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Category: High School Info

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Dear Principals,

As we have talked about reading classes and reading instruction, there has been interest from many schools in having teachers more fully trained in the Science of Reading, or LETRS training. 

Over the past month, Lexia (the company who provides the LETRS training) has released a new training geared specifically for students in grades 4-8, Lexia Aspire. (Lexia Aspire Website) There are several benefits to this training including:

  • The course is web based and self-directed
  • The suggested timeline is 29 weeks; however, it could be completed sooner depending on how fast the teacher works through the material
  • The cost for the training is $600 per teacher versus $800 + materials per teacher

The one drawback at this time is that we are unsure how Lexia Aspire will be integrated into the Secondary Literacy Interventionist Endorsement (the new Reading Endorsement). Together with other districts, we are working with USBE through this process; however, we won’t know the answer until later this year.

I have started the Lexia Aspire training, and it is something I wish I would have had as a Language Arts teacher. Not only does this program provide the foundational knowledge for why the Science of Reading is important; it also provides practical application that teachers can integrate into their instruction and classrooms now. 

Feel free to share this information with any Reading or Language Arts teachers who may be interested in the Lexia Aspire training. We’re hopeful that the training will be beneficial toward an endorsement but, at the very least, it is excellent reading instruction training. If you would like to consider paying for this training for your teachers, please contact me.  

Brandee Bergum
Secondary Language Arts Consultant
brandee.bergum@jordandistrict.org

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DATE: 
March 9, 2023

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

SUBJECT: 
Spring Panorama SEL Surveys

The spring Panorama SEL Survey window will be open for four (4) weeks beginning Monday, April 24th and remain open until Friday, May 19th. Survey coordinators and school administrators will receive instructions, materials, and other resources on Monday, April 10th – two (2) weeks prior to the survey window opening.

As a reminder, schools should notify patrons prior to administering the survey. Student participation in the survey should never be a part of any academic requirement and is always optional. Schools should feel free to share the survey questions or other resources when requested. Survey questions will be included in the April 10th resources email mentioned above.

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March is here, which means St. Patrick's day, spring, and (hopefully) warmer temps. It is also Women's History Month, which began the week of March 8th, after President Jimmy Carter declared it Women's History Week. Then, in 1987 congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”

The full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Culture Corner
St. Patrick's day is coming up. Remember that many of your ML students may not know the holiday or why they celebrate in class (if you plan on doing this). Teaching about the holiday, informing parents about your plans, and giving them some information about the day is incredibly helpful to those students and their families who have never celebrated.

Teaching Strategies Small Groups

  • Why? More time to talk encourages oral language growth (speaking & listening). It gives students a small, safe group to practice with Builds classroom community.
  • For Success - Teach students how to work in small groups. Assign roles so they know what to do. Give sentence stems for language support (bonus points for helping them practice saying those things out loud in the hallway). Guiding questions or printed out steps can help guide them.

Reflective Questions
At this point in the year, what have I learned about: my students’ lives, families, and past experiences? my colleagues? my school community? my local community? myself?

What more do I want to learn as we end 3rd quarter (March 24) and move into 4th?

ELLevation Tips and Tricks
You can use the Student List to make targeted instructional recommendations for students who meet specific criteria. To batch recommend Activities for multiple students at once from the Student List, found in the full newsletter below.

ELD Lead Celebration
Melanie Nixon is both the coach and ELD Lead at Mountain Point Elementary. She has established great relationships with both teachers and students. Not only does she know what is happening at her school, she knows students by name. She is a great resource for teachers who need language and culture support for MLs as she helps teachers with RtI, language strategies and data. Melanie is very organized and on top of things and the MLs at Mountain Point are lucky to have her as an advocate.

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DATE:
Thursday, March 9, 2023

TO: 
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Research Project

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: Noyce Professional Engagement for Educators in Math and Science

Applicant: Max Longhurst, Utah Valley University and Utah State University

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The applicant has been directed to contact you to discuss the extent of the project and to obtain your permission to conduct the study at your school. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

The project will involve Noyce scholars who are student teachers or interns in your building.

Thank you for your assistance.

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DATE:   
March 3, 2023

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals

FROM:   
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Sharon Jensen, Consultant Student Support Services
Michelle Reyes, Prevention Specialist, Student Support Services

SUBJECT: 
March Attendance Newsletter

As we approach Spring and into the final quarter of the year, you are encouraged to take a moment and reflect on student attendance at your school. Many students are struggling to get to school, on time or at all. Sometimes attendance lags because of issues the family is having at home. The newsletter this month asks families in your community what challenges they are facing and lists some resources that may help them find solutions to these challenges. It addresses possible issues with transportation to or from school, affordable childcare and mental health. Wrap around support can play a role in improving student attendance at school.

Spring recess is at the end of March. Trends show that attendance drops before and following a big break from school. In the days and weeks leading up to Spring Break, schools have the opportunity to communicate with parents about the importance of attending. A best practice to increase attendance is planning a school activity immediately following a break. This encourages students to attend when school resumes.

Included is the March Attendance Newsletter. It is being sent out to parents in Peach Jar in both English and Spanish. This is a great resource send out with your attendance letters as well.

Should you have questions about attendance please contact Michelle Reyes at (michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org) or 801.567.8205.

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We are moving closer to the launch date for the new Brightly/Asset Essential work order system which will be replacing Sprocket effective April 3rd, 2023, we ask that you continue to use Sprocket until that date.

Most of our custodians and administrative assistants have had the opportunity to attend a training for the new system.

Please notify those who were unable to attend any of the scheduled trainings of these additional opportunities.

3/14/2023   
Principal Meeting – time certain during breakout sessions

3/21/2023  
Make up Training Date – ASB Presentation Room    2-4 pm
Open to Custodian and Administrative Assistants

3/28/2023 
Make up Training Date – ASB Presentation Room    9-11 am
Open to Custodian and Administrative Assistants

We appreciate your support as we work toward a smooth transition. If you have any question please reach out to our Brightly Team:

Teresa Lyon  :  801-567-8876  :  teresa.lyon@jordandistrict.org
Judy Bird  :  801-567-8625  :  judy.bird@jordandistrict.org
Jeff Beesley  :  801-567-8876  :  jeffrey.beesley@jordandistrict.org

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DATE: 
February 27, 2023

TO:  
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance

SUBJECT:  
March School Psychologist and School Psychology Interns Meeting

A school psychologist meeting has been scheduled for Friday, March 10, 2023, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Jordan School District Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Terisa Gabrielsen, Ph.D., BYU professor, will provide us with a presentation on Demystifying Identification of Nuanced Autism in Females in School Settings.

Part-time Staff: I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.

cc:       Principals

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, February 23, 2023

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 School LAND Trust and TSSA Planning and Reporting

The following Tableau dashboards may be helpful to school administrators as they plan for the 2023-24 school year LAND Trust 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 English/ELA Proficiency, Growth and Predicted ACT Scores

tah Aspire Plus Reading Proficiency and Predicted ACT Scores

Utah Aspire Plus Math Proficiency, Growth and Predicted ACT Scores

Utah Aspire Plus Science/STEM Proficiency, Growth and Predicted ACT Scores

WIDA Access Overall Composite Scores
WIDA Access Language Domain Scores

AP Distribution of Scores and Pass Rates

Growth Measure (beginning of year only)

School Accountability:
2021-22 TSI Calculations for All Schools and All Demographics

Breakdown of TSI Identification Data (for TSI schools only)

Other Relevant Data
Advanced Course Taking

Attendance

Behavior & Discipline

Demographics

Grades

Graduation and Dropout Rates

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KSL News Radio and Cyprus Credit Union are honoring Utah Teachers! Now more than ever, we recognize the incredible ways that educators go above and beyond every day.

Once each month, a lucky featured teacher will be picked at random to receive a:
$500 Visa gift card from Cyprus Credit Union
Season tickets to Hale Centre Theatre
$250 gift card to Harmon's

Nominate a teacher now by clicking on the Teacher Tribute Wall

CYPRUS CREDIT UNION - YOUR FUTURE IS OUR FUTURE - HARMONS NEIGHBORHOOD GROCER HALE CENTRE THEATRE KSL NEWSRADIO 102.7FM

 

Published on

DATE:  
February 16, 2023

TO:      
High School Administrators
High School Counselors
High School Registrars

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

SUBJECT: 
“Full-time” Enrollment and Eligibility

UHSAA guidelines (1.8.1.A) state that “the local school district…shall establish the degree of enrollment at the school that would define full-time status. Such definition shall apply to all aspects of the student’s enrollment, not merely to activities.” In light of this requirement, please use the following guidelines to assist in determining whether or not a student is considered “full-time”:

  • A student enrolled part-time at a District school and part-time in homeschool would be considered “full-time.”
    • See the “Charter and Private School” section below for specifics on students dual enrolled or interested in participating in co-curricular activities.
  • Sophomores and juniors will typically need to be enrolled in a full schedule of classes to be considered “full-time.” Exceptions will follow the process outlined below for seniors.
  • Seniors are considered “full-time” if they meet either of the following standards:
    • The student is enrolled in a full 8-period schedule, or
    • The student is enrolled in a schedule that represents the student’s remaining graduation requirements, even if that schedule is less than 8 periods.

A senior who needs fewer credits to graduate than a normal 8-period schedule will therefore be considered full time if they are enrolled in as many credits as they require to graduate and are not enrolled in another school or LEA.

It is important to note that “full-time” for athletic eligibility is not the same as “full-time” in Skyward. A senior enrolled in a partial schedule following the guidelines above would be considered “full-time” for athletic eligibility but should have a completed and signed Student Release Form and should show an enrollment percentage of less than 100% in Skyward.

Charter and Private School Students
State Board Rule R277-494-3 allows a student at a charter or private school to participate in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities at a qualifying school (defined in 53G-6-704(1) for charter school students and 53G-6-705(2) for private school students) when the co-curricular or extra-curricular activity is not offered at their charter or private school. Students seeking participation under this rule can be considered “full-time” even if they are not enrolled in courses at the District school or if they are only enrolled in the courses required for participation in the desired activity.

NOTE: If passed, HB209 from the 2023 Legislative Session may alter the guidance given in this memo and may require clarification or revision to the information presented above.

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School level budgets were established in program 5336, object 610 at the beginning of the fiscal year. In December IT rolls current year contracts in Skyward, which creates budgets in salary and benefit categories. This HR process does not reduce your 610 allocation by the budgets created for salaries and benefits.

Schools with contract employees charged to 5336 experienced an artificial increase to their budgets for the month of January. Correcting this is a manual process that was completed on February 6, 2023. Please use budget reports that were created AFTER 2/6/2023 to determine what is remaining from your 5336 allocation.

If you have questions or concerns please contact Nicole.Woodburn@jordandistrict.org in Language and Culture Services or Natalie.Grange@jordandistrict.org, in accounting.

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The full newsletter can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Celebrate Black History Month!
Taking a month out of the year to celebrate and recognize Black History, does not mean it's not important the other 11 months of the year. February is given to us to truly reach out and learn something new that we hadn’t known before. American and World history is so vast that as Dr. John Henrik Clarke states, “What we call Black history truly is the missing pages of world history.” The fact that many countries celebrate Black History demonstrates the many perspectives that should be honored when sharing pieces of the story in the History books. I always find myself in the habit of reading a historical story and wondering, “I wonder what was happening with the rest of the country during this time? What were the families from other cultures doing during that time? People suddenly don’t disappear when the Great Depression happened, but the schoolbooks certainly omitted a lot of people.”

Black History Month isn’t just for Black People to learn and engage with information. It’s for everyone. Half of the things we interact daily with were and are created by Black People: gas masks, protective mailboxes, the stoplight, automatic elevator doors, blood banks, home security systems, refrigerated trucks, the super soaker, tissue holders, clothes dryer, folding chairs, golf tea…. I could go on, Google can help you finish this exhaustive list. Because of that fact, everyone should take the time to learn about the people and culture behind the inventions.

The one thing I do each year is find an area that I want to learn more about surrounding Black History. The information is so vast, and I always received the Civil Rights information in school that I wanted to learn more beyond the struggle of gaining our alienable rights that were already bestowed upon Americans. Each year, I find a focus: famous Black poets, Black entrepreneurs, eras like the Harlem Renaissance or Motown.. each time I learn something new. I challenge everyone to do this. What do you not know too much about? With the amount of information on Google and YouTube, the possibilities are endless. If it still overwhelms you, simply go through the National Museum of African American History and Cultures website. This national treasure that is seated in DC has a plethora of information. Learn, grow, and know Black History is American History.

Culture Corner Set up a culture consultation!
Contact our Culture, Diversity, and Parent Outreach specialists to set up a consultation for you, your PLC, or your school. The CDO team can support you in the following ways:

  • Support for critical conversations (You are planning on a lesson that you anticipate will include critical conversations)
  • Training on critical conversation facilitation
  • Have the culture and diversity team come teach a lesson
  • Small group pull-out (no more than 10)

ELLevation Tips & Tricks
Teachers can easily add Activities to their Favorites folder for future viewing and lesson planning. There are two ways to favorite an Activity:

  1. While browsing: click the Favorite button located at the bottom left of each Activity card.
  2. In an Activity: click the Favorite button found on the left of the top bar.

After an Activity has been favored, you can access it by clicking on the left navigation slide-out menu.

ELD Lead Celebration
This month we are highlighting Angie Larson with Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle school! She is in her first year as an ELD lead and has done an excellent job of creating online content accessible to all students. She makes sure every student at the virtual middle school is getting the support they need to find success through their online learning. Thank you, Angie for being such a great example to your students and to our district!

Reflective Questions

  • What helps my students feel cared for and appreciated?
  • What can I do to show them how they are cared about?
  • How are my students represented in my curriculum and classroom?
  • How do I celebrate my student's diverse backgrounds?

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The District has recently conducted a bid for HP & Canon OEM Ink, Toner and Supplies. Effective immediately, 5 vendors have been awarded for HP supplies, and 5 vendors for Canon Supplies. This bid will be good for 5 years.

The following vendors should be used for your HP & Canon ink, toner and supplies moving forward:

HP OEM Supplies
Associated Business Technologies
Fisher’s Technology
Les Olson Company
Pacific Office Automation
Innovative Print Consulting

Canon OEM Supplies
Associated Business Technologies
Canon Solutions America-Supplies
Fisher’s Technology
Innovative Print Consulting
Pacific Office Automation

Here is a link to contact information for each vendor:
Vendor Contact Information

Please note that this contract is for OEM supplies only. This does not cover compatible inks and toners. We highly recommend using OEM ink and toners in your machines, especially in the Canon copiers. Some compatibles have caused damage to both HP and Canon machines in the past. We are also starting to see situations where some new HP printers are rejecting any compatibles and will only allow OEM toner to be installed. This is also happening on occasion when older printer models receive an update. Buying OEM supplies is the safest and best way to ensure that your machine runs optimally and that warranties are not voided.

If you have old machines that you are still using that HP and Canon are no longer manufacturing ink and toner for, then you can request compatibles when making your purchase. Please be aware that this contract cannot be referenced for these orders. If your order exceeds the $5,000 small dollar purchase threshold, you would need to get 3 quotes for your purchase.

We are asking that any existing open purchase orders for ink, toner and supplies be closed, even if the vendor is listed above. New open purchase orders will need to be created with additional language and referencing the new contract, or P-Cards can be used for your orders. Please fill out a Purchase Order Change/Delete Form for each open PO that needs to be closed. Please note “Close PO- New Contract”.

Please return the forms to Tonya Hodges in Purchasing at tonya.hodges@jordandistrict.org , or contact her if you need assistance with your orders.

 

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The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignment effective January 3, 2023:

  • Katie Jarvis, administrative intern at River’s Edge appointed assistant principal at River’s Edge.

New Assignments effective as soon as possible:

  • Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Lead in Information Systems appointed Support Services Manager in Information Systems.

New Assignments effective February 21, 2023:

  • Derek Bennett, administrative intern at Mountain Ridge High appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Howard Griffith who is retiring.
  • Curtis Hagen, Staff Assistant at Auxiliary Services appointed assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High, replacing Derek Bennett.
  • Tim McConnell, retired administrator in Park City School District appointed assistant principal at Ridge View Elementary.

New Assignments effective July 1, 2023:

  • Michael Hutchings, assistant principal at West Jordan High appointed principal at West Jordan High, replacing James Birch who is retiring.
  • Rachel Hill, administrative intern at West Jordan High appointed assistant principal at West Jordan High, replacing Michael Hutchings.
  • Tamara Rajczyk, consultant in Special Education appointed principal at South Valley, replacing Rita Bouillon who is retiring.
  • Jennifer Ludlow, principal at West Jordan Elementary appointed principal at Oquirrh Elementary, replacing Shauna Worthington who is approved for a Sabbatical leave.
  • Abram Yospe, principal at Columbia Elementary appointed principal at Foothills Elementary, replacing Cherie Wilson who is retiring.
  • Keith Klein, principal at Etna Elementary in Lincoln County School District in Afton, WY appointed principal at Columbia Elementary, replacing Abram Yospe.
  • Vaega Toilolo, administrative intern at Bingham High appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Russell Stephenson, administrative intern at Joel P. Jensen Middle and Oquirrh Hills Middle appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Jessica Wilson, administrative intern at South Hills Middle and South Valley appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Jessica Hayes, administrative intern at Child Development Center appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Thyme Meleisea-Vea, administrative intern at Oak Leaf Elementary appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Angela Solum, assistant principal at Riley Elementary in Salt Lake School District appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.
  • Janae Young, administrative intern at Aspen Elementary appointed assistant principal at an assignment TBD.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, February 9, 2023

TO: 
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Research Project

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: Retaining State-Qualified Teachers: An Exploratory Case Study

Applicant: Amanda Bollinger, University of Phoenix

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The researcher will send out a recruitment email inviting educators to participate in a research survey. Employee participation in the study is at your discretion. Survey participants who meet study criteria will be invited to participate in interviews or focus groups. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, February 9, 2023

TO: 
All School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Research Project

The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.

Project Title: Cross-Cultural Development and Psychometric Validation of the Beliefs about Behavior Scale in the U.S. and Taiwan

Applicant: Howard Fan, Idaho State University

The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The researcher will send out a recruitment email inviting educators to participate in a research survey. Employee participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.

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How To Become “Highly Qualified” and Receive LANE CHANGE INCREASE.

PARAPRO Testing is optional for most school locations but required for all Title One School locations. Applicants/Employees interested in working at a Title I school may contact the Title One school principal for additional testing options.

Please see the attached document for more information.

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This year, the annual Teacher Transfer Fair is open to all CURRENT JSD teacher/educators AND student teachers, interns and those on a 1-year agreement.  This event is for current Jordan School District teachers/educators seeking a new teaching/assignment opportunity! The transfer fair will be combined for both elementary and secondary teachers/educators.

Please come prepared with:

  • Your JSD ID badge – required to gain entry, AND
  • Copies of your resume available to distribute.

Come explore your options in JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT!

See the flyer below for more information.

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THANK YOU to Principals/Assistant Principals, Directors, JESPA Volunteers, HR Assistants, and the Communications Department for promoting and participating in the first JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT JOB FAIR!

It was a GREAT success, as it resulted in the hiring of numerous new applicants for open positions throughout the District. A total of 207 households were in attendance and a total of 59 applications were COMPLETED in Frontline during and after the Job Fair. We are certain there will be more applications completed in the near future as a result of the Job Fair.

A special THANKS to Oquirrh Hills Middle for hosting this event and also to those who served as interpreters. The success of this event was due to the efforts of many individuals and groups.

THANK YOU all again for your contributions.