Skip to content

Category: High School Action Required

Published on

Please see the parent brochure (available in English and Spanish) regarding the Utah Aspire Plus test for 9-10th graders. School administrators are encouraged to distribute these flyers in whatever appropriate manner you deem necessary.

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, February 14, 2019

TO:  
All Principals

FROM: 
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
2019 UEPC School Climate Survey Response Rate Links

Principals are encouraged to use the following links to monitor the response rates for the student, parent and faculty/staff UEPC School Climate Surveys.

As a reminder, all students second grade and up should have time scheduled during the school day to take the school climate survey. Depending on your technology configuration, some schools may need to schedule computer labs to help facilitate the student survey administration.

Principals should provide time during a faculty meeting as necessary for faculty and staff members to take the survey as well.

Finally, principals should notify parents of the option to take the survey via Skylerts, parent newsletters, social media, or by any other communication means available. Parents will likely need several reminders. In addition, it is recommended that schools provide computers and/or a survey link for parents to take the survey while attending spring parent conferences.

Response Rate Links:

Faculty/Staff Responses:
https://uepc.co1.qualtrics.com/results/public/dWVwYy1VUl85TnN2ZTc5NE1MNUJZUUEtNWMwYWQ5MDIyNmNjZGIwMDEzNzU0MTY3 - /pages/Page_7ed374a9-bc68-4d7d-b2e2-306bbc1b8a33

Parent Responses:
https://uepc.co1.qualtrics.com/results/public/dWVwYy1VUl85TnN2ZTc5NE1MNUJZUUEtNWM2MmViMjc0ZjBkNWIwMDEzODliYmUz - /pages/Page_932e5fd6-d0b3-4b85-99ba-52154455f84d

Student Responses:
https://uepc.co1.qualtrics.com/results/public/dWVwYy1VUl85TnN2ZTc5NE1MNUJZUUEtNWM2MmVlMTZjMzdmNDQwMDBkZDc3ZDAy - /pages/Page_7205b01b-4d07-4bb9-8f89-4a3d6d6f3108

Published on

Teachers who qualify may submit an application through USBE's Educator Licensing website to receive this annual stipend. Any teachers with specific questions regarding the TSSP application or process may contact USBE directly or Jill Lisonbee in HR at 801-567-8227. Administrators may view a document found on the AdminOnly site for additional information regarding this program: http://workatjordan.org/files/Teacher-Salary-Supplement-Program-TSSP.pdf

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, January 31, 2019

TO: 
All Principals

FROM:   
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
2019 UEPC School Climate Survey – Preparation and Administration Details

Please see attached memo with details.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, January 31, 2019

TO: 
Middle School Principals
High School Principals

FROM:   
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Utah Aspire Plus Updates and Reminders

In an effort to provide timely updates and reminders as we transition to a new state-mandated 9th and 10th grade summative assessment, we want to provide the following information to school administrators.  Principals are asked to please pass this information on to test coordinators, ELA, math, and science teachers, resource teachers, and any other pertinent personnel who will be involved with the 2019 administration of the Utah Aspire Plus Summative test.

Updates and Reminders:

  • School administrator, test coordinator and teacher accounts on PearsonAccessNext, the admin site for Utah Aspire Plus, went live on Monday, January 28th. If you did not get an account notification email, please call or email the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department.
  • Question samplers for each of the four subtests (English, reading, math and science) are now available on the Utah Aspire Plus resource website: http://utah.pearsonaccessnext.com/question-samplers/. It is strongly encouraged that every 9th and 10th grade student has had the opportunity to go through the question samplers.
  • USBE’s new parental opt in policy where a parent, with signed permission, may opt to have their child’s Utah Aspire Plus score be used in place of a course requirement will not be available this year. We do not expect to see any scores for the Utah Aspire Plus test until the fall of 2019, rendering the opt in impossible.
  • It is recommended that school administrators help parents, students and community members understand that the Utah Aspire Plus is essentially free practice for the ACT. Individual student reports will provide a predictive score for the ACT and their student’s college readiness.  Like the ACT, parents will also have access to a parent portal where they can drill deeper into their student’s performance on the Utah Aspire Plus and access resources to help their student prepare for the ACT.  ACT’s own research has shown that students perform better on the ACT if they take it more than once.  Therefore, taking the Utah Aspire Plus, which is an ACT product, will have a positive impact on students’ future ACT performance.
  • USBE has set the dates of February 4-8, 2019, as the week schools should test the new system and ensure the installed testing software is working. Details on how to do this system check will be available to testing coordinators and school administrators during the Utah Aspire Plus trainings (Jan. 28th and 30th).  Please work with your school techs and test coordinators to accomplish this task.
  • Please remember that once a subtest has been started, it must be finished in one sitting. School testing schedules should allow for this.  If a student has to stop a test for any reason (they get sick, a parent checks them out, etc.), it is unlikely that he/she will be able to finish the subtest.
  • The Utah Aspire Plus is a grade specific, end-of-level test, which means that all 9th grade students must take the 9th grade test and all 10th grade students must take the 10th grade test. For instance, an 8th grader in a 9th grade math class will not be eligible to take the Utah Aspire Plus test.  In addition, the RISE and Utah Aspire tests cannot be taken in the same room.
  • Blueprints for the Utah Aspire Plus test have recently been released. They can be found on the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department’s website.  They are also attached with this JAM memo.
  • Middle School Principals: Because you will be implementing two brand new summative assessments with completely different admin sites, we are recommending that middle schools, where possible, have a RISE test coordinator and a separate Utah Aspire Plus test coordinator to help ease the learning curve and workload.

For more information and additional resources for the Utah Aspire Plus Summative test, please visit the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department’s website: http://assessments.jordandistrict.org/assessments/utah-aspire-plus/

Published on

DATE: 
January 31, 2019

TO: 
All Principals

FROM: 
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:    
RISE Summative and Utah Aspire Plus Summative Help Sessions for Resource Teachers and EL Leads

A member of the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department will be available at the following dates, times and locations to assist resource teachers and EL leads as they input student accommodations into the RISE Nextera admin system and the Utah Aspire Plus PearsonAccessNext system.

In addition, school test coordinators may also come to these help sessions if they require assistance.

Date: Time: Location:
Monday, Feb. 4, 2019  

 

3:00 – 5:00 pm

  

 

PDC 101
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019
Monday, Feb. 25, 2019
Monday, Mar. 4, 2019
Monday, Mar. 11, 2019

School principals and department heads are asked to provide this information to all school test coordinators as well as special educators and EL leads that will be involved in RISE or Utah Aspire Plus Summative testing.

Published on

As a follow up to the memo sent in JAM on December 20, 2018, we want to clarify that all schools have received their allotted classroom TECC kits. As indicated in the memo, the due date for distribution of classroom TECC kits and the submittal of Your School’s TECC Kit Assignment Sheet, which is sent to Judy Bird in Facility Services, was Friday, January 11, 2019. Thank you to those schools that have distributed the classroom TECC kits and have submitted the TECC Kit Assignment Sheet to Judy Bird.

In addition, you have also been asked to schedule and complete your TECC hands-on training with your local fire agency. Schools should not be holding classroom TECC kits until the training has been completed. Contact information to schedule hands-on training is provided below.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Fire Department Contacts for Hands-on Training:

Bluffdale, Herriman and Riverton:
Unified Fire Authority - Bret Fossum, 801-310-6262, efossum@unifiedfire.org

South Jordan FD - Jim Ladle, 801-842-4097, jladle@sjc.utah.gov

West Jordan FD - Wyatt Jones, 801-652-4054, wyatt.jones@westjordan.utah.gov

Published on

Principals:  Please post in your school and send the attached flyer to each School Community Council member, all parents are invited to attend.

Jordan Parent University
Legislative Forum
Thursday, February 7, 2019
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Joel P Jensen Middle - 8105 S 3200 W, West Jordan

Published on

The ADD and TECC presentations will be available for viewing  by those that have not been able to attend or view the training previously. This is for administration substitutes and licensed personnel. Principals, please give this information to any teacher who has not yet completed this training.

Monday, January 14, 2019
8:30 a.m.
District Office, Room 129

Thank you for your help.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, January 10, 2019

TO: 
All Principals

FROM: 
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
2019 WIDA Testing

The 2019 administration of the WIDA Access 2.0 for students receiving ELL services has begun. Testing will run through March 8, 2019. Because the WIDA assesses English language proficiency, the data gleaned from this assessment will have value for school administrators and teachers as they make instructional decisions to support the learning of EL students. In addition, the results of the WIDA assessment play a factor in the new School Accountability Report Card system.

With this in mind, here are a few helpful hints and reminders for the 2019 WIDA administration:

  • The Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department will be sending one (or more) of four teams to your school to administer the WIDA following the schedule attached to this memo.
  • When possible, try to schedule a hardwired computer lab for WIDA testing. At times, wireless networks are less than reliable with some test sections like the speaking subtest.
  • Try to limit the number of announcements over the intercom during testing.
  • When possible, please arrange to have your school technician present on the day of testing in case there are any technology glitches.
  • Your Test Coordinator should enter students’ accommodations on the test schedule that has been shared with them via Google Drive. This is the only way for our WIDA testers to know what students should have which accommodations.
  • Please work with your ESL teachers/ELL leads to provide students an opportunity to interact with the testing interface and take some practice tests. Sample test items can be found at: https://wbte.drcedirect.com/WIDA/portals/wida.
  • Please encourage students to take the test. While state law allows parents to opt students out of the WIDA, the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act does not.

As in the past, WIDA results will be distributed to schools in the spring and will be available on the Data Gateway later in the summer.

Published on

All Principals:

Thank you for your past and present participation and assistance with the JSD Teacher Transfer Fair Events. This is an important event for teachers and for you as you fill vacancies at your school location.  A special thanks to Jim Birch and his administrative team for volunteering to host the first Teacher Transfer Fair in 2019.

The first JSD Teacher Transfer Fair in 2019 is scheduled as follows:
Date:  Monday, January 14, 2019
Time:  12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
Location:  West Jordan High School - Gymnasium
Enter at the northeast end of West Jordan High School

Both Elementary and Secondary Schools will be participating.

As previously discussed, there will be a separate area available for conducting interviews.  This interview area is in addition to the tables, where interviews have been conducted in the past.

If you are unable to attend this event, please assign another administrator to take the lead, as all schools must be represented.  You should also notify your respective AOS.

HR will be communicating the details of the Teacher Transfer Fair to teachers soon via JEM and would appreciate your assistance. Please remind all educators attending the Teacher Transfer Fair to wear their JSD ID badge, which will allow them entrance into the fair.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the 2019 Teacher Transfer Fair at West Jordan High.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, December 6, 2018

TO:  
High School Principals
Middle School Principals

FROM:  
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
Annual Utah Aspire Plus Summative Administration Training for Test Coordinators and Administrators

To prepare for the 2019 end-of-year Utah Aspire Plus Summative tests, principals, or their administrative designees, and school test coordinators are asked to attend one of six training sessions. Please see memo below for more information and dates of the trainings.

Published on

Attached you will find a copy of the WIDA Testing schedule.  It is somewhat tentative where the numbers of students can increase before your scheduled time.

As in past years, some schools will need more than one computer lab on one or more days. Please check the schedule carefully.  Our goal is to work as efficiently as possible so as not to take up too much of your and the students time.

Please, check the date or dates your school is assigned, reserve the necessary lab, or labs.  If there are conflicts let me know as soon as possible.  I would like to have the schedule finalized by the first week of December, to help in your planning.

Like last year, middle schools and high schools will be scheduling the students.  We will send you a list of your students.  We will do the elementary schedules.  As in the past as students complete the test we will ask for other students to come in, so the schedules are a guide.  We do make sure the students go to lunch.

This year we are asking that besides reserving your lab/labs on our testing days, that you reserve the lab on the Friday of the week we are testing your students.  This will help in facilitating absent testing.  Schools with large numbers of students requiring the test, might require our coming back multiple times but, we will make those arrangements as needed.

Thank you so much for your help.

Published on

DATE:  
November 8, 2018

TO: 
Principals
Special Education Staff

FROM: 
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Kristin Norris, Teacher Specialist-SLP/A, ESY Coordinator

SUBJECT:  
ESY MID-YEAR UPDATE

Critical things to be thinking about for Extended School Year now:

  1. Every student must have regression and recoupment data.

This is the first step in determining eligibility. The second step of looking at predictive factors is only completed after first looking at the regression/recoupment data. Therefore, every student needs data on regression and recoupment.

START NOW!  We just completed fall recess, and Thanksgiving and Winter breaks are coming quickly.

To aid you in this process, we have included the data collection page for this step.

  1. Be clear about why students attend ESY.

Ask yourself this question for each student.
Does this student need an Extended School Year because without it this student would not be able to make adequate progress on their goals and maintain adequate access to their education? The purpose of ESY is to provide FAPE for students who without ESY would not be able to access their education appropriately.

Thank you for all of your hard work for our students in identifying and meeting their needs!

Attachment:
Determination of Eligibility for ESY page 2

Published on

DATE:    
November 1, 2018

TO: 
All Principals
All Directors

FROM:   
Anthony Godfrey, Associate Superintendent
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services

SUBJECT:  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) aka Drones on School Campuses

Utah State Risk Management has decided to provide property and liability insurance on any Unmanned Aircraft Systems (aka UAS or “drone”) that Jordan School District (the District) owns and operates.  However, in order to cover the drones, they must be scheduled or listed.  Therefore, the following information must be provided to the District Insurance Department in order to add any drones we currently have or purchase in the future, to our policy:

  • 55 lbs or over (including payload) – Always excluded from coverage, do not buy or operate
  • Between 0.55 lbs and less than 55 lbs (including payload) each listed separately:
    • Model Name / Number
    • Serial number
    • FAA registration number
    • Purchase cost
    • Location
  • Under 0.55 lbs (including payload) grouped:
    • Model Name / Number
    • Purchase cost
    • What educational purpose they are used for
    • Location

Please refer to the attached District Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) aka Drone on School Campuses Guidelines.

ALL District schools are located within some type of restricted airspace (airport or helipad).  Please make yourselves aware of the requirements to notify the appropriate authority within the area of flight before each flight.

Published on

Middle and High Schools:

Gordmans and the Jordan Education Foundation have provided a Christmas shopping experience for hundreds of our secondary students over the past few years. This year, 300 students will be able to participate in a shopping spree there! In order for this to happen, we need responsible adults to help our students shop. We also need at least one administrator from each participating school to volunteer that morning. School employees are welcome to volunteer to chaperone kids at the following link: https://www.jefchristmasforkids.org/ Many thanks!

Published on

As a reminder, every school needs at least three CPR certified staff. Certification only lasts for two years, so some of your staff certifications may be expiring. Remember that staff need to complete an on-line course before signing up for their skills test. Please see the attached flyer for details. Thank you!