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DATE:   
October 12, 2017

TO:
Principals
All Special Educators and Related Service Providers

FROM:    
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curriculum/Staff Development & Special Programs
Lisa Robinson, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:   
Important Deadline--Please Read Immediately
SCRAM Data Due by the end of day Friday, November 3, 2017
Returning D Track Clusters are Due no later than Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Updating SCRAM for December 1 Funding Count


We are fast approaching our December 1 SCRAM count deadline. Please remember that our funding and other critical data are generated from these counts.  It is important that all information be accurate and current.  The attached report reflects the SCRAM and IEP Services we have received to date.  Please check to see that all students who are currently receiving services are on the SCRAM printout and that all information has been submitted correctly.  Submit a new SCRAM document for any changes. Please review the scram report for accuracy of services, do not just print your caseload of scram and submit it with the report.

  • This report reflects students served during the current school year. Carefully review the following:The printout reflects the school’s current special education caseload. Please check that the names, entry dates, service patterns and providers are correct for each student on the printout. If the information is correct for all service providers, put a check mark (√) in front of the student’s name. If the only change that needs to be made is the providers name, please write the correct name in on the report. If all of the student’s information is correct on the report, a duplicate copy does not need to be sent.
  •  If a student being served in special education is not on the SCRAM report, please submit a new SCRAM document by the end of day Friday, November 3, 2017. If they are not on this printout, they are not on record as receiving services at your school.
  • Cross out any students who are not receiving services at your school and submit a SCRAM document with the correct exit date and exit code reason. The exit date is the day after the last day the student receives the services listed. The new SCRAM entry date will be the same as the exit date.  Please note that the entry date for a student coming from another school who enters your setting during the year is the first date that the student enters the new school (this will be the first date of service). Remember that there should be no delay in services (violation of IDEA and we lose days of funding). If an exit date is already listed for a student, a duplicate exit scram does not need to be sent in.
  • If you are not aware of a student that is listed on the printout (and the student has not been exited from services), you should follow-up with that student who is now in your building. Many teams are not aware of students who have entered their school and should be receiving services. A SCRAM document should be submitted which either identifies the services the student will receive or which exits the student from services (procedures must be followed for terminating a student from services).
  • If the IEP team has changed a student’s services, the changes must be documented on the services section of the IEP and a new SCRAM document must be submitted. Remember that parents must be involved in any decision to amend IEP services and must receive a copy of the revised IEP.
  • If you are submitting a corrections for a scram/entry date already submitted, please write “correction” at the top of the scram document and highlight the services or codes that need to be corrected to be sure it is not assumed to be a duplicate copy of a scram already received. (Remember, if all of the student’s information is correct on the SCRAM report, a duplicate scram does not need to be sent in.)
  • Any SCRAM document submitted must reflect all current IEP services. Every section of the form must be filled out completely or the student’s record cannot be submitted to the State for funding (this includes the classification, all services and amount of time, entry/exit dates, environment and regular percent codes, health services, etc.). If information is missing, the record will not be sent to the State for funding counts.
  • Please take note of the date that the report was printed (top right corner) and be aware that if scram documents were sent after the print date, they will not appear on the report, but sending multiple duplicate copies is not necessary and slows the entry process.

Special Education Resource Teams are being sent one complete list of all students in the school who are being served by resource, speech-language, guidance and/or OT, PT, itinerant teachers for the hearing impaired or visually impaired, etc. Please review and sign the one original list with ALL team members before sending it back to the SCRAM office. Please do not copy and send multiple reports back to the SCRAM office.

Cluster Teams are being sent one complete list of all cluster students in the school who are being served by the cluster, speech-language, guidance and/or OT, PT, itinerant teachers for the hearing impaired or visually impaired, etc. Please review and sign the one original list with ALL cluster team members before sending it back to the SCRAM office. Please do not copy and send multiple reports back to the SCRAM office.

All primary SLP and Guidance services will be included on the master list sent to Special Education Resource Teams. If the provider is serving two different schools, the services will be included on the master list at each school. Teams are expected to work together to review and complete all required SCRAM information.

SCRAM corrections may be sent through District Mail to the SCRAM Secretary as long as they arrive in the Special Education office by the due date. If the current report is correct as printed, each team member must sign the report, verifying that it is accurate and return it to the SCRAM Secretary in the Special Education Department at the District Office. If you have questions, please call the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school. Please sign and return the current report with all corrections/changes marked along with the corresponding SCRAM documents by the following due date:

Due:  By 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2017
Returning D Track Clusters Due Date:
No later than 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Reminders:

It is critical that information be received by the specified due dates so that all data can be entered by the December 1 due date.

Note:
1)  Remember that all IEPs should be completed using the web-based Goalview IEP system and any changes must be reported using the IEP SCRAM Services document.

2)  In the event that a hard copy IEP was used and there are changes to the services listed on the printout, be sure to submit the IEP SCRAM Services document and enter the hard copy IEP onto the Goalview system.

Funding Implications
Special education funding and, therefore, school staffing/assistant allocations, etc. are contingent upon the accuracy of this data.  Your timely and accurate response is critical!  Thank you for all your efforts to get us the correct information in a very short time period.

Utah Middle Level Association is seeking “STARS” of middle level education in Utah, to be a part of our annual conference on March 3, 2018.

Three amazing middle level “STARS”/advocates will be chosen to share a 20 minute presentation at the general session of the Utah Middle Level Conference, at Matheson Junior High School, on March 3, 2018. Each presenter will receive $500!                               

CLICK here to link to the Submission form.

Are you a “STAR”?  Do you know a “STAR”?  Take this opportunity to submit your proposal to present and be a major contributor at UMLA’s 2018 conference.  You will also present at least one breakout session.  The submission process will include a 3 to 5 minute video of you introducing your presentation for the UMLA Executive Board.  The submission deadline is November 30, 2017.

Topics could involve anything from sharing a program that you use in your classroom or school, trends in middle level education, to talking about your understanding of This We Believe’s 16 characteristics of Keys to Educating Young Adolescents.  Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. That’s what middle level education is all about!

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL TO BE A “STAR” TODAY!

Deadline for submission, November 30, 2017

See attached postcards for information regarding the UMLA conference to be held on March 3, 2018.

Click the link to access the 2017-18 Student Data Privacy Faculty and Staff Training video and use the attached signature form for personnel to acknowledge they have participated in the training.  Please conduct the training by Friday, October 27th.

The YouTube link for the video is: https://youtu.be/T6M-ZPrUl0w

All Elementary and Middle School Principals:

It’s SNAP Plan time again.  You will find the 2018-19 SNAP form in the Google Drive:

  • Shared with me
  • ASB-Website Docs and Forms
  • Safety/Security
  • Safe Walk/SNAP Plans
  • SNAP Forms 2018-19.pdf

SNAP plans for schools in South Jordan, Riverton, Herriman and Bluffdale are due by Friday, January 19, 2018.

SNAP plans for schools in the City of West Jordan are due and will be signed at Columbia Elementary, Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

Don’t hesitate to contact Peggy Margetts at ext. 88753 with any questions.  She will be happy to help with the UDOT mapping software, inserting maps into the forms, or anything else you may need.

JSD Administrators and Administrative Assistants:

You will soon receive an email link to the Emergency Procedures and Contact Information 2017-18 manual (aka The Red Book).  Please take a moment to open it up and verify that your contact information, and contact information for anyone listed from your school or department, is correct before we send it for printing.  If a correction is needed, please contact Peggy at ext. 88753 or peggy.margetts@jordandistrict.org by end-of-day Friday, September 22nd.

Once any final corrections have been made, the Emergency Procedures and Contact Information 2017-18 manual (aka The Red Book) will be available to you on Google Drive.  In addition, you will receive your hard copy as soon as they are back from the printer.

Many thanks from the JSD Safety Team,
Paul Bergera, Auxiliary Services Staff Assistant
Lance Everill, Facility Operations Manager
Ron Boshard, Risk Management Coordinator

The Utah Council for the Social Studies is looking for nominations from principals for outstanding elementary and social studies teachers.  The link to submit nominations is:  https://goo.gl/forms/vpam0IDfHjkkW4Li1 and nominations should be submitted by the end of September. The winners of this competition will be announced at the Oct. 28 UCSS annual conference and will  then have an opportunity to compete nationally.

Questions may be directed to pamela.sua@jordandistrict.org

DATE: 
August 29, 2017

TO:    
All Principals,  Jordan School District

FROM:   
Administrators of Schools
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curriculum and Staff Development
Nancy Ward, Coordinator of Educational Support Services

SUBJECT: 
CPR/First Aid Certification


Jordan School District requires that at least 3 employees in each building be certified in CPR and First Aid. Most certifications are valid for 2 years. It is also recommended that employees who will have direct responsibility for student health and safety be CPR/First Aid certified. This may include front office staff, playground aides, hall monitors, P.E. teachers, etc. It is also recommended that you keep a list of current CPR/First Aid certified staff members by all main phone lines where calls for emergency help may originate. A template is attached.

CPR, First Aid, and AED training and certification is now available to district employees in an online format through the National Safety Council (NSC). The attached memo will outline the steps necessary to complete the online portion of the course. The cost of the course is $19.95 and should be paid by the employee at the time of registration. Schools may provide reimbursement for the course, if funds are available, by following appropriate pre-approval and reimbursement procedures.

Once the online course is completed, employees may sign up to complete their certification by attending a 2 hour skills check session with our district nurses. To sign up for a skill check, you will need to register with JPLS under CPR/First Aid/AED skill check. All skill checks must be completed within 45 days of sign-up for the online course. The dates and times for the skill check sessions are listed on the attached flyer.

Please complete the attached CPR/First Aid certification form and return it to the Educational Support Services office by November 15, 2017.

DATE:
July 31, 2017

TO: 
Principals

FROM:   
Administrators of Schools

SUBJECT:  
Crucial Concerns and Policies 2017-18


Jordan School District Employees are responsible for knowing and adhering to all District policies and procedures. The Crucial Concerns and Policies acknowledgement process has been put in place to provide employees a summary of important policies and procedures to be reviewed each year. The policy review will be available to all District employees in Skyward through “Online Forms.” The review provides summaries of selected policies and asks that employees review the summaries and then sign an acknowledgement of completion and agreement. Employees will be asked to read the summaries of policies but will not be required to answer any questions. In addition to acknowledging completion of the review, employees will also acknowledge agreement to the Employee Acceptable Use Policy and the JSD Social Media Guidelines. You will not have to collect signature pages as you have in the past.

Care has been taken to select important points of the selected policies to save administrators time from having to review each policy and to save employees time from having to read the entire policy. Please emphasize to employees the implications of not being aware of policies and encourage them to review the summaries and read the actual policy where needed. Also emphasize to your staff that the summaries are not policy and it is imperative to read applicable policies in their entirety when dealing with school, student, and personnel issues.

The Crucial Policies and Concerns process will be available to all employees July 21. 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.” Employees will need to review the policies and complete the acknowledgement before September 30, 2017. Reports of completion will be available through Skyward so you can verify that your staff members have completed this process. If you or any staff members need technical help, please call USER support at
801-567-USER (8737).

The lists of crucial policies and concerns for both classified employees and licensed employees included in the review, as well as instructions for completing the review, are attached.  Please note: JPAS Orientation and Testing Ethics are not included in this review and will need to be shared with appropriate staff. State law now requires child abuse prevention training for all employees using materials approved through the Utah State Board of Education.

DATE:  
July 17, 2017

TO:  
Principals
All Special Educators and Service Providers

FROM:  
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Curric./Staff Development & Special Programs
Lisa Robinson, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:   
SCRAM for 2017-18 School Year


See attached memo for guidelines and multiple deadlines.

To All Full-time JSD Educators:

Jordan Education Foundation (JEF) announces that applications for the JEF 2017-18 Classroom Grants will be open on August 1, 2017. The Google Form Application will be listed on our website and available to access on August 1: www.jordaneducationfoundation.org.

APPLY EARLY, even though the application period will stay open through November 20, 2017.

Historically, over the past few years, the Gates Foundation and a couple of other major funding foundations (including Chevron that will match applications in September and October) will randomly pick a day to match donations. If your application is already listed on Donors Choose, then JEF can send in an amount to be matched and stretch the JEF dollars designated for Classroom Grants. Thus increasing the number of teachers receiving grants.

You increase your chances of being funded by applying early.

See the attachment for details or call us at the Foundation Office 801-567-8125 with questions. Thank you for being an educational professional in Jordan School District.

Steven Hall, Director

The Administrative Leadership Conference is coming up! Plans are being made, speakers will be arriving, food has been ordered. Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to join us! If you haven't filled out the activity survey you received by email please complete it by July 17.

See you there!

DATE:
July 5, 2017

TO:
All School Principals and School Head Financial Secretaries

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Heather Ellingson, Director of Accounting, Budgets and Audits
Daniel Ellis, Accountant/Internal Auditor

SUBJECT:
Unclaimed Property


 “The Utah Unclaimed Property Act (Section 67-67-4a) requires that a holder report to the State Treasurer property which is presumed to be “abandoned” or “unclaimed” after the stated dormancy period.”

For school purposes, unclaimed property is defined as property (checks, book refunds, lunch refunds, or other unclaimed balances, but not current school lunch balances) that is due to a payee but have never been cashed or collected and that are dormant for a period of one year as of June 30, 2017.  Checks written BEFORE July 1, 2016 AND not cashed by June 30, 2017 are considered unclaimed property.

Every effort should be made to contact the student or payee and ensure that they receive payment that is due to them.  If you cannot locate a student or payee, then the money must be sent to the State.  It is preferable to void an old check and reissue a new one than to send the money to the State.  Schools may not simply “write off” a check and add the money back into school accounts just because it was never cashed.  Nor may a school take uncollected refunds and add the money back into school accounts.  It is illegal.  If an outstanding check should legitimately be voided, then documentation must be made as to why the check was voided.  Otherwise, the State will consider a voided check without documentation to be unclaimed property.

Attached is a reporting form that must be completed and sent to Dan Ellis by September 29, 2017 along with a school check written to Jordan School District for the amount of reported unclaimed property.  If you have no unclaimed property, report $0.00.

All individual items that are under $50 per item may be combined and reported in one lump sum.  For example, if you have 10 checks and/or unclaimed book refunds individually each for less than $50, then you may have one line item on the report for the total of those items.  You should put “aggregate” in the column requesting the owner’s name, the total aggregated in the column of amount due owner, and MS99 in the property code column.  You do not need to report each item less than $50 individually.

Checks issued prior to July 1, 2016 that are currently outstanding should be voided in Skyward.  You will need to write a check to Jordan School District charging the account(s) that were charged with the original check.

Please call Dan Ellis at (801)567-8389 with any questions.

DATE:  
May 5, 2017

TO:
Principals
All Certified Special Education Staff

FROM:   
Laura Finlinson, Admin of Curriculum/Staff Development & Special Programs
Lisa Robinson, Director of Special Education
Julie Brown, Program Specialist
Courtney Titus, Program Specialist

SUBJECT: 
Year-End Checkout for Traditional Schools/Year-Round Schools


See attached memo.