Utah State Senate Bill 150 requires schools to assess students’ reading level three times per school year (fall, winter, & spring) and inform first, second, and third grade parents/guardians of whether or not their child is reading on grade level. Please send the attached letters home with your students to inform parents of their student’s middle of year Acadience results by February 28, 2024. You may copy the letters onto your school letterhead and send the letters home with students.
Wit and Wisdom Training
Wit & Wisdom training is still available for teachers who have not yet had the opportunity to attend. Teachers and coaches at the elementary level who have not attended the training are asked to sign up on JPLS by January 22nd. Reserving training dates now will help the Teaching & Learning department get an accurate count of training needs and ensure that all teachers have access to the training. All teachers and coaches are asked to attend the training this current school year.
2024 Literacy Promise Conference – March 20-22, 2024
Mark your calendar and save the date to attend the Literacy Promise Conference. There are some fantastic presenters in attendance this year that you will not want to miss.
T & L will pay for up to three individuals from each school to attend the Literacy Promise Conference held on March 20-22. This can include administration, coaches or teachers. Schools are not required to participate or may choose to send less than three individuals. Responses will be accepted through March 8th. Please click on the link below and fill out the form to list the individuals who will be paid for through T&L. If your school would like to send more than three individuals, registration can also be done at the school or individual level using the QR link on the enclosed flyer.
The conference is March 20-22, 2024 at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah.
LINK to register individuals to be paid by T&L.
JSD Special Education Transition Fair – February 27, 2024
DATE:
January 8, 2024
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Ed.D., Special Education Administrator
SUBJECT:
2024 Special Education Transition Fair
Special Education is excited to announce an in-person, Special Education Transition Fair for 2024 and would love for you to join us! There will be over twenty community resources attending to help answer any post-secondary questions for our students and families.
The Transition Fair will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 4 - 7 p.m. at West Jordan Middle School. We hope that you will be able to attend! For questions please contact Ashley Calhoun at 801-567-8208 or ashley.calhoun@jordandistrict.org
Please make sure to send the flier out to your community.
Special Education Transition Fair Flyer (English/Spanish)
January 2024 Special Education Newsletter
ESY Qualification Memo and Eligibility Documentation FAQ
DATE:
January 11, 2024
TO:
Principals
Special Education Staff
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Kristin Norris, Teacher Specialist-SLP/A, ESY Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Extended School Year (ESY) Qualification Procedures and Timelines
Attached: ESY Eligibility Facts, Tips, and Documentation
In order to afford parents the opportunity to exercise their due process rights, the process outlined is to be followed beginning January, 2024 to March 20, 2024.
Please read the entire memo to ensure proper implementation of all existing and new procedures.
Some procedures and documentation requirements have changed.
Data for ESY should be current from this school year and reflect ongoing needs of the student.
The 2024 ESY Memo and forms will be available on the Special Education Forms website.
If you have questions you can talk with your Teacher Specialist or reach out to Kristin Norris at kristin.norris@jordandistrict.org.
If you are interested in working with the ESY program, applications are currently being accepted (application available online on the SpEd Forms page for current employees). The number of staff hired will be based on the number of eligible students who will be participating in the program. No staffing decisions can be made, until the programming needs and the numbers of participating students are determined. If you have questions, please contact the appropriate ESY coordinator as identified in the attached memo.
Important Information for All Schools from USPS
School Safety Officer Course – March 2024
DATE:
January 8, 2024
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Campus Monitors
School Safety Specialists
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
School Safety Officer Course
Through a partnership between the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health, a no cost training for school security personnel is available. This course is taught by instructors from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). However, it is not intended for school resource officers. This particular course is intended for school safety officers (administrators, campus monitors, school safety specialists or other individuals) charged with making our schools safe and secure.
This is a single 24-hour course that will be held over three consecutive Fridays (8-hours each): March 8th, 15th, and 22nd. All three sessions must be attended in order to complete the course. The course will emphasize three (3) main areas: Functioning as a security officer in the school setting; Working effectively with students; and School Safety and Emergency Planning.
The link for more information and registration is included below. Create a free account in order to access registration and when registering, please select “invoice me” on the payment option so DPS will receive the invoice at the conclusion of the training.
Link to NASRO Events for Registration
Schools would need to cover the cost of substitutes if needed. Please contact Matt Alvernaz at (801)567-8623 or matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org with any questions.
DLI Student Permits and Movement Between Levels 2024
DATE:
January 3, 2024
TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants
Registrars
DLI Teachers
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Kaye Rizzuto, Consultant Dual Language Immersion
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
SUBJECT:
DLI Student Permits and Movement Between Levels
The following guidelines will assist schools in identifying where DLI students should be placed when moving between levels within a feeder.
DLI students will generally attend school through the feeder where they began the program. As long as the student remains in the DLI program, a seat will be available for them at each level through high school. This means that a middle school or high school may receive a DLI student who may not live in their boundaries.
- Students in DLI who are out-of-boundary should be granted a permit manually in Skyward using the “D” reason code.
- Please do NOT use PowerSchool for DLI out-of-boundary permits, otherwise students must legally be allowed to remain at the school through the last grade offered even if they choose to end their participation in the DLI program.
- Every year by mid-January, a “sending” DLI school should prepare a list of DLI students who are planning to continue in the program at the next level. This list should specifically identify the students who do not live in the boundaries of the “receiving” school but who qualify to attend because of their participation in the DLI program. This will allow the “receiving” school time to pre-enroll these students in Skyward by the end of January and have these students counted in their yearly 2.0 FTE allocation. An administrative assistant or registrar should review and send this list to the “receiving” school for enrollment.
Additional Considerations:
- If a student begins a program in one pathway and later becomes a boundary student of a school in a different DLI pathway for the same language, they may enroll at their new boundary school and join the pathway for that school; however, doing so will forfeit any seat or claim on the previous DLI pathway.
- If a student begins a program in one pathway and later wishes to move to a school in a different DLI pathway for the same language but has not moved into the boundaries for the school they wish to attend, they may do so only if A) space is available in that school’s DLI program, AND B) an out-of-boundary permit seat (in Skyward) is available and can be granted to that student. In this instance, established out-of-boundary permit priorities and waitlist orders must still be followed.
ETT: 2024 Cultivating Classroom Management Skills
DATE:
January 3, 2024
TO:
All Principals
All Certified and ESPs
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior
SUBJECT:
ETT: Cultivating Classroom Management Skills
Seats are limited and fill quickly, so learners need to register on JPLS as soon as possible.
Beneficial for: All general education and special education teachers.
Also welcome: Specialists, mental health providers, ESPs.
2024 National Elementary Distinguished Principal Award
Each year, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) gives the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) the opportunity to celebrate elementary principals for the great work they are doing in their schools.
If you feel that a principal or assistant principal has done exceptional work, we invite you to nominate them for National Distinguished Principal of the Year or Assistant Principal of the Year through this survey.
All nominations are due January 17, 2024. Please remember this is for elementary principals and assistant principals only. The following administrators are ineligible to be nominated, because they have received the award: Teresa Christensen, Nick Hansen, Joel Pullan, Ronna Hoffman, Meredith Doleac, and Beth Pollock.
Thank you for taking time to nominate exceptional elementary administrators!
Nominate on the link in the attachment.
Teacher Transfer Fair – February 12, 2024
Upcoming Events and Opportunities - LICENSED TEACHER TRANSFER FAIR
Valued Licensed Employee:
The Human Resource Department is contacting you with important information regarding upcoming events and opportunities.
TEACHER TRANSFER FAIR
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 ATTAHCED FLYER)
2024 Licensed Early Notification Deadlines
ML Identification Tip Sheets!
REMINDER: There is a 30-day window at the beginning of the school year and then the window shortens to 10 school days for your school to begin the "Task Manager" process and for the LCS & Evaluation departments to test and enter scores into Skyward.
The attached cards are for quick reference but as always please reach out to Nicole Woodburn 801-567-8124 if you have questions.
2024 License Renewal
Final Compliance Workshop – January 11, 2024
2024 Mileage Reimbursement Rate – Update January 1, 2024
The mileage reimbursement rate is based upon the IRS rate. Effective January 1, 2024, the reimbursement rate is $0.67 per mile. Please use the attached form when submitting for mileage reimbursement. All 2023 mileage reimbursement requests should be submitted as soon as possible. Click HERE to access the mileage form online.
District Enrollment as of January 2, 2024
DATE:
January 2, 2024
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services
Scott Festin, Planning Consultant, Student Services
SUBJECT:
District Enrollment as of January 2, 2024
Please see the attached memo.
2023-24 Parental Opt Outs and the WIDA Access
DATE:
Thursday, January 4, 2024
TO:
All School Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services
SUBJECT:
Navigating Parental Exclusion Requests with the WIDA Access
The annual administration of the WIDA Access is mandated by the federal government, which uses this assessment to hold schools accountable for providing an equitable education for multi-language learners. This accountability stems from the 1974 Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols where a California school district was sued because it was not providing language services to many of its ML students. This Supreme Court case essentially ensures that students’ civil right to an equitable education and the government has chosen to use the WIDA Access as a way to hold school districts accountable for doing so.
The WIDA Access is federally mandated, which means that parents cannot opt their students out of taking the test. Because of the part this assessment plays in a student’s educational rights, parents do not have the power to revoke a student’s civil right to take the WIDA Access. Thus, the state was required to remove the WIDA Access from the parental exclusion form a few years ago.
So, what happens when a parent insists that their child not take the WIDA Access? Basic procedures are outlined below:
- The school administration should discuss any or all of the attached talking points with the student’s parent.
- If the parent still insists that their child not participate in the WIDA Access, then the school should document the parent’s refusal. Schools should use their school opt out log already available to school test coordinators to note the parental exclusion.
- Schools may accept a parental exclusion in writing, but they cannot provide an opt out form to exclude students from the WIDA Access.
Please contact Ben Jameson in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions or concerns regarding these procedures.
2024 Required Fire Drill within First 10 School Days
DATE:
January 4, 2024
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
Required Fire Drill Within the First 10 School Days
All schools are required to conduct a fire drill within the first 10 days of the school year. This provides a great opportunity to review plans, emergency response/Incident Command assignments, evacuation maps, outside rally locations, communications, and related supplies.
Please take special care to orient new students and staff, individuals with special needs and younger students that may not have been exposed to fire alarms/strobes and emergency response protocols. Please be sure to clearly announce that it is a “drill”.
Please call the Jordan School District 24-hr. Alarm Response 801-567-8865 at least 30 minutes in advance of the drill, so the fire department is not dispatched.
Use the JSD Incident Command System Manual - Fire Action Plan as your drill guideline. Jordan School District Safety Manual
Report the drill and any related meetings using the JSD report form on Google Drive. Link: 2023-24 REPORT EMERGENCY — DRILLS, ACTUAL EVENTS, or MEETINGS
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Matt Alvernaz the District Safety Coordinator at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8623.