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Category: Middle School Info

Published on

TO:
Administrators

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

Check out the links below for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for February. Learn Tips and Tricks, Sign Up for Upcoming PD, and Learn about Important Updates from the T & L team.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

Attached is the Special Ed Newsletter for February 2025.

Published on

DATE:     
January 28, 2025

TO:   
All Principals

FROM:   
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT:   
IEP Notes on Embrace

We are implementing a change in the process for handling Special Education meeting notes.

We encourage you to use the new Embrace Notes starting now, however, the PDF notes on the Forms page will still be available until March 1st. The PDF notes on the Forms page will no longer be available after March 1st. This adjustment aims to simplify our workflow and enhance accessibility to meeting notes.

You can access Embrace through the Google App Launcher. The document is named, “IEP Meeting Notes and Summary”. See the link below for a detailed guide to accessing the Embrace IEP Meeting Notes and Summary document.

If you encounter any access issues, or have questions, please reach out to Brenda Cruz at 801-567-8145, brenda.cruz@jordandistrict.org.

Embrace Notes Guide.pdf

 

Published on

DATE:   
February 3, 2025

TO:        
All Principals

FROM:    
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator

SUBJECT:
SCSC Transitioning Meeting for Elementary to Middle School and Middle to High School

To support the transition of students to their new Self-Contained Support Classroom (SCSC), the Special Education Department is providing an opportunity for SCSC teachers to meet with the teachers or team leads of the new SCSC setting for their students.

The transition meetings:

  • Elementary to Middle School will be on February 28, 2025, from 9:00 - 11:00 am through Zoom.
  • Middle to High School will be on February 21, 2025, from 8:00 - 10:00 am through Zoom.

The schedule and transition paperwork that needs to be filled out for each student transitioning to a new SCSC school have been emailed to all teachers.

Please contact your teacher specialist if you have any questions.

 

Published on

DATE:   
Thursday, February 6, 2025

TO: 
Elementary and Middle School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
AAPPL for DLI Tableau Dashboards Updated with 2024-25 Results

AAPPL for DLI results have been updated in Tableau. The dashboards contain district, school, and individual student data. In addition, viewers will be able to see results by teacher as well as by individual students. Tableau users may filter data by various demographic and student groupings as well.

AAPPL for DLI results may be accessed here:

Explore Menu > Assessments > AAPPL for DLI Analysis > AAPPL for DLI Analysis, 2017-Present

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability with questions about these dashboards.

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, February 6, 2025

TO: 
All Middle 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 2025-26 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:

RISE ELA Proficiency and Growth

RISE Math Proficiency and Growth

RISE Science Proficiency and Growth

Utah Aspire Plus Proficiency and Growth

WIDA ACCESS Composite Results
Listening Results
Reading Results
Speaking Results
Writing Results

AP Distribution of Scores and Pass Rates


School Accountability:

2023-24 TSI Calculations for All Schools and All Demographics

Breakdown of TSI/ATSI/CSI Identification Data (for TSI/ATSI/CSI schools only)


Other Relevant Data

Advanced Course Enrollments Over Time

Attendance

Behavior & Discipline

Demographics

Grades

State’s Data Gateway

School Report Cards

 

Published on

DATE:  
February 6, 2025

TO:  
Principals
Assistant Principals
Counselors

FROM: 
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counseling Consultant

SUBJECT: 
February 2025 School Counselor Training and Professional Development

This memo includes all school counselors’ training and professional development this month.

Highlights

  • February 3 - 7, 2025, National School Counseling Week
  • Ideas to celebrate your school counselors:
    • Publicly recognize your school counselors' hard work through morning announcements, a dedicated email, or a social media post highlighting their impact. A heartfelt message during a staff meeting or a personalized thank-you note from leadership can go a long way.
    • Surprise your counselors with a lunch delivery, coffee, or a favorite snack as a token of appreciation. If budgets are tight, consider partnering with the PTA, student leaders, or local businesses to sponsor a small treat.
    • Give them a small but meaningful token of appreciation, like a "Counselor Appreciation Certificate" or a simple sign on their door that says, “We ❤️ Our School Counselor!” Little gestures like these require minimal effort but can brighten their day.

Training & Professional Development Dates

See the memo below

Published on

TO:
Principals
Teacher Leaders

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning

The Teaching, Leading, Learning Conference associated with CITES will be held on March 20 & 21, 2025 at Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo. Teaching & Learning is able to pay for 1 person from your building to attend. Please use this Google form to submit a name for registration. You may register others for the conference using this link to the conference website. All other registrations should be covered by individual schools or departments. There is a discounted rate for each participant, whether registering as a team or separately, because we are a part of the BYU-Public School Partnership.

The 2025 Instructional Leadership Conference has an incredible line-up of speakers! See the attached information.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services

A Clean Work area is a Safe Work Area.

Good housekeeping is one of the surest ways to identify a safe workplace. You can tell how workers feel about safety just by looking at their housekeeping practices. Good housekeeping isn’t the result of cleaning up once a week or even once a day. It’s the result of keeping cleaned up all the time. It’s an essential factor in a good safety program, promoting safety, health, production, and morale.

See the flyer below for more information.

Published on

DATE:  
Thursday, February 6, 2025

TO: 
Elementary and Middle School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:  
RISE Summative Training

The RISE summative testing window is from April 7-May 30, 2025. RISE passwords get reset each year, so please be sure your teachers log in and reset their passwords for this year at utahrise.org.

As testing is nearly underway, please make sure all testing teachers complete the yearly RISE test administration training. Many teachers only use the RISE systems once a year, so yearly training on how it all works is needed. Only teachers who will administer the RISE test need to be trained. For your reference, here is a link to the Testing Ethics Policy.

School administrators are responsible for making sure all testing teachers get trained in RISE test administration. Should you choose to hold a training at your school, this fulfills the training requirement. Teachers have two additional options to be trained for RISE testing:

RISE Canvas Course
The RISE test administration training requirement can be fulfilled by completing the Canvas course online. All teachers in grades 3-8 have been added to the course, should you choose to have them complete the training through this method. A certificate of completion for relicensure points will be available for download at the end of the course.

Zoom RISE Training
Teachers can attend one of the following Zoom RISE trainings to fulfill the training requirement.

Here is the Zoom link for these trainings:
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/5266134800
Meeting ID: 526 613 4800

  • Friday, March 7 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, March 14 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, March 21 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, March 28 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, April 11 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, April 18 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM
  • Friday, April 25 @ 8:45 AM or 1:30 PM

For questions about RISE training or test administration, please contact Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:     
Thursday, February 6, 2025

TO:  
Middle and High School Administrators

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

SUBJECT:
Utah Aspire Plus Summative Training

The Utah Aspire Plus summative testing window is from March 3-May 9, 2025.

As testing is nearly underway, please make sure you complete the yearly Utah Aspire Plus test administration training. Only teachers who will administer the Utah Aspire Plus test need to be trained. For your reference, here is a link to the Testing Ethics Policy.

School administrators are responsible for making sure relevant teachers get trained in the Utah Aspire Plus test administration. Should school administrators choose to hold a training at their schools, this fulfills the training requirement. There are two other training options available:

Utah Aspire Plus Canvas Course
The Utah Aspire Plus test administration training requirement can be fulfilled by completing the Canvas course online. All teachers in grades 9-10 have been added to the course.

Zoom Utah Aspire Plus Training
Teachers can attend one of the virtual Utah Aspire Plus trainings through Zoom to fulfill the training requirement.

Here is the Zoom link for these trainings:
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/j/5266134800
Meeting ID: 526 613 4800

  • Friday, February 21 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 7 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 14 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 21 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, March 28 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, April 11 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM
  • Friday, April 18 @ 8:00 AM or 2:15 PM

For questions about Utah Aspire Plus training or test administration, please contact Kassidy Towery in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:   
January 23, 2025

TO: 
Secondary Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:  
Spring 2025 Campus Monitor Training

Spring 2025 Campus Monitor Training will be held in two sessions on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The morning session will be held in the ASB presentation room from 7:30 -9:00 am. The afternoon session will be held in the ASB presentation room from 1:30 -3:00 pm.

Please coordinate with your team on meeting attendance. All Campus Monitors are required to attend one session. Assistant Principals, interns, & administrators are welcome but not required to attend.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

We are looking for teachers in secondary math, health/PE, and computer science to create modified canvas courses for our Language Learners. Stipends available. The teacher must be ESL endorsed. Please see the flyer and info below for more details.

Requirements

  • Endorsement in content area
  • ESL endorsed
  • Experience adding scaffolds to assignments for multilingual students
  • Experience & ease with Canvas

Responsibilities
Divide existing content into 4 quarters. Ensure all existing links work. Add scaffolds, strategies, and/or modifications, as needed, to existing (already created) Canvas assignments:

  • Pictures/visuals
  • Chunked assignments
  • Graphic organizers
  • Essential vocab. with pictures
  • Videos
  • Simplified text
  • Word banks
  • Sentence stems

Create/modify assessments for each quarter

  • Simplified questions & answers
  • Most questions should be multiple choice, T/F, drop down, or matching
  • Essay/short answer questions must include an answer key/rubric

Answer Keys for each assignment and assessment.

To Apply

  • Interested applicants please complete this Google Form (or scan QR code in the flyer) with a Google Drive link to one of your lessons with embedded ML scaffolds.
  • Pay will be based on your hourly rate, up to $325 per quarter credit for each course modified.
  • Teachers must keep record of all time spent on modifications on a timesheet

Direct questions or inquiries to letitia.vigil@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

In this LCS newsletter, want to remind you of cultural celebrations happening this winter and have information on:
  • Lunar New Year is Jan. 29 - Lunar New Vear is a significant cultural event celebrated in countries such as China, Vietnam, Korea, and others. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is characterized by various traditions, including family gatherings, feasts, fireworks, and the exchange of red envelopes for luck.
  • February is Black History Month - a time dedicated to honoring the achievements, contributions, and rich cultural heritage of African Americans throughout history. It's a powerful opportunity to engage students in meaningful discussions about history, identity, and social justice. Black History Month was first established in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and later expanded to a month-long celebration. It serves as a reminder of the significant impact African Americans have had on shaping our nation and the ongoing journey towards equality and justice.
  • Ramadan is Approximately Feb. 28 to March 29 - Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It lasts 29-30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon. Fasting from dawn until sunset is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It involves abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs. It is a time for spiritual growth, increased devotion, and worship.

Published on

DATE:    
January 23, 2025

TO:  
All Administrators

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant

SUBJECT:   
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) and Bullying Action Plan (BAP)Training Dates

Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) and Bullying Action Plan (BAP) Training are required by State Law. Additional training dates have been made available and are described below.

CSTAG training consists of two (2) training levels and both levels must be completed by all administrators and threat assessment team members. The CSTAG Level 2 workshop is for all who have completed the Level 1 training (the six (6) hour web-based training from Navigate360). This workshop will build upon your knowledge of threat assessment by providing practical application and implementation of the CSTAG process in your school. CSTAG Level 3 is optional and offers practical applications of CSTAG.

**CSTAG Level 2**
Wednesday, February 26th, DO Room 129, (8am-10am) Register Here
Friday, May 2nd, DO Room 129, (1pm-3pm) Register Here

**CSTAG Level 3: Practical Use**
Wednesday, February 26th, DO Room 129, (1pm-3pm) Register Here
Friday, May 2nd, DO Room 129, (8am-10am) Register Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As per State requirements outlined in H.B. 84, Jordan District has created a “Bullying Action Plan” to support a caring, proactive response to bullying incidents. Training on the Bullying Action Plan will occur through in-person, 2-hour sessions of each school-based administrator’s choosing. All school-based administrators are required to attend one training session. For those that were unable to attend we have created two additional dates.

Wednesday, February 12th, DO Room 129, (1:00pm-3:00pm) Register Here
Tuesday, February 25th, DO Room 129, (8:30am-10:30am) Register Here

Register for all sessions on Canvas (https://pd.jordandistrict.org/)

Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org

Published on

DATE:   
January 21, 2025

TO:   
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns

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

SUBJECT:
January School Psychologist Guidance Meeting

A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, January 31, 2025, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Liz Miller, Special Education Teacher Specialist, will provide us with a presentation that addresses Embrace procedures for case managers, especially since many school psychologists have students with Guidance Only services. We will also address 504 and have time for collaboration groups. Please come prepared to share ideas within your groups.

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, January 23, 2025

TO: 
All School Administrators

FROM:    
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, 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: Vocal Awareness in Occupational Voice Users: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Samples

Applicant: Pamela Hallam, Brigham Young University-Provo

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 solicit your participation in a survey. Participation in the study is at your discretion.

The project will involve voluntary participation in a survey that solicits information about their vocal health.

If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.

Thank you for your assistance.