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DATE: 
August 8, 2024

TO:
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:   
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT: 
New Student Grade Level Placement


Age-Appropriate Chart” in the online Planning & Enrollment Manual). This would include students that enroll from another state or country. Exceptions include:

  • A military child who does not meet the deadline but has previously attended kindergarten or a higher grade as a resident in another state. (53G-4-402 and 53E-3-902)
  • A student who was accelerated or retained in a previous school or district within the state of Utah. Jordan District will honor the acceleration or retention and continue to place the student in the next consecutive grade.
  • A student who was home schooled should be placed based on the parent’s request. Examples include, but are not limited to:
    • The student attended a public school in the 7th grade but was in home school for the 8th grade. The parent(s) or guardian(s) requests placement in the 8th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
    • The student attended public school in the 7th grade but was in home school for the 8th grade. The parent(s) or guardian(s) states that the student completed both the 8th and 9th grade during the past school year, and requests placement in the 10th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
  • A student who has never been in an educational setting should be placed according to their age.
  • A student may be enrolled in the first grade even though the child did not meet the entry date for kindergarten the previous year, provided a full year of kindergarten was successfully completed in another state or private school (not daycare or preschool). The parent(s) or guardian(s) shall provide convincing evidence that the child has the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in first grade AND provide a statement from the previous school that verifies the student’s successful completion of the kindergarten curriculum.

Jordan School District does NOT enroll:

  • Any student who has previously received a diploma.
  • Any student who is not five (5) years of age before September 2nd of the year they will be entering school (R277-419-2).

If the parent(s) or guardian(s) disagree with the student’s placement they may request acceleration or retention testing. Acceleration and/or retention testing is conducted to determine academic ability (see “Accelerations and Retentions” in the online Planning & Enrollment Manual).

Please contact Planning & Enrollment (801-567-8183) with any questions you may have.

DATE:   
August 8, 2024

TO:   
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:     
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:  
Initial Enrollment Without Birth Certificate


Utah Code (§53G-6-603) states that: Upon enrollment of a student for the first time in a particular school, that school shall notify the enroller in writing that within 30 days the enroller shall provide to the school either: (a) a certified copy of the student's birth certificate; or (b) (i) other reliable proof of the student's: (A) identity; (B) biological age; and (C) relationship to the student's legally responsible individual; and (ii) an affidavit explaining the enroller's inability to produce a copy of the student's birth certificate.

The original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics is required for initial enrollment into any Jordan School District school. A copy of the certificate should be made and kept in the student’s cumulative folder. When a student transfers between Jordan District schools, it is not necessary to have the parent again supply the birth certificate (especially when the school is able to confirm that a copy of the birth certificate is available in the student’s cumulative folder when it transfers); however, building principals may choose to require birth certificates from transfer students or students entering the initial grade offered by the building provided this requirement is consistently applied to all students.

When a parent or guardian cannot provide a birth certificate at registration, the following steps should be followed:

  • The student is enrolled and allowed to attend school.
  • The parent/guardian is immediately given the 30-day grace period letter. This should be provided in-person at the time of registration.
  • If a birth certificate has not been provided within 30 calendar days, the 10-day warning letter should be provided. If it cannot be provided in person, it should be sent via certified mail. An additional copy of the letter may be sent to the email provided by the parent at registration if delivered via MoveIt.
  • If a birth certificate has not been provided by the end of the 10-day window, the student should remain enrolled and allowed to attend. School staff should notify law enforcement by certified letter. Once notification has been sent, the school’s statutory obligation has been met.

In some instances, the parent/guardian may not have a birth certificate. In this case, “other reliable proof” may be used. The documentation provided must prove the student’s identity and age. The steps below should be followed when using other documentation:

  • The student is enrolled and allowed to attend school.
  • The 30-day and 10-day letters should be provided as explained above.
  • If other reliable proof is brought to the school, the “Affidavit of Birth” document must be completed and notarized. A copy of the documentation and the affidavit should be placed in the student’s cumulative folder.
  • Law enforcement should be notified if documentation is not provided by the end of the 10-day warning window.

Parents and guardians do not need to be sent to Planning & Enrollment for approval of their “other reliable proof” documentation; however, school staff are welcome to consult with Planning & Enrollment about the particulars of documentation provided to the school. Notary services are also available at Planning & Enrollment if they cannot be provided at the school.

The 30-day and 10-day letters, as well as the “Affidavit of Birth” documents, are available on the Planning & Enrollment website (http://planning.jordandistrict.org) in the School Resources section under the “Resources & Forms” tab.

If no documentation is available, code requires the school to assemble a review team to work with the enroller to determine the student’s biological age. Administrators should contact Planning & Enrollment for assistance with this process.

Please contact Planning & Enrollment at 801-567-8183 with questions or concerns.

TO:
All School Administrators

FROM:
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services


ParentSquare, the communication suite that has replaced Skylert for the District, allows for a connection with Google Calendar (additional in-person and virtual trainings on ParentSquare are available through the beginning of the school year; see this JAM for more information). A single schoolwide calendar can be linked to ParentSquare for each entity to allow users to see school events from the ParentSquare dashboard.

Only one calendar can be linked from Google Calendar to ParentSquare, and this calendar should be a publicly accessible calendar of school events. In order for district events (such as school recesses) to appear in ParentSquare, they will need to be added to each school’s public Google Calendar.

There are two options for adding these events to your school’s public Google Calendar:

  1. Manually enter events from your school’s level calendar, available on http://planning.jordandistrict.org/calendars/, or
  2. Import the files linked below into your schools public Google Calendar. Importing files will “mass add” events without the need to go entry by entry.
    1. Elementary School Events: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JUa2uinMXbG1p_X8b6kVQ5YUmSiBTrtXIxIopVC_ev0/edit?usp=drive_link
    2. Middle School Events: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mo-ddCi3-iLUxCNXXUM2C36CNo2Z4OviXdMFUb7n7Jk/edit?usp=drive_link
    3. High School Events: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Kmf97Rk7wnBbcmpUTrQ2FGBb4e-Ubi6ORNeqQRDU-JQ/edit?usp=drive_link
    4. High School A/B Rotation: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y3YCnfLsjsW6m3PfKSeRiPxbLJxAfkN7gZiTggD4pds/edit?usp=drive_link

If any of the events in the files already exist on your calendar, a duplicate entry will be created that can be deleted later.

For directions on importing a file of events to Google Calendar, please follow the process outlined in “Step 2: Import events into Google Calendar” at this link: https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37118. The calendar you select in Step 5 MUST be the public facing school calendar. Events will be added to whatever calendar you select and there is no easy way to “undo” this action.

Once the events have been imported into your school’s Google Calendar, an individual with administrator access rights to ParentSquare should follow the instructions below to connect the public Google calendar to ParentSquare:

Specific questions about ParentSquare should be directed to the Information Systems Help Desk at 88737. Questions about calendar dates should be directed to Caleb Olson at 88251.

TO:
Building & District Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment


The "Assistant Principal Directory" has been updated for 2024-25 and can be downloaded at the links below. These links will remain valid for the entire school year; if changes occur at your school, please communicate them to me so that I can make updates and upload the directory. The date of the last update is located at the bottom of each directory page.

 

DATE:     
August 8, 2024

TO:   
Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan School District Nurses

SUBJECT:    
Immunization Policy and Guidelines, Skyward and USIIS Inservice


Jordan School District Nurses will be conducting this inservice on:

Friday, September 20, 2024
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
ASB (Auxiliary Services Building), PDC Room 102

This inservice is open to all office staff and administrators. It is not required that you attend; however, if you are involved with student registration, this inservice will be of benefit to you since immunization status is an important part of the registration process.

Class size is limited. Please contact your school nurse if you are planning to attend. See attached nurse assignment list for 2024-25.

DATE:
August 8, 2024

TO:  
All Principals
Administrative Assistants

FROM:    
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan District Nurses

SUBJECT: 
Medication Administration Training


Utah State Law and District Policy requires that all school personnel delegated to administer medication to students in schools must complete Medication Administration Training.

New employees who will be giving medication are required to attend the live training on Friday, September 13, 2024. Prior to this meeting, they need to view the online training, click on this link Jordan Nursing Services click on Medications, and then Medication Inservice (use a browser other than Firefox).

Employees who have attended this training and have a certificate of completion will not be required to attend this meeting. However, they will be required to recertify by viewing the online training video and completing the corresponding test available on the district website.
(see above)

Please identify staff members that should receive medication administration training. This may include head administrative assistants, office assistants, cluster teachers or aides, counseling center personnel, and the principal if appropriate. Please inform all personnel that have the potential to administer medication to students at school of their responsibilities in this matter.

Medication Administration Training
Friday, September 13, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
District Office Room 129 

Class size is limited. Please contact your school nurse if you are planning to attend. See attached nurse assignment list. Thank you for your responsiveness and support.

DATE:
August 8, 2024

TO: 
Principals
Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Surveys


The student feedback survey conducted within Panorama is to assist schools in providing accurate student and school-wide interventions when needed as well as to inform schools regarding student perception regarding their wellness. These surveys may not be a part of any grade and are never required and always optional for parents/students to take.

53#-9-203 requires prior written consent when a student registers for surveys related to an early warning system. This consent will be included in both the online and printed registration process. Please refer to the “Parental Consent for Surveys” JAM (June 2024) for more information. Only those students whose parents have opted in may take the survey.

The Panorama student feedback survey windows for the 2024-25 school year are as follows (please share with your survey coordinator and other relevant staff):

Fall Winter Spring
Aug. 30-Sept. 20, 2024 Jan. 22-Feb. 21, 2025 April 18-May 16, 2025

Survey information, questions, results, and survey window dates can be found here.

Information and instructions for administering the student feedback surveys may be accessed here.

DATE:
August 1, 2024

TO:
Principals
Head Financial Secretaries
Special Education Teachers (Resource and Self-Contained)
Speech-Language Pathologists/Technicians

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

SUBJECT:
Special Education Budget Allocations 2024-25


In the document attached below are the special education budget allocations for Resource, Self-Contained Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists for the 2024-25 school year. (Cluster Leaders and school psychologists do not receive a Special Education budget.) Remember that special education monies must be spent in ways that provide the most benefit to special education students with the goal to improve student achievement and performance.

DATE:
August 1, 2024

TO:
Administrators
School Safety Personnel 

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

SUBJECT:
National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security


You are invited to join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on September 25 and 26 for the 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security. This virtual event brings together K-12 school leaders and practitioners to discuss and share actionable recommendations that enhance safe and supportive learning environments.  

Registration is now open for the 2024 Summit. This year’s event will feature panel discussions, sessions and keynote speakers covering topics such as violence prevention, emergency planning, youth online safety, student mental wellness, K-12 cybersecurity and student interventions and support. These sessions are designed to foster a nationwide dialogue on some of the most critical school safety issues, as well as equip school stakeholders and personnel with resources, training and best practices to apply in their local K-12 communities. 

EVENT DETAILS
Dates: Sept. 25-26, 2024
Time: 10:00-1:00 p.m. MDT each day
Location: Held virtually via Microsoft Teams 
Registration: Registration is required and there is no cost to attend. To register, please visit 2024CISASchoolSummit.eventbrite.com

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The Summit is open to anyone with a passion for improving school safety but will be of particular interest to K-12 school and district administrators; principals and superintendents; school-based law enforcement; teachers and school staff; mental health practitioners; first responders; federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government partners; and other school safety and security professionals. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional details, including speakers and agendas, will be shared when available. To learn more about the Summit, please visit cisa.gov/news-events/events/2024-national-summit-k-12-school-safety-and-security

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager in Information Systems


Missed our ParentSquare training for office staff? No worries! We've got you covered with additional opportunities to jump on board, including online sessions! Check out this sign up sheet for a list of dates offered and join us!

For those of you that have already attended a training session, here is the link to access the slides from that training: ParentSquare Training

DATE:   
Thursday, July 25, 2024

TO:  
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
ACT Changes and Enhancements


ACT recently announced changes to the ACT test for both national testing as well as the state-mandated 11th grade administration. The official announcement from ACT may be accessed in its entirety here. Following is a summary of the announced changes:

New National ACT Testing Options

The following ACT test enhancements for national testing will be rolled out starting the spring of 2025:

  • The ACT test enhancements are designed to offer more flexibility and choice for states, districts, and students.
  • The test sections of English, math, and reading will remain as the core sections of the ACT test that will result in a college-reportable composite score.
    • Science will be removed from the ACT test. However, students will have the option to take the ACT, the ACT + Science, the ACT + Writing, or the ACT + Science and Writing.
    • Students can choose to take the science and/or writing section, but they will not be included in the ACT composite score. If the science test is taken, it will be used to calculate a STEM score.
  • The test length will be reduced by up to one-third using shorter reading passages on the English and reading sections and fewer question items in all sections (44 fewer questions in all).
    • The new core test (without science) will take about two hours to complete.

State-mandated 11th Grade Administration

The ACT test enhancements for the 11th grade administration will be rolled out beginning in the spring of 2026 (no changes for the 2024-25 11th grade administration of the ACT):

  • The core ACT test sections of English, math, reading, and science will remain.
  • The test length will be reduced by using shorter passages in English and fewer question items in three of the four sections (44 fewer questions in all).
  • The science section will have the same number of items (40), but more time to complete them (45 minutes).
  • New science content has been added that will relate to the three-dimensional standards, thus helping it align better with the Utah SEED standards.
  • Utah will continue testing science on the 11th grade administration until the end of its contract with ACT in 2027.

For questions about these changes, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

DATE:      
Thursday, July 25, 2024

TO: 
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:     
Fall 2024 Testing Bulletin


Check out your level specific testing bulletin.

 

DATE: 
Thursday, July 25, 2024

TO:  
Middle and High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
2023-24 AP Results Updated in Tableau


The AP Analysis Dashboard has been updated with 2023-24 AP exam data in Tableau. School administrators may access both district and school dashboards here.

School administrators will be able to view participation rates, pass rates, and a distribution of scores by school, discipline, and assessment from 2014 to 2024. In addition, the dashboard also contains scores by AP teacher and student.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability with any questions about the AP Analysis Dashboard.

DATE:   
July 26, 2024

TO:
Secondary Principals
Secondary Media Specialists

FROM:  
Administrators of Schools
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning Department
Norman Emerson, Instructional Support Services Consultant

SUBJECT:
Networking Meetings for Secondary Library Media Specialists


To prepare and train secondary library media specialists (teacher-librarians) to effectively provide services to their schools and to build consistency across the District’s library programs, networking meetings have been scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. The participation of your school’s teacher-librarians in these meetings is appreciated.

The meetings will be held on the following dates:

  • September 11, 2024 (Riverton High) 8:00-11:00 a.m.
  • October 30, 2024 (Viridian Center) 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • November 13, 2024 (South Jordan Middle) 8:00-11:00 a.m.
  • January 8, 2025 (Copper Mountain Middle) 8:00-11:00 a.m
  • February 5, 2025 (Oquirrh Hills Middle) 8:00-11:00 a.m
  • March 2025 (UELMA Conference, Date TBD)
  • April 16, 2025 (South Hills Middle) 8:00-11:00 a.m
  • May 14, 2025 (ASB Auditorium) 8:00-11:00 a.m

Please share this information with your school’s teacher-librarian.

Please contact Norman Emerson (801-567-8364) if further information is needed. Thank you for your continued support of the library media programs in Jordan District.

DATE:    
July 18, 2024

TO:  
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM: 
June LeMaster, Administrator, Human Resources
Brent Burge, Human Resource Administrator, ESP

SUBJECT: 
Labor Day Annual-Personal Leave before-after Critical Day


If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before/after Labor Day for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:  

How to Request
During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

 The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

School Holiday Date of Holiday Critical Days* Window
Labor Day Sept. 2, 2024 Aug. 30 and Sept. 3, 2024 July 20 – July 30, 2024

*Critical Days are the first student attendance days before or after a school holiday. If a non-student attendance day falls before or after a school holiday, the Critical Day is the day before or after that non-student attendance day when students are in attendance.

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
June LeMaster, Administrator Human Resources
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist


A friendly reminder for the Employee-Funded Sick Bank Policy,

Employees are automatically enrolled in the sick bank each year through the annual donation of one (1) annual leave day to the sick bank. More information regarding the Employee-Funded Sick Bank can be found in policies, DP326NEG -Sick Leave-Educational Support Professionals and DP 324NEG -Sick Leave-Licensed.

For those who wish to opt out of participation in the Employee-Funded Sick Bank, keep an eye out for instructions starting in the July issues of JEM and JAM.

*First-year Educational Support Professionals and hourly employees are not eligible for sick bank, therefore, a sick bank day will not be deducted (if applicable).

Jordan School District Employees are responsible for knowing and adhering to all District policies and procedures. The Crucial Concerns and Policy Review is now available to District employees in Skyward through “Online Forms.” As a condition of continued employment, all employees (i.e. Licensed, ESP, Substitutes, Coaches, Miscellaneous adults, etc.), with the exception of minor students, will be required to complete this training. We ask your assistance in notifying your employees of this required training and ask that this training be completed by November 1, 2024.

A message will appear upon login of Skyward Employee Access for the employee to complete an “Online Form.” Employees can complete the steps at that time or can return to the review at another time by selecting “Online Forms” under “Employee Information.” Attached is a tutorial to assist in completing the review.

Reports of completion will be available through Skyward so you can verify that your staff members have completed this process. A tutorial is attached for your reference. If you or any staff members need technical help, please call the help desk at 801-567-USER (8737).

Note: The Crucial Concerns and Policies review was significantly reduced for the 2024-25 contract year. See the table below.

2024-2025 Estimated Time Required
Administrator Lic. Time Required 2 HR 41 Min 16 Sec
Licensed Time Required 2 HR 37 Min 16 Sec
ESP Time Required 2 HR 4 Min 14 sec
Sub/Misc Time Required 1 HR 42 Min 48 sec

DATE:
July 18, 2024

TO:
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:
Guidance on “Proof of Residency” Requirements


Inconsistencies districtwide in how parents/guardians have been asked to supply “proof of residency” documentation has led to difficulties in enrolling students and an unpredictable enrollment experience at different schools and levels. 

Effective immediately, all schools in Jordan School District will require TWO (2) proof of residency documents at the time of enrollment: One or two documents from Column A of the table below and no more than one document from Column B (the model document listing from the Utah State Board of Education has been used as a basis for this table):

 

Column A (1 or 2 documents)
Column B (No more than 1 document)
  • Property deed. The deed must be for a primary residential property, not for investment or commercial property.
  • Mortgage statement from the most recent billing period.
  • Lease and payment record from the most recent billing period.
  • Government photo ID with current address.
  • Notarized Affidavit of Occupancy or Rental
  • Other documentation, as approved by Planning & Enrollment or School Administration
  • Pay stub
  • Bank or credit card statement
  • Utility bill
  • Vehicle registration
  • Voter registration
  • documentation
  • Church or religious records, including a notarized affidavit from a local congregation leader affirming that the parent resides within boundaries.
  • Other documentation, as approved by Planning & Enrollment or School Administration

If there are concerns with the provided documentation, a third document may be requested at the direction of school administration; however, requiring three documents should NOT be standard practice. Updated documentation can and should be requested when a parent/guardian submits a change of address request or when school administrators believe the family’s residency status has changed.

If the parent/guardian declares during enrollment that the family is homeless and qualifies for services under McKinney-Vento, the declaration covers BOTH residency document requirements. No further documentation can or should be requested from the parent or guardian and the student should be enrolled immediately. After enrollment, if there are concerns about eligibility for McKinney-Vento services, the school may coordinate with the district McKinney-Vento liaison for further assistance. 

An “explainer document” (in English and Spanish) to show to parents is attached to this memo. Additional information can be found in the Planning & Enrollment Manual at https://planning.jordandistrict.org/manual/enrollment/#ResProof