Jordan School District
All Licensed Employees
August 11th–August 18th
Remember that teachers may not take annual/personal leave days during
the six (6) days of contract time not involving students before school starts.
However, they may, through correlation with the principal, arrange to
exchange one of these days for another non-contract day.
K-5 Teachers,
We’re excited to share that our new K-5 Open Up math curriculum materials are on the way!
You will receive two shipments:
A list of the items included in the manipulative kits is attached for your reference. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm as we prepare for a great year ahead!
K-5 Teachers,
If you chose to participate in the optional 3rd Planning Day as part of our Open Up Math Training series, the form to receive your stipend must be submitted by August 22, 2025.
Please follow the directions provided in the attached Day 3 Planning Evidence Form and then upload the attached form into a Day 3 Stipend Google Form.
As you prepare for a new school year, take an hour for yourself with a free sound bath for JSD employees. Join us at West Jordan Middle School on Monday, August 18th, at 2pm to de-stress and reset with the calming vibrations of singing bowls and gongs. This meditative experience can help reduce anxiety and promote mental clarity, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready to inspire your students!
The 2025 Utah State Fair is offering free entrance to all Jordan School District employees on Friday Sept. 5. All you need to do is show your District ID badge.
The Utah State Fair is an annual event held at the Utah State Fairpark & Event Center in Salt Lake City. It features classic fair food, rides, games, live music, animals, and vendors. The fair also hosts various events like demolition derbies, rodeos, concerts, and livestock sales.
All Licensed and ESP Employees
Per District policy, annual or personal leave days may not be used during the first five days of school, unless the leave reason is listed in policy as an exception. If any of the exceptions do apply, you must provide both the leave reason and the policy exception in the time off description. If these exceptions are not applicable, your annual or personal leave day will be changed to a no-pay day as per policy.
The USBE Assessment Development Team invites Utah educators to participate in RISE item development workshops for Grades 9 and 10 in Science, Mathematics, and English Language Arts.
The development of Utah’s 9th and 10th grade assessments is a rigorous, multi-phase process that spans approximately two years, from initial item writing to operational use. This extended timeline ensures that every test item meets the highest standards of quality, fairness, and alignment to the Utah Core Standards. As part of the transition from UA+ to RISE, students will no longer take a single test based solely on grade level. Instead, assessments will be aligned to the specific course a student is enrolled in, providing a more accurate and relevant measure of their learning. With the passing of S.B. 39 in the 2025 Legislative Session, Utah state summative assessments for grades 9 and 10 will be adaptive and course-based starting in Spring of 2027. USBE has contracted with Cambium Assessment, Inc. (CAI) to develop assessment items for the courses listed here.
Why participate?
Ensure you are teaching content at a high level of rigor. Deepen your understanding of state standards. Strengthen classroom-to-assessment alignment. Support equitable and meaningful testing. Earn professional learning credit. Collaborate with peers statewide. Contribute to student-centered test design.
Participate In Test Development
Receive Email Updates And Workshop Invites For Your Content Area:
For questions or concerns, please contact Katie Bares for Secondary Math, Megan Lopez for Secondary ELA, or Samantha Tinkey for Secondary Science.
District assessment assistants will administer the Acadience Reading benchmarks for students in grades K-3 as in years past. Schools should already have their benchmark testing dates for all three windows for the 2025-26 school year.
Any school personnel that will be involved in administering the Acadience Reading benchmarks in grades 4-6 and/or progress monitoring probes in grades K-6 should be trained in test administration procedures on an annual basis. There are several training options depending on the employee’s work assignment.
Classroom Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Teachers and coaches need complete only one of the following options:
ESP Employees
ESP employees should complete one of the following options as part of their regular contract time:
Please note that ALO account access will be granted once ESP employees successfully complete one of the two training options listed above.
For questions about Acadience Reading training, please contact Janice Sperry in Assessment, Research & Accountability.
Employees may view the most up-to-date testing bulletin, complete with test administration and survey administration windows, by clicking on ‘Elementary School’ (or Middle School or High School as pertains to your assigned location) under the heading Testing Bulletins on the front page of the website for Assessment, Research & Accountability:
For questions or concerns about any of the federal, state or district assessments or surveys, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.
There are several assessment updates of which elementary, middle and high school teachers should be aware:
RISE ELA and Writing Scores, School Report Card, and TSI/ATSI/CSI Designation Delays
The RISE ELA assessment was updated to match the new ELA core recently approved by the USBE. Whenever an assessment is changed, it must go through a standard setting process. USBE is currently conducting that standard setting process, which will delay the release of RISE ELA and writing scores until sometime in September or October.
Grades 9-10 Summative Assessment
SB 39 was passed in the 2025 legislative session, which mandates the transition back to a standards assessment for grades 9-10. This means that the Utah Aspire Plus will be administered for the last time in the spring of 2026 and then will be retired.
Cambium Assessment (CAI), the current RISE grades 3-8 vendor, won the RFP for the new standards assessment for grades 9-10, which means middle and high schools will now participate in a grades 3-10 RISE summative assessment using a single testing platform. Student participation on the RISE assessment will be based on course enrollment rather than grade, similar to the way it was done when we had SAGE. Actual tested courses in 9th and 10th grades are still being determined.
Grades 9-10 RISE summative testing will begin in the spring of 2027. RISE Benchmarks and Interims for grades 9-10 will also be developed but will likely not be available during the 2026-27 school year.
Civics Exam Graduation Requirement
With the passing of HB 381, which took effect on July 1, 2025, students no longer have to take and pass a civics exam to graduate from high school. Instead, students will need to take and pass a US government and citizenship course. While the removal of the requirement to take a civics exam goes into effect beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the required government and citizenship course applies to the freshman class of 2026-27 to give USBE time to develop course standards and schools time to hire personnel. Thus, the classes of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 do not have to pass the civics exam nor take the government and citizenship class to graduate. The new government and citizenship course requirement will apply first to the class of 2030.
USBE is still working on this issue; thus, more updates will be released as they become available.
RISE ELA and Writing Benchmarks
The RISE ELA and writing benchmarks based on the new ELA core for grades 3-8 will be available beginning November 4, 2025, except for the 7th grade informational writing benchmark, which will not be available for the 2025-26 school year. The 7th grade informational writing benchmark pilot did not receive enough responses to validate its usage.
RISE math and science benchmarks are currently available.
New DLI Assessment
The state’s contract with LTI and its AAPPL assessment for DLI classes ended with the 2024-25 school year. Avant’s STAMP assessment won the new contract and will be implemented beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Assessment, Research & Accountability will release additional updates as we receive them from USBE.
Please note that AAPPL for world language testing in the spring will continue as in years past.
For questions or concerns about any of these changes, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.
Blomquist Hale has two workshops coming up in August. See attached workshop flyers and details outlined below.
To register for any of the upcoming workshops, please visit our website at https://blomquisthale.com/workshops/.
If you have any questions, please contact Jordan Insurance Services at 801-567-8146 or insurance@jordandistrict.org.
View your financial future through an informed lens. Learn more about free URS seminars and see location and registration details at www.urs.org/us/seminars.
Early to Mid-Career Seminars - In-Person
July 30 | 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Murray City Hall | 10 East 4800 South, Murray
Early to Mid-Career Seminars - Virtual
October 10 | 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Pre-Retirement Seminars - In-Person
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
May 30 | Orem City Center | 56 North State St., Orem
June 5 | Canyon View High School | 166 West 1925 North, Cedar City
June 13 | Tooele City Hall | 90 North Main St., Tooele
June 20 |West Field High School | 2007 South 4300 West, Ogden
June 25 | Granite Education Center | 2500 South State St., South Salt Lake
June 27 | Wasatch High School | 930 South 500 East, Heber City
July 11 | Cache County School District Office | 84 East 2400 North, Logan
July 18 | Davis County Admin Bldg | 61 S Main St., Farmington
July 31 | Richfield High School | 495 W Center St., Richfield
Sept. 12 | Murray City Hall | 10 East 4800 South, Murray
Retiree Seminars - In-Person
Sept. 26 | 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Granite Education Center | 2500 South State St.
Retiree Seminars - Virtual
Nov. 7 | 8:30 -11:30 a.m.
The District-wide Professional Development Day on Aug. 12, 2025 is just around the corner. If you haven't already, please choose from an available keynote speaker using the link below. All keynotes begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The topics and location information for each keynote speaker are included in the registration information. You will receive a confirmation of your keynote choice and location to remind you of your selection.
You are required to attend your 2-hour morning keynote. It is optional to attend one of two 1-hour sessions AFTER your keynote.
You are also required to attend the afternoon session at YOUR school.
We’re excited to share that our new K-5 Open Up math curriculum materials are on the way! Although shipment has been delayed, we’re working closely with the company to expedite delivery.
Materials will arrive in two shipments:
A list of the items included in the manipulative kits is attached for your reference. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm as we prepare for a great year ahead!
All K-5 teachers have the opportunity to participate in an optional 3rd Planning Day as part of our Open Up Math Training Series. This is a reminder that teachers who did not opt for substitute coverage before the end of the 2024-25 school year may choose to earn a $400 stipend for planning off-contract time during the summer (by Aug. 8).
In order to receive the stipend, please follow the directions provided in the attached Day 3 Planning Evidence Form. Teachers will then upload the attached form into a Day 3 Stipend Google Form.
Payroll Due: Aug. 4First Five Days of School:
Aug. 20 - Aug. 26 Elementary Level
Aug. 19 - Aug. 25 - Secondary Level
Aug. 19 - Aug. 25 - District Office and Auxiliary Services
As per DP335(B) and DP335 NEG: Annual/Personal leave shall not be taken during the first five days that students are in school unless listed as an exception in policy.
If applicable, the reason & the policy exception must be written in the time off description box.
Labor Day - September 1
Critical Days: Aug. 29 & Sept. 2
Please familiarize yourself with the Critical Day Policy - this applies to both Licensed & ESP. Critical Days for 25-26: Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day & ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day
Welcome New Hires!
True Time Deadlines:
Pay Period July 7, 2025 - Aug. 3, 2025
EMPLOYEES: Please submit your timesheets at the end of each work week APPROVERS: Please ensure you are approving time sheets weekly for accuracy.
For information regarding legal liability protection for school district employees, please review the following:
Legal Liability Protection for Public School Employees
You and your public school have broad liability coverage through the Utah Division of Risk Management
As a public school employee, what insurance do I have?
Below is information to help you better understand the insurance coverage provided by the Utah Division of Risk Management. This does not contain all of the terms and conditions for coverage. For more information, visit our website at https://risk.utah.gov/ or contact us at (801) 957-7170. We’re happy to assist!
What is covered by Risk Management liability insurance?
Risk Management liability insurance covers any lawsuits that arise out of the performance of your duties as a public school employee. If you are sued, Risk Management will provide you with an attorney from the Utah Attorney General’s Office and will pay for any defense costs and judgements. (This is separate from Worker’s Compensation insurance that is provided by your employer.)
What is NOT covered by Risk Management liability insurance?
This insurance DOES NOT cover any acts or omissions that involve fraud, willful misconduct, impairment due to your use of alcohol or drugs, false testimony under oath, or breach of a non-disclosure agreement.
Does Risk Management cover criminal or professional liability defense?
No. Risk Management DOES NOT cover criminal defense or professional liability matters, such as those before the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
However, as a public-school employee, you may have the right to recover reasonable attorneys fees and costs from your employer if your criminal case is dismissed or you are acquitted and the charges are related to acts or omissions occurring during the performance of your duties as a public school employee. (See Utah Code 52-6.)
What should I do if I am sued?
Where can I get more information?
For additional information about your rights, please see the following:
*The information provided here is a general description and comparison of coverages. For a detailed explanation of coverages, you may refer to the statutes cited above.
Great News, Jordan School District Educators! Jordan Education Foundation's Classroom Grant program has opened early.
We're looking to support projects focused on supplies and equipment that directly benefit your classroom. Please do not submit grants that include food or snack items.
The application window closes Oct. 15, (or earlier if the budget is depleted) so don't delay!
Additional information is available on our website: jordaneducationfoundation.org/classroom-grants
The Blomquist Hale Newsletter for the quarter has arrived. In this issue, you will find articles on:
Coping with Grief and Loss - Whatever loss you’ve suffered, there’s no right or wrong way to grieve. But by understanding the types and stages of grief, you can find healthier ways to cope. Even subtle losses in life can trigger a sense of grief. For example, you might grieve after moving away from home, graduating from college, or changing jobs.
5 Stages of Grief - If you are experiencing any of these emotions following a loss, it may help to know that your reaction is natural and that you’ll heal in time. However, not everyone who grieves goes through all of these stages—and that’s okay. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to go through each stage in order to heal.
Finding Support for Grief and Loss - The pain of grief can often cause you to want to withdraw from others and retreat into your shell. But having the face-to-face support of other people is vital to healing from loss. Even if you’re not comfortable talking about your feelings under normal circumstances, it’s important to express them when you’re grieving.
If you have any questions, please contact Jordan Insurance Services at 801-567-8146 or insurance@jordandistrict.org.
The Utah Archers Lacrosse Club is one of the original six Premier Lacrosse League teams. The Archers are offering discounted tickets for employees students and families to Premier Lacrosse League games at Zions Bank Stadium on July 25 and 26.
Jordan District students, employees, and families can receive discounted tickets using the link below, or by using the discount code 25PLL12 on Ticketmaster.