Category: Information Items

In preparation for new high school summative assessments as early as Spring 2027, USBE and Cambium Assessment, Inc. (CAI) will be hosting RISE Item Writing Workshops this fall to develop new items for Secondary Math 1, 2, and 3, as well as Earth Science, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.

More information about the workshops is below. Please review and if you are interested in participating in a workshop, please complete the interest survey by the indicated deadline. Please note that filling out and submitting the survey shares your interest but does not guarantee your participation in the workshop.

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RISE HS Math Item Writing Workshops
Oct. 21-22, 2025: Secondary Math 1 and 2
Nov. 18-19, 2025: Secondary Math 3

• Math Educator Interest Survey

Survey closes at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, August 27. Please reach out to Katie Bares katie.bares@schools.utah.gov for more detailed information, including stipend and reimbursement rates.

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RISE HS Science Item Writing Workshops
Oct. 20-22, 2025: Earth Science and Physics
Nov. 18-20, 2025: Biology and Chemistry

• Interest Survey for Earth Science & Physics - Survey closes on Wednesday, August 27
• Interest Survey for Biology & Chemistry - Survey closes on Thursday, September 4

Please reach out to Sam Tinkey samantha.tinkey@schools.utah.gov for more detailed information, including stipend and reimbursement rates.

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Workshop Information (Math and Science Item Writing)
Location: TBD Salt Lake City Area
Description: Participants write drafts for items that will be administered in future RISE assessments for Secondary Mathematics. The training at the beginning of the item writing workshop covers all necessary aspects of item writing such as:

• Alignment to the Utah Core Standards
• Grade appropriateness
• DOK/cognitive complexity of the item as compared with the complexity of the standard
• Content accuracy
• Interaction type and appropriateness (e.g., how the student responds)
• Potential bias or sensitivity issues

CAI content specialists facilitate these reviews and include USBE content specialists in all meetings.

Meeting Information: The session location is TBD but will most likely be held in the Salt Lake City Area. Breakfast is served at 8:00 AM and the session begins at 8:30 AM. We will work until approximately 4:00 PM. Each day, breakfast, lunch, snack, and refreshments are provided. Participants traveling at least 50 miles one way (100 miles round trip) qualify for lodging starting the evening before the meeting with checkout on the last day of meetings.

To receive information about future assessment development opportunities, please subscribe to the following listservs in your content area(s).

• Math Assessment Listserv
• Science Assessment Listserv
• ELA Assessment Listserv

For questions about these item writing workshops, please contact Ben Jameson (ben.jameson@jordandistrict.org) in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

If you recently made the move to Lively from another HSA provider, Lively makes it very easy for you to transfer the funds from your old provider if you are interested.  Transfers at Lively are a paperless process.  To get started, you can review this guide that outlines their transfer options, and you can also follow step-by-step instructions here.

If you need assistance, please contact Lively customer support / support@livelyme.com / 888-576-4837.  You can also contact Insurance Services / insurance@jordandistrict.org / 801-567-8146

• Payroll Due: Sept. 3
• View Your Paycheck: Sept. 23
• Payday: Sept. 25

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Labor Day - Sept.1
Critical Days - Aug. 29 & Sept. 2
Please familiarize yourself with the Critical Day Policy - this applies to all Licensed & ESP. If applicable, the reason & the policy exception must be written in the time off description box.

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Parent Teacher Conferences
Middle & High School - Sept.24 & Sept. 25
As per DP335(B) and DP335 NEG: Annual/Personal leave shall not be used during Parent Teacher Conferences.

If Parent Teacher Conference is missed, a leave day (sick or No Pay) should be entered on the Comp Day September 26, 2025

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Professional Development Day
Elementary Schools - Sept. 26 (no students)

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Sub Payroll Deadlines

• Pay Period: Aug. 19 - Aug. 29
  Due: Aug. 29
  Payday: Sept. 10
• Pay Period: Sept. 2 - Sept. 15
  Due: Sept. 15
  Payday: Sept. 25

SCHOOLS: Please ensure Subs are verified weekly.

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True Time Deadlines
Pay Period Aug. 4 - Aug. 31
EMPLOYEES: Please submit your timesheets at the end of each work week
APPROVERS: Please ensure you are approving time sheets weekly for accuracy

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• Payroll website: payroll.jordandistrict.org email: payroll@jordandistrict.org
• Important Payroll Information - Sept. 2025

Good news! Smith's pharmacy has once again contracted with Express Scripts (ESI) for our prescription drug plan. Please remember you can visit ESI's website or GoodRx and compare costs at a variety of local pharmacies.

If you have any questions, please visit Insurance Services website or contact them directly insurance@jordandistrict.org / 801- 567-8146.

Amira will be rostered and ready for teachers and students to use on Aug. 27. Once the rostering is complete, teachers and students can log in through the HMH link found in the waffle. It is recommended that students take the placement test when they first log to be placed in the correct reading lexile. The program will adjust and find the right lexile for the students without the placement test, but it will take five or six reading sessions for the program to fully adjust without the placement test.

Students do not need headphones or microphones to be able to use Amira, but the use of headphones may help with classroom noise. It is important that students spend adequate time reading text aloud and Amira will be a great tool to help build oral reading fluency.

It is recommended that students spend at least 30 minutes per week reading aloud with Amira in addition to other oral reading fluency activities provided in the classroom.

If you are enrolled in Jordan School District's medical plan, please check your mail for a letter from PEHP.  They will start to mail these out today, Thursday, Aug. 21. This letter will include your new ID number which will start with the letter "M".  This is not your card, just the letter that provides your new member ID number.  Our members should start receiving their cards late next week.

Attached are the instructions that will walk you through how to create your new online account with PEHP.  Starting September 1st, you can use your new member ID number to create an account in the new PEHP portal.  Once you have your account set up, you will have the ability to print your ID card should you not receive it prior to September 1, 2025.  Due to PEHP transitioning all members to their new system, there may be challenges.

If you need assistance or have questions, please contact Insurance Services at insurance@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8146.

• Aug. 2025 PEHP Letter & ID Cards Flyer

K-5 Teachers,

We hope your first week with students is energizing! As you continue settling in, we want to remind you about the math resources available to support this year’s curriculum rollout. Please review the attached document for an overview of all the available resources.

Wishing you an exciting and successful school year!

• Math Resources Flyer

The meeting that could transform your teaching career (and your paycheck)!
Ready to elevate your teaching practice? Join us for a brief informational session about National Board Certification

• The Benefits:
  • JSD annual stipend: $2,400
  • USBE annual stipend: $1,000 for classroom teachers or $2,000 for Title 1 teachers
  • USBE covers first time component fees
  • JSD Supportive Cohorts and Mentors
• Meeting Details:
  • Date: Sept. 15, 2025
  • Time: 4 - 5 p.m.
  • Where: Zoom
  • Registration Deadline: Sept.12, 2025

Learn how to make National Board Certification your journey to teaching excellence.

• NBCT Information Meeting Registration

Questions? Contact Amy Wood, NBCT amy.wood@jordandistrict.org | 801-567-8136

Ready for a revolutionary reading adventure? Join our America 250 Book Club to celebrate 250 years of independence—where books, fun, and history collide!

• 📚 Explore page-turners: nonfiction, historical fiction, and picture books from many voices
• 🎓 Score 3 USBE credits (for relicensure or a salary bump!)
• 🤝 Swap ideas with fellow history-loving teachers
• 🍎 Open to all grade levels

Don’t throw away your shot—sign up and join the celebration!

👉 Join the Revolution!

The first submission deadline for this year’s Secondary Literature Selection meetings is September 3, 2025. Any full length novel that a teacher would like to use in the classroom must be on the district’s approved list. Teachers may send submissions to the attention of Brandee Bergum in Teaching and Learning. Submission directions and forms can be found here: Secondary Literature Selection Process Our secondary approved lists can be found here: JSD Approved Literature Lists

Literacy Selection Dates 2025-26

Book Submission Deadline	Middle School Meetings	High School Meetings
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025	Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025	Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025	Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026	Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026	Tuesday, March 3, 2026	Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Wednesday, March 4, 2026	Tuesday, April 28, 2026	Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Teaching & Learning is offering a Scrible Training Opportunity for ELA Teachers on Oct. 3 from 1 - 3 p.m. in Zoom.  To register, please use the link Below

What is Scrible? - Scrible provides a one-stop-shop workspace for students to curate, annotate, cite, and write. A robust data dashboard gives educators real-time classroom and student-level progress tracking analytics for assignments, enabling timely feedback and personalized instruction.

Managing AI - Scrible enables for writing what’s done in math: show your work. Supports best practice by shifting assessment from the end product to the process, making it easier for students to be ethical.

Mitigates AI risk so you can focus on AI’s benefits.

Teachers can quick start with single sign-on and class roster sync. Create powerful research, writing, and close reading assignments and track student progress in real time.

Students can annotate PDFs and online articles, save and organize libraries of articles, add annotated evidence to papers and easily create outlines and bibliographies.

• Scrible 101: A Beginners Guide - If you have never used Scrible or are just getting started, come learn how to use this powerful platform to streamline research and celebrate writing in your class. We will get you set up, walk you through how to annotate articles online and create an assignment. We will also review how you can use Scrible to battle AI plagiarism and scaffold the writing process for students. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to begin using Scrible effectively with your students.
• Scrible 102: Advanced Features - Scrible, an award winning resource, is chock full of features that can help students and teachers scaffold the research and writing process. Learn how to use some of Scrible’s advanced features to strengthen students’ media literacy and elevate their writing skills. We will review how to track student progress, provide timely and specific feedback, and effectively use the Scrible Writer doc add-on. By the end of this session, you will be able to deepen your usage of Scrible and introduce your students to new features.

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• Scrible PF Registration Form
• Aug. 2025 Scrible PD Opportunity Flyer

Are you interested in or currently pursuing a STEM endorsement? Let USBE PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE CLASSES! This is called the STEM Endorsement Incentive Program (EIP). See our EIP website for a full list of endorsements.

Reimbursement applications for courses completed through June 30, 2025 need to be completed. The FINAL round of reimbursements applications for the 2024-25 fiscal year are due August 31st for teachers who completed STEM courses through Summer 2025.

See the attached flyer and link to our EIP website for more information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your content consultant. We would love to talk to you!

• STEM EIP Flyer

The JSD Teachers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Team has created a monthly newsletter.  The full newsletter for this month can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Reverberation - Reverberation is the way sound bounces in an environment. It makes hearing difficult because it smears speech. The chart gives a visual representation of what hearing sound is like with increased reverberation.

Improving Acoustics - Use FM/audio devices. Close windows/doors. Use sound absorbing items like bookshelves, corkboards, drapes, carpet. Put rubber or tennis balls on chair legs. Good lighting also helps.

Closed Captioning - Just a friendly reminder to make sure all videos are accessible by turning on closed captioning or subtitles.

• Aug. 2025 Incidental Learning Newsletter

Did you attend a Bees game last week, but didn't get a shirt?
If you attended but did not get a shirt, please login to your District account and use the form below to request one. Let us know your name, school or department, and shirt size and we will send you one via District mail while limited supplies last.

• UPDATE: Shirt requests are now closed.

Pennants Available
If you didn't get a pennant, there are a few extras at the District Office. You can pick one up at the reception desk anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. while limited supplies last.

As we move into the school year, we want to remind schools that the District has a Kindergarten goal to have all students know all of their letter names and sounds by the end of the first quarter. We are asking teachers to input their data into Mastery Connect as a benchmark by Nov. 7.

Meeting this goal will set students up for being able to meet the end of year goal of 20 Whole Words Read in Acadience Reading. Whole Words Read is an indication that students can blend closed syllable words proficiently. Acadience Reading is an indicator of risk and research shows that when students end the year as highly proficient (blue) they have a 90-99% chance of achieving subsequent early literacy benchmarks. If students end the year at benchmark (green) they have a 70-85% chance of meeting subsequent early literacy benchmarks.

Clarification of Leave Time
Contract employees receive leave benefits such as annual, sick, and bereavement, in correlation with their FTE. For example: Employees working 8-hour days would be allocated 12 annual leave days worth 8 hours each. They would record 1 leave day for each day off. Employees working 7-hour days would be allocated 12 annual leave days worth 7 hours each. They would record 1 leave day for each day off. Part-time teachers working full days with a .50 FTE (example: working 8 hour days 2 times a week and a 4 hour day, total equaling 20 hours/week), would be allocated 12 annual leave days worth 4 hours each. Therefore, if they missed their full 8 hour day, they would record 2 annual leave days.

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Employee FTE Change (ex. Full to Part Time)
In the event an employee changes their contract from a full workday to a half workday, or a half workday to a full workday, the number of annual leave days the employee has accumulated will transfer to the FTE of the new contract. For example, if a .50 FTE half-time employee had accumulated 15 half leave days and transfers to a 1.0 FTE full-time position, they would have 15 full annual leave days as a full-time employee. If a full-time employee had accumulated 15 full annual days on a full-time contract and changes to a half-time contract, they would have 15 half leave days accumulated as a half-time employee. A workday is defined by the employee’s contractual agreement.

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• Leave Time Clarification Flyer

This is a reminder that contracted employees should enter their own time off using Skyward's Employee Access whenever possible.

Here are instructions and guidelines.

1. Log in to Skyward – Employee Access. Select Time Off, then My Requests:
   
2. Select Add on the right hand side:
   
3. Choose the appropriate time off code. Sick leave can only be used for the employees own health needs. Annual leave should be selected for all other types of leave: family sick, personal day, etc. Choose the appropriate reason & enter a description of your reason for time off. If you are taking several days off you should choose date range, then enter the dates you will be using leave for. Click Save:
   
4. If you are taking a partial day, or just one day off, you should choose single day and enter the correct date and decimal for the day (see 8-hour time conversion chart). Below is a partial day off request example:
   
   EXAMPLE: If you are a full time 8 hour employee, each leave day is worth 8 hours. If you are a 7 hour employee, each leave day is worth 7 hours. If you are a 4 hour employee, each leave day is worth 4 hours. Please use the Time Off Equivalent Form & Examples located on the Payroll Website to determine the correct number of days to enter in Skyward.

Time Conversion Chart for 8-Hour Employees
Conversion from days to hours: # days multiplied by 8 hours = x hours

Hours/ Min	Entry
15 Minutes	0.0313
30 Minutes	0.0625
45 Minutes	0.0938
1 Hour	0.1250
1 Hour 15 Min	0.1563
1 Hour 30 Min	0.1875
1 Hour 45 Min	0.2188
2 Hours	0.2500
2 Hours 15 Min	0.2813
2 Hours 30 Min	0.3125
2 Hours 45 Min	0.3438
3 Hours	0.3750
3 Hours 15 Min	0.4063
3 Hours 30 Min	0.4375
3 Hours 45 Min	0.4688
4 Hours	0.5000
4 Hours 15 Min	0.5313
4 Hours 30 Min	0.5625
4 Hours 45 Min	0.5938
5 Hours	0.6250
5 Hours 15 Min	0.6563
5 Hours 30 Min	0.6875
5 Hours 45 Min	0.7188
6 Hours Min	0.7500
6 Hours 15 Min	0.7813
6 Hours 30 Min	0.8125
6 Hours 45 Min	0.8438
7 Hours Min	0.8750
7 Hours 15 Min	0.9063
7 Hours 30 Min	0.9375
7 Hours 45 Min	0.9688
8 Hours	1.0000

The Literacy Matters Newsletter has the latest literary updates. Be sure to read this edition to stay connected with literacy. This newsletter includes:

• 2025-26 Pacing guides have been created for Wit & Wisdom instruction in grades K-6 - These can also be found at elemliteracy.jordandistrict.org on the Standards/Pacing pages for each grade-level.
• ELA Training Dates - Sign up on pd.jordandistrict.org
• Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum K-6 & K-3 goals - This document includes the literacy focus and goals for K-2 and 3rd grade as well as recommended instructional minutes for all grade levels, including DLI.

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• Aug. 2025 Literacy Matters Newsletter

All Licensed Employees
Aug.11 – Aug. 18

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.