year-end rollover in Skyward, all existing open purchase orders, regardless of when they were entered, had to be closed and are no longer available for payments.

If you have open purchase orders that were entered in any previous year, besides the most current year, please create a new Open PO and select the Blanket box under the Purchase Order Details and submit them as soon as possible so accounting can pay your vendors in a timely manner. Failure to select the Blanket box under Purchase Order Details will only allow a single payment to be applied to the PO, when multiple throughout the year are needed.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause but we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we all work together through this new finance system.

Sincerely,
Purchasing Department

Published on

TO:
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School-Age)
Speech-Language Pathologists

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Brian King, Director of Special Education

This year, the state has allocated 6 additional days available to work two weeks before or after your contract days. Please read the attached memo for instructions on when the days can be worked and how to submit them correctly. The link for submitting the days is included in the attached memo.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, July 23, 2026

TO:
All School Administrators and District Department Directors/Consultants

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

SUBJECT:
2026-27 Required Testing Ethics Professional Development Procedures for Licensed Educator and ESP Employees

For the 2026-27 school year, administrators will need to conduct a training on the state’s testing ethics policy for all licensed educators as well as any education support professionals (ESPs) who will assist with district-, state- or federally-mandated testing. All licensed educators will need to be trained on the policy. Administrators will want to consider including computer lab assistants who function as the school’s test coordinator, any classroom aides that assist with testing, literacy aides who assist with Acadience Reading testing or progress monitoring, or any office staff that assist test coordinators with district-, state- or federally-mandated testing.

The three required procedures for completing this testing ethics professional development are listed on the “2026-27 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist for Licensed Educators and ESPs” form, which is due to Assessment, Research & Accountability by Friday, September 18, 2026.

As has been done in the past, administrators may provide the testing ethics training themselves using the Google slide deck linked in this memo. Alternatively, administrators may show the YouTube video linked below to school personnel. The video provides the same information as the slide deck. Once school personnel have been trained, either by a school administrator or using the video, they are required to sign the “2026-27 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy Training Signature Form.” Administrators are asked to keep these signed forms on file at the school.

There are several materials attached with this memo for your use:

Please contact Ben Jameson or Heather Knecht in Assessment, Research & Accountability with any questions.

Published on

DATE:
July 9, 2026

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Assistant Director of Talent Development

SUBJECT:
Annual Crucial Policies

Each year, all employees are required to complete a review of crucial policies. This year, crucial policies will be completed through a new platform called Vector. You will receive an email from Vector with login instructions.

Crucial policies will be available starting July 15, 2026.

The deadline for completing crucial policies is September 15, 2026.

To help with timely completion, you will receive a weekly email reminder and supervisors will receive a weekly completion report.

If you have any questions, or need help completing crucial policies, please reach out to your supervisor. If you need support logging in or using the Vector system, please reach out to Mike Trimmell in Human Resources at michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

DATE:
June 8, 2026

TO:
Principals

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

SUBJECT:
School Safety Specialist List Update/Confirmation

Beginning the 2026-2027 school year, the School Safety Specialist must be an administrator. The School Safety Specialist also attends, completes, and participates in the following:

  • All trainings required by USBE for School Safety Specialists (dates and times will be shared by USBE later this summer)
  • Monthly safety/SRP trainings (held on the first Wednesday of each month) provided by the District’s School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz (specific dates and times will be shared in an upcoming JAM).
  • SRO trainings are held annually and each quarter (a future JAM will provide dates, times, and locations).
  • Standard Response Protocols, Incident Command, and other duties as outlined here.

Please complete the spreadsheet linked below for the 2026-2027 school year on or before Friday, August 14, 2026. The information entered needs to be accurate for them to receive communications from the District and the USBE, as well as getting enrolled in the USBE Canvas course.

2026-2027 School-Based Safety Specialists

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to:

Matt Alvernaz
School Safety Coordinator
Matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org
(801)567-8623

Published on

DATE:
June 5, 2026

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Administrator of Digital Teaching & Learning

SUBJECT:
Fall 2026 Access Your Mentor List & Mentor Training Registration by Admin Invite

FALL Mentor List Updates and Mentor Contract
As the year wraps up, we know you may want to begin preparing your school’s mentor assignments for next year. To access your school’s mentor spreadsheet, please go to the Mentor Hub. If you have issues opening your list, please reach out to Amy Wood at amy.wood@jordandistrict.org

The mentor contract is available for you to print for your educators to sign. Administrators need to keep these contracts on file for up to three years for evidence of mentoring during an educators provisional time. Access the mentor contract attached in the memo.

FALL Mentor Training: Enrollment Now Open
FALL Mentor Training will be available online via Canvas from August 3 to September 7 at midnight. This training is specifically for new mentors recommended by their administrators.

Stipend: Teachers will receive a $150 stipend upon successful completion of the Canvas course.

Important Requirements
Before submitting the Google Form for a potential mentor, please confirm:
• The mentor has not previously completed this training.
• The mentor has agreed to participate and complete the requirements.

Registration Details
Please complete the Google Form in the attached memo for each mentor you wish to enroll.
• Availability: Seats are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Deadline: This form will close on August 7 at 3:00 PM.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members

Administrators,

As we continue our work around the Portrait of a Graduate, we want to celebrate and build upon the momentum happening across our schools.

To help us collaborate and share best practices, please bring your computer along with links to pictures, artifacts, documents, presentations, or other details about activities and ideas—both currently in motion or planned for the future—to the mandatory administrator meeting on June 10th or June 17th. You will be given time in our meeting to enter your artifacts into this template.

Thank you for your continued leadership, creativity, and dedication to bringing the Portrait of a Graduate to life for our students. Your efforts are making a meaningful impact, and we look forward to learning from one another.

Published on

DATE:
June 4, 2026

TO:
High School Administrators
High School Counselors
High School Registrars

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

SUBJECT:
ACT Scores to Be Removed from High School Transcripts

Principals are encouraged to forward the following information to their counselors and registrars.

Beginning Monday, June 29th, Information Systems will remove all historical ACT scores from students’ high school transcripts. In addition, no new ACT scores will appear on students’ transcripts.

ACT has provided the following guidance: “ACT recommends that schools do not include State or District ACT scores on school transcripts to avoid student privacy concerns or inconsistent score report data.”

ACT's philosophy is that students own their scores. When a school district automatically prints an ACT score on an official academic transcript, it fundamentally interferes with this ownership in two ways:

  • ACT allows students to decide which scores they want to send to colleges - especially with the advent of the superscore. This is crucial for students who choose to take the exam more than once. Posting an ACT score on a transcript means the student loses the opportunity to suppress a low score, effectively stripping them of their right to privacy and control over their own testing history. ACT allows maximum flexibility, allowing students to share all of their scores, single subtest scores or superscores.
  • ACT has a uniquely generous policy that allows students to permanently delete a test date record from their file at any time (except for state testing used for accountability). However, if a district has already added the score to the student's transcript, deleting the score from ACT's files becomes pointless because colleges will see it on the high school transcripts.

For questions about ACT scores on transcripts, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability. For questions on how to download high school transcripts, please contact the Information Systems Help Desk.

High schools are encouraged to share this information with parents and students using the following message:

To parents of [name of high school],

Beginning Monday, June 29th, the Jordan School District will remove all historical ACT scores from students’ high school transcripts. In addition, no new ACT scores will appear on students’ transcripts.

ACT has provided the following guidance: “ACT recommends that schools do not include State or District ACT scores on school transcripts to avoid student privacy concerns or inconsistent score report data.”

ACT's philosophy is that students own their scores. When a school district automatically prints an ACT score on an official academic transcript, it fundamentally interferes with this ownership in two ways:

  • ACT allows students to decide which scores they want to send to colleges - especially with the advent of the superscore. This is crucial for students who choose to take the exam more than once. Posting an ACT score on a transcript means the student loses the opportunity to suppress a low score, effectively stripping them of their right to privacy and control over their own testing history. ACT offers maximum flexibility, allowing students to share all of their scores, single subtest scores, or superscores.
  • ACT has a uniquely generous policy that allows students to permanently delete a test date record from their file at any time (except for state testing used for accountability). However, if a district has already added the score to the student's transcript, deleting the score from ACT's files becomes pointless because colleges will see it on the high school transcripts.

Between now and June 29th, students may order their high school transcripts with ACT scores by clicking the following link: [include link to order transcripts from your school’s website].

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has selected a new platform to support the Professional Learning credit tracking and registration system, Recommended Instructional Materials (RIMS), and Microcredentials (formerly MIDAS). 

MIDAS will go into an inactive status at 11:59 pm on June 9th. No new work or continuing work will be allowed in the MIDAS system after this time.
Please consider completing the following items in the MIDAS system by 11:59 pm on June 9, 2026:

  • Adding new professional learning courses or sections to an existing course happening June 1- July 20 that require registration
  • Register for professional learning courses that are currently available
  • Award credit or relicensure points for a course that has ended or will end by June 8th  
  • Microcredential submissions or resubmissions (please note it will not be reviewed or approved during the inactive time)
  • Reviewing microcredentials in your review queue (microcredential reviewers only)

The current MIDAS system will not be accessible after June 30, 2026. 

Educators will still have access to their transcripts while MIDAS is inactive.
Directions for downloading a transcript in MIDAS:

  • Log in to MIDAS 
  • Click on My Profile
  • Click on PD Transcript
  • Click on the red "Print Transcript" button

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

Principals,

We are excited to announce the formation of a High School Math Steering Committee for the 2026-27 school year. This committee will advance mathematics instruction by:

  • Researching and discussing effective teaching practices
  • Creating a unified scope and sequence and pacing guide
  • Developing common assessments
  • Designing and implementing professional learning based on identified needs

We invite you to nominate two to three teachers from your school who are open-minded, committed to professional growth, and eager to foster positive change for teachers and students.

Teachers will serve on the committee for two years and will receive a stipend for their participation.

Please submit the names of two to three teachers for consideration using this link. We aim to have 1-2 teachers representing each high school.

Thank you for your support in continuing to move math forward!

Published on

TO:
Principals

Principals,
Please re-share the link below with your faculty and staff that was recently posted in JEM. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to claim their personalized Walmart+ code.

GREAT NEWS! Board Purchases One Year of Walmart+ for Every JSD Employee

Published on

TO:
High School Administrators
Middle School Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools

This memo outlines the required process for administering extra period stipends within the Jordan School District for the 2026-2027 school year. To ensure operational efficiency and policy compliance, all administrators must adhere to the following procedures and documentation standards:

Process Details:
1. Pre-Approval Requirement:
○ Before offering any extra period stipends, administrators must obtain pre-approval from their Administrator of Schools. This step is crucial to ensure alignment with district policies and resource allocation.

2. Completion of Required Documentation:
○ Once pre-approval is obtained, both the educator and the school administrator must complete the attached "Extra Period Stipend Agreement" form.
○ A copy of the signed agreement must be retained at the school location for the entire academic year.

3. Enrollment Dashboard Update:
○ The approved stipend must be recorded in the Enrollment Dashboard. This ensures transparency and accurate tracking of stipends across the district.

4. Submission for HR Processing:
○ After the agreement is signed, the school is responsible for submitting the Extra Period Stipend form to Human Resources through Qmlativ.
○ This submission will be processed in Qmlativ, ensuring the stipend's inclusion in the educator's monthly payroll.

5. Monthly Dashboard Reflection:
○ Once the form is processed through HR, the FTE will be reflected on both the Enrollment Dashboard and HR Dashboard each month that the educator receives the additional stipend.

Important Reminders:
● The stipend is contingent upon factors such as student enrollment, budget constraints, and scheduling needs and may be revoked if necessary.
● All requests for extra-period stipends must be documented and processed according to the guidelines outlined herein.
● “Class” is defined as an assigned instructional period in which graded instruction is provided to students by the teacher of record. Only periods meeting this definition qualify for extended day. Positions that do not serve as the teacher of record for a class period, including but not limited to counselors, instructional coaches, teacher specialists, athletic directors and other non-classroom roles, are not eligible for extended day periods.

Attachments:
● Extra Period Stipend Agreement Form

Thank you for your attention to these important updates and for your continued commitment to supporting our educators.

Published on

DATE:
May 14, 2026

TO:
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School Age)
Speech-Language Pathologists

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

SUBJECT: 
Extended Year for Special Educator Stipend Days 2025-26

The legislation allows a specific group of special educators to work up to 4 additional days for a $200/day stipend (plus applicable benefits). The Bill applies to Special Education Teachers (Preschool and School-Age) and Speech-Language Pathologists only (Speech-Language Technicians are not included). The number of days and stipend amount are based upon the educators assigned FTE equivalent. Teachers who have been hired with an Associate Educator License will count as licensed teachers and will be eligible for the stipend. Days can be worked 2 weeks before or after your contract.

Eligible staff that have days left to work, and did not work all of their allotted days in the fall, are required to complete an online survey to be paid for these days. After you have completed working the days, simply click on the link below to start the survey. Days worked must be full or half days and not a combination of assorted hours and must be worked in your assigned building(s). 

The days available for you to work are: June 8-12th, 16-19th, and 22nd. Please remember that June 5th is the last contract day and June 15th is a holiday. These days do not count toward Extended Year Days.

It is important to remember:
Below is the link to submit the days after you have worked. When asked for the approver for your submission do not put your principal or LEA. Please put amanda.hamblin@jordandistrict.org so that the submission can be approved through the Special Education office and be sent to the State Office for payment. If you list your building supervisor as the approver, your request will not be submitted for payment.

https://usbe.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cYBjLsW7tzP9Nau

Please read the survey carefully, making sure you answer all of the questions listed, as you will be paid according to what the survey generates. Only those that complete the survey will be paid. Any timesheets submitted directly to the Special Ed. or Payroll departments will not be paid. Please note that the window for completing the survey closes June 26, 2026.

Please remember you cannot count the days you already worked and were paid for in the fall. You can only count the days you work after your last contract date at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The State Board of Education has discontinued any leniency on dates that you work. You may ONLY work and report the two weeks after your last contract day. Therefore, you will only be paid for dates that are between June 8 to June 22, 2026 (excluding weekends and holidays) and only the number of days you have remaining from fall 2025-26.

As you plan for the coming year, keep in mind the legislature will presumably award days for the 2026-27 school year, which you can begin working two weeks prior to your first contract day, which is August 10, 2026. More information about next year’s days will be forthcoming. If you have questions, or need help with the survey, please contact Amanda Hamblin at amanda.hamblin@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8177.

 

Published on

DATE:  
May 14, 2026

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:
Bleed Control (TECC) and First Aid Kits

New TECC kits (aka Bleed Control kits) for classrooms will be delivered to each school during the summer. Each school will also receive several First Aid Kits.

TECC Kits (Bleed Control):

  • Kits currently in your building are being replaced with new and updated kits.
  • Please collect the TECC kits from each classroom or instructional areas as a part of your end-of-year check-out process.
    • Large Bleed Kits or those mounted to a wall (usually in a Pelican storage case) do not need to be collected.
    • A typical TECC kit is pictured below.
  • TECC kits will be delivered by the District to the school at some point during the summer.
    • The old TECC kits that were collected at check-out will be picked up when the new ones are delivered.
    • Schools should retain at least 10 of the old TECC kits to place in other areas/rooms or for emergency use as the school sees fit.
    • A new TECC kit should be distributed to each classroom/instructional area and other larger gathering areas such as gymnasiums and auditoriums.
  • Each School Safety Specialist (Administrator assigned school safety) should annually inventory the TECC kits in the school.

First Aid Kits:

  • Will be delivered to the school during the summer at or about the same time as the TECC kits.
  • One First Aid Kit should be placed in the main office and in each gymnasium.

If you have any questions or you would like to request to retain additional old TECC kits, please contact Matt Alvernaz (School Safety Coordinator) at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8623.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, May 14, 2026

TO:
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
ACT Scores from the 11th Grade State Testing to be Reissued

The following information was received from USBE regarding the 11th grade administration of the ACT. Schools should consider sharing this information with 11th grade students and their parents.

Status Update: ACT Online Scores to Be Reissued

  • ACT has announced that there is an issue with ACT scores from the Utah Spring Online Administration.
  • Please see the following from ACT about the issues:
    • Based on our continual evaluation of scores, we have discovered the need to reissue scores for students who took the online ACT during spring state and district testing. This is based on an update to the process used to ensure all scores are accurate for all students regardless of when and how they take the test. We conducted additional analysis and confirmed that this need is not related to the design of the enhanced ACT, the introduction of embedded field test items, or the new Composite score calculation. We are confident that the process outlined for rescoring will result in fair and accurate scores for all students.
    • Effective Wednesday, May 13, students who took the online ACT during spring state and district testing will see their scores from those administrations removed from MyACT. They will have their scores available in MyACT after the rescoring process is complete.
    • To facilitate the rescoring and keep students informed, they will see a message upon logging in to MyACT alerting them of the temporary delay in their access to these scores.
    • The process of rescoring tests will begin immediately after scores are removed from MyACT and will go through all validation processes before being made available to affected students. All affected students will have access to their scores from this administration before June 2.
    • For districts and schools, current scores will remain in the Success environment. Revised scores will be loaded to Success on a rolling basis, and we will communicate with you and your districts when your students’ revised scores have been uploaded to that system.
  • We, at USBE, will continue to monitor the situation and will update you as we learn more.
  • School and LEA ACT test coordinators can expect an email from ACT within the next few days.

Published on

DATE: 
May 14, 2026

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Melanie Dawson, Principal Rivers Edge
Amanda Bollinger, Teaching and Learning Staff Assistant
Brian King, Special Education Staff Assistant
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture

SUBJECT:  
School Self-Assessment: The Tiered Fidelity Inventory

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) require the use of ongoing data to continually assess needs. To continue the work of implementing a consistent MTSS framework within the District, additional information is being requested to help evaluate the needs and desires for MTSS training provided by District staff (District MTSS Team).

Principals, please complete this survey to indicate your level of need in the following MTSS systems:

  • PBL - Proficiency Based Learning
  • PBIS - Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
  • RTI - Response to Intervention
  • SEW - Social Emotional Wellness
  • PLC - Professional Learning Communities