Skip to content

Author: Leeson Taylor

Published on

Dear Team,

We hope this message finds you in good spirits! We wanted to take a moment to share some important updates regarding the upcoming organizational changes within our district.

Effective 3/5/2025, the School Leadership & Performance Department and the Educational Equity & Student Services Department will officially merge to form the new School Leadership & Support Division. This strategic integration is aimed at strengthening our collective efforts to support schools more holistically, with a unified focus on leadership, performance, and equity.

By combining our strengths and expertise, we will be better equipped to:

  1. Provide seamless and consistent support to schools, students, and families.
  2. Prioritize equity and inclusivity in leadership decisions and student services.
  3. Ensure that all students receive the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
  4. Streamline our processes for greater efficiency and effectiveness across the board.

We understand that change can present both opportunities and challenges, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition. In the coming weeks, you will receive more detailed information about structural changes, team roles, and next steps as we move forward. Our leadership team will also be available to address any questions or concerns you may have.

We are confident that this merger will enhance our ability to provide meaningful support to schools and students throughout the district. Your continued dedication and hard work are essential to this success, and we look forward to the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.

While this may not directly affect most of you, we wanted to keep you informed about this organizational change. Additionally, I’ve provided a summary of the changes from the district reorganization, which may be helpful should you need any assistance.  Please note the following:

  1. The School Leadership & Performance Department, Evaluation & Assessment and the Educational Equity and Student Services Department will merge to form the new School Leadership & Support Division.
    1. The Student Services Director, Educational Equity & Access Director, SEL & Prevention Director (formerly titled Director of SEL and MTSS), and the Evaluation & Assessment Supervisor will now report to the Executive Director of School Leadership & Support (formerly titled Executive Director of School Leadership & Performance).

Thank you for your continued dedication to the success of our students and to the important work we do together. I look forward to our upcoming discussions and the exciting opportunities ahead for our new division.

Published on

Ramadan is a special time of spiritual reflection, fasting from dawn to sunset, and increased devotion for Muslims. As a school community, it’s important to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for Muslim staff and students during this period. Here are some helpful guidelines to ensure everyone feels supported:

  1. Understand Ramadan and Its Practices
    • Fasting: Muslims refrain from eating, drinking (including water), and sometimes taking medications from dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib). The fast is typically broken with a meal called Iftar.
    • Prayer: In addition to the five daily prayers, many Muslims also participate in extra prayers called Taraweeh during the evening. This may lead to less sleep, so it’s important to be mindful of its potential impact on energy levels.
    • Eid al-Fitr: Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, marked by prayers, family gatherings, and festivities. Muslim staff and students may request time off for this important holiday.
  2. Foster a Flexible and Understanding Environment
    • Prayer Accommodations: Provide a quiet and private space for Muslim staff and students to pray during the day. Keep in mind that prayer times vary slightly based on the position of the sun.
    • Flexible Scheduling: Consider offering flexible schedules for fasting staff and students. Whenever possible, avoid scheduling exams, presentations, or physically demanding activities late in the day when energy levels may be lower.
    • Classroom Sensitivity: When planning classroom activities, such as parties or food-related events, be mindful of students who are fasting and create an environment where they feel comfortable.
  3. Offer Alternatives for Physical Activities
    • PE Classes: For students who are fasting and may feel tired, allow them to opt-out of physically strenuous activities or participate in modified exercises.
    • Recess: Younger students who are fasting may prefer to engage in quieter activities during recess. Offer an indoor space where they can rest if needed.
  4. Consider Lunch and Eating Spaces
    • Respectful Lunchtime Environment: For students who are fasting, offer a quiet space, such as a library or designated room, where they can spend lunchtime if they prefer to avoid the cafeteria.
    • Staff Breaks: For fasting staff members, ensure they have access to private spaces where they can rest or pray during lunch breaks.
  5. Promote Inclusivity and Awareness
    • Community Education: Consider offering brief educational sessions or sharing resources about Ramadan to foster understanding and empathy within the school community.
    • Avoid Assumptions: Not all Muslims observe Ramadan in the same way. Some may not fast due to medical reasons or personal circumstances. Always respect individual choices and allow staff and students to participate as they see fit.
  6. Accommodate for Eid al-Fitr
    • Time Off for Eid: Make sure Muslim staff and students can take time off to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Encourage them to communicate their needs in advance to plan accordingly.
    • Schoolwide Acknowledgement: Consider recognizing Eid al-Fitr through announcements or newsletters, promoting inclusivity and respect for religious diversity within the school.
  7. Communicate and Offer Support
    • Open Dialogue: Encourage Muslim staff and students to share any specific needs or accommodations they may require during Ramadan. Ensure that everyone feels comfortable discussing their needs with teachers and administrators.
    • Supportive Tone: Lead with a positive and welcoming tone, making it clear that the school is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all religious observances.

By following these steps, the school can create a respectful, supportive, and inclusive atmosphere during Ramadan, showing genuine care for religious diversity and the well-being of all members of the school community.

Published on

Happy March!  We hope this month finds you well.  Below you will find some helpful attendance information and resources.  

Utah Attendance Success Stories/Celebrations 

This month we want to highlight LEAs and schools who are working hard to promote positive attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism.  

We want to highlight Murray School District for all of the hard work they are putting into improving attendance across the district. This month, they’re launching an exciting March Madness: Attendance initiative. Schools within the district are participating in a friendly competition using a bracket system, but rather than competing directly against each other’s average daily attendance (ADA), each school is challenging its own ADA data from last year. The competition is based on the percentage change in attendance, with schools comparing their improvement to others in the district. Here is a video that they had students make to help with the initiative.  Murray School District is also implementing other innovative strategies at every level to increase attendance awareness and remove barriers for students.  Way to go Murray! 

We want to highlight Copperview Elementary School in the Canyons School District.  They introduced Attendance Mentors during Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Staff members were assigned to families of students identified as “at risk” due to attendance concerns and academic struggles. These mentors met with families before or after their conferences to develop Attendance Problem Solving Plans, setting attendance and academic goals. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in five weeks to assess progress, with incentives provided for students and families who meet their goals.  Thanks for such a great example for other schools to follow! 

Attendance Webinar

Our next Attendance Webinar Series #2 will be March 11, 2025 at 10:30am.  We are looking forward to hearing from Ogden School District who is highly engaged in attendance work.  We will also be talking about attendance messaging and attendance calendaring.  Here is a flyer with more information. Please forward this information to other contacts.    

Cohorts 

We are looking forward to starting our Engagement and Attendance Cohorts for the 2025-2026 school year.  Engagement and Attendance Cohorts are year long, collaborative learning opportunities for LEAs, charters, and/or individual schools.  Starting in May, this cohort will take part in 6 trainings led by USBE attendance specialists.  These trainings will also be collaborative sessions to help develop, build, and implement an attendance system that works for your specific LEA/charter/school.  Please contact one of the attendance specialists if your team would like to join this opportunity. 

Helpful Articles/Podcasts

How a South Central Los Angeles Elementary School Built a Culture of ‘Family’

Spring Attendance Slump Resources 

Attendance Works 

Upcoming Dates/Information 

*January-March 2025- The Utah Legislative Session has been going the last few weeks and will finish this Friday, March 7th.  

*March 11th at 10:30am- Attendance Webinar Series #2 

We appreciate all you do. Please let us know how we can best support you and your schools. 

USBE Attendance Specialists 

https://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/absenteeismtruancyprevention

Megan Menlove

Attendance Support Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov

Published on

Dear Team, 

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to highlight our district’s strong commitment to afterschool programming, which is pivotal in supporting the academic, social, and emotional development of our students. 

Afterschool programs offer students the chance to explore interests outside the classroom, engage in enrichment activities, and receive academic support in a safe, structured environment. These programs are vital in creating a sense of belonging, improving academic outcomes, and developing life skills that benefit students well beyond the school day. 

In our district, school administrators play a key role in supervising afterschool programs. Their involvement helps create a secure and nurturing environment for students, strengthening their connections with staff outside of regular school hours. This approach elevates the quality of our afterschool programs and promotes stronger collaboration between classroom learning and extended opportunities for growth. 

At the Salt Lake City School District, we are fully committed to ensuring our afterschool programs: 

  • Remain accessible to all students, regardless of background or circumstances. 
  • Have ample space across all sites. 
  • Offer a variety of activities that meet the diverse interests and needs of our students. 
  • Provide academic support and enrichment that aligns with our instructional goals. 
  • Inspire student engagement, creativity, and personal growth. 

We encourage all staff to actively support and promote these programs, whether through direct involvement, communicating with families, or helping students access these valuable opportunities. Your contributions are critical in ensuring the ongoing success and positive impact of afterschool programming throughout our district. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions on how we can further enhance our afterschool initiatives. 

Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and for helping ensure the success of the Salt Lake City School District. 

Published on

Happy February!  We hope the start of 2025 is going well so far for all of you.  Thank you for working with us to help promote positive attendance and improve chronic absenteeism throughout Utah.  Here are some important attendance items for this month we hope you will read and also share with other attendance contacts in your LEA. 

USBE Attendance Support Specialists 

This month we wanted to highlight the Attendance Support Specialists available at USBE.  We have two attendance support specialists and we are here to support LEAs across the state with anything attendance related. 

Garrett Russell- Garrett came to USBE after previously working as the district Attendance Specialist with Ogden School District.  Before that Garrett worked at Greenwood Charter School and Voyage Academy as well as in Oregon and Colorado.  He is passionate about improving attendance in Utah as well as overseeing Utah’s Prevention Check and Connect program.  His email is garrett.russell@schools.utah.gov. 

Megan Menlove- Megan comes to USBE from Alpine School District where she spent the last 13 years as a school administrator at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels.  Prior to administration she was an elementary school teacher.  She has only been with USBE since August, but is excited to support LEAs with attendance. You can reach her by email at megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov.  

Attendance Incentive Ideas 

It is important to spend time focusing on the positive things that are happening within your LEA with attendance.  Here are just a few ideas of ways you can focus on the positive and create incentives that work for your specific LEA. 

March Madness: Attendance Edition

Monthly Improved Attendance Parties 

Attendance Recognition in Assemblies 

Individual Student Recognition 

Class Attendance Incentives 

Letters/Emails/Phone Calls Home to Parents with Improved/Excellent Attendance Focus 

Attendance Works Incentive Tips from Attendance Works 

Attendance Webinar

We appreciate all of your support and engagement with our first attendance webinar of the series for 2025.  If you were not able to attend but wish to go back and watch, here is the link to our USBE Attendance YouTube Channel.  We will be posting our webinar series and other content here.  Our next webinar will be March 11, 2025 at 10:30am.  More information will be coming! 

Request for Feedback- Statewide Attendance Campaign

We are looking for some input as we are preparing to launch a Statewide Attendance Campaign for the 2025-2026 school year.  Please fill out this google form to give your input on the slogan and to join the planning committee.  We are excited to see what we can come up with together!

Cohorts 

We are looking forward to starting our Engagement and Attendance Cohorts for the 2025-2026 school year.  Engagement and Attendance Cohorts are year long, collaborative learning opportunities for LEAs, charters, and/or individual schools.  Starting in May, this cohort will take part in 6 trainings led by USBE attendance specialists.  These trainings will also be collaborative sessions to help develop, build, and implement an attendance system that works for your specific LEA/charter/school.  Please contact one of the attendance specialists if your team would like to join this opportunity. 

Helpful Articles/Podcasts

What Makes an Attendance Incentive Program Successful? 

Attendance Works 

Continued High Levels of Chronic Absence, With Some Improvements, Require Action 

Attendance Works 

Upcoming Dates/Information 

*January-March 2025- The Utah Legislative Session has started and will run through March 21st.  Watch for updates on legislation surrounding education. 

*March 11th at 10:30am- Attendance Webinar Series #2 

We appreciate all you do. Please let us know how we can best support you and your schools. 

USBE Attendance Specialists 

https://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/absenteeismtruancyprevention

Megan Menlove

Attendance Support Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov

Published on

Dear Principals,

We have enjoyed observing the progress you are making in your schools around PLCs. Many of you are establishing mission and vision statements, focusing on priority standards, or developing PLC leadership teams. We feel the conversations around the Learning by Doing readings have been productive and informative, and we have seen regular referrals to our district's tight PLC expectations.

As we are midway through the school year, our area director PLC would like to examine, calibrate, and discuss evidence of PLC implementation at all of our schools. Here is the assignment:

We've created a PLC Implementation folder embedded in your SIP folder (to reduce the number of folders). The link is below. Please upload the following artifacts to this folder:

  • One artifact from a PLC that is high functioning (you determine what high functioning means).
  • One artifact from a PLC that is on track at a basic but sufficient level (per our district's PLC phase timeline).
  • One artifact from a PLC that is struggling with an explanation (comment on doc or even separate Word doc) of how you are supporting this group and/or holding them accountable.

Artifacts may include agendas, minutes, placemats, common formative assessments, etc. 
 
Please upload all three documents to your PLC Implementation folder by 5pm on February 12, 2025. Thank you! We look forward to seeing samples of your teachers' work.

Please put PLC artifacts in the "PLC Implementation" folder:

School Folder to submit PLC Implementation artifacts

Published on

As part of our ongoing dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and school communities, we are reaching out to gauge interest from teachers and administrators in serving as School Guardians. This role directly supports the implementation of the HB 84 Utah School Safety Act, a key initiative aimed at enhancing safety protocols across our schools.

We are seeking committed volunteers to join this important effort. Your involvement would play a crucial role in fostering a secure and supportive environment for all. If you are interested in volunteering, we kindly ask you to complete the survey linked below.

Safety Survey Link

https://forms.office.com/r/QSRakuEzbx

Thank you for your continued dedication to the safety and success of our students.

Published on

Welcome back to school and to a fresh new year in 2025.  We hope you all enjoyed your winter break and are looking forward to the second half of the school year.  We are excited to share with you this month’s attendance focused email to LEAs across Utah to hopefully increase awareness of the resources available to LEAs from the Utah State Board of Education and also to share helpful information for you to distribute to other attendance leads in your LEA. 

Celebration/Success Stories Ideas 

It is essential in our attendance work that we focus on the positive and celebrate successes we are having at the LEA level and at the school level.  Here are some ideas from LEAs in our state who are focusing on attendance. 

One of the action steps Ogden School District is focusing on is using data to identify groups of students who they are able to impact related to attendance. Specific schools are piloting a "Moveable Middle" meeting where collaborative teams meet to review attendance data every 4-6 weeks. Parents/guardians are sent specific messaging based on data criteria sharing the impact of attendance and progress being made with the student's specific rate of attendance. At one of their schools, the team has identified a 10% improvement in the target students based on mid-term and term attendance rates. This is not only with the group identified in the "Moveable Middle" meetings but also in other subgroups. As a district, they will continue to refine their data analysis process to move to a district-wide implementation.  Way to be an example of using data to drive attendance decisions! 

Early Light Academy has created a focus on attendance messaging in their schoolwide monthly newsletter.  They are holding attendance meetings with chronically absent students, families, and staff.  As well as focusing on Tier 1 incentives for students and classes with greater than 95% attendance.  We are grateful for their example of focusing on the positive and making sure to be consistent with attendance messaging! 

Attendance Webinar

We hope you will join us on January 14, 2025 at 10:30am for our first attendance webinar for 2025.  We are looking forward to sharing with you what resources USBE has to offer in regard to attendance.  We will also hear from Murray School District who has worked really hard to improve attendance across their LEA and has shown a lot of progress. They will give a lot of practical information for all schools.  We hope you will let all of your schools know about this opportunity to learn more about attendance in Utah!  The flier can be found here if you would like more information. 

Winter Messaging Ideas

Here are some helpful resources from Attendance Works on sending out messages during the winter months.

A Winter Messaging Toolkit: Stay the Course

Parent Engagement Ideas 

Here are some ideas on how you can engage with families to have discussions around attendance: home visits, special events, in-person family conferences, virtual family conferences, regular phone calls home, robocalls, automated text messages, manual text messages, letters home, attendance focused family night, digital newsletters, emails, engagement during pick-up and drop-off, dedicated communication app, etc. 

Helpful Articles/Podcasts

Schools and Families: Unite to Get Students Back into the Attendance Habit 

10 Facts about Attendance

Request for Information 

Murray School District has been analyzing their attendance data and the correlation between attendance and transportation.  They are wondering if any other LEA in Utah has noticed any of the following: 

*Gaps in busing distance dependent on measuring point (example: 1.9 miles to the school from the leasing office, but the student actually lives farther away) 

*Unsafe busing routes due to crime/unsafe neighborhoods

*Other busing/transportation barriers and gaps

If you have any questions or information you would like to share with Murray, please reach out to Brittany Roller at broller@murrayschools.org

Upcoming Dates/Information 

January-March 2025- The Utah Legislative Session will start on January 21st and run through March 21st.  Watch for updates on legislation surrounding education. 

February 4 & 12 2025- Engagement and Attendance Cohorts Collaboration Meetings 

*If your LEA is interested in joining an attendance cohort starting next school year, please contact us and we can give you more information.

We appreciate all you do. Please let us know how we can best support you and your schools. 

USBE Attendance Specialists 

https://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/absenteeismtruancyprevention

Megan Menlove

Attendance Support Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

megan.menlove@schools.utah.gov

Published on

We want to ensure that you are aware of the expectations for the chilly time of the school year.   Please reach out to your community and communicate to parents that students should be dressed and prepared for the cold weather with the following items: warm coats, sweaters/ hoodies, boots, hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, etc. Please ensure that these items are marked in case they are misplaced or lost. Students should come prepared to go outside, get some fresh air, and exercise outdoors daily.  The exceptions to going out daily are listed below:

Morning:

  • Inside morning in the gym, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall. (IF students will be getting wet outside.)
  • Inside morning in the gym, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees.
  • Students sitting on their pockets, not running around, playing sports, etc.
  • Inside mornings are from (List the time for your school)________ to ensure our outside-duty teachers are in the gym to help supervise.

Recess:

  • Teacher/Grade Level Discretion
  • Inside recess IF the temperature is below 20 degrees. Recess time is held inside the classroom.

Lunch Recess:

  • Admin/Office Discretion
  • Inside lunch recess, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall (If students will be getting wet outside), recess time is held inside the classroom.
  • Inside lunch recess, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees, recess time is held inside the classroom.

Please reach out if you have any questions or need further information.  Thank you for all that you do for the children of our district.

Published on

Good morning, School Improvement Leaders or Designees,

This email is only going out to LEA leaders on our School Improvement Listserv. Please feel free to share this information with your schools.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) School Improvement Team, in partnership with WestEd, is excited to invite school leaders and their LEA supervisor to apply for personalized, customized change leadership coaching. LEA's and principals are encouraged to include assistant principals, interns, instructional coaches and anyone else they deem interested to attend. The program is optional and will provide individual coaching for leaders that will enhance your leadership as well as impact the growth, proficiency and achievement of students.

The program is from March 2025 to December 2025 and will include a mutually agreed upon on site, virtual, and on demand instruction, modeling, mentoring, feedback, and support to assist the school (principal and LEA supervisor are required and may also include assistant principals, instructional coach, intern) with change leadership.

Priority will be given to Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) Low Performing Student Group schools followed by CSI-Low Graduation Rate and CSI-Low Performance schools and then by schools with ATSI and TSI designation. The only schools not eligible for this program are Elevate schools.

The objectives of the program are to build leadership capacity to lead change to improve student outcomes through one or more of the following areas of leadership:

  • Data-Informed Teaching
  • Collaborative Teams with a Focus on Efficacy
  • High Leverage Strategies for Instruction
  • Fearless Assessment: Meaningful Assessments as the Heart of Feedback and Instruction
  • Fearless Classrooms
  • Effective Use of Time and Schedules
  • Culturally Responsive, yes! But Whose Culture are We Responding To
  • High Quality Student Data and Effective Analysis

The selected participants will collaboratively build and plan a personalized coaching plan with a WestEd coach.

If interested or you would like to find out more information about this opportunity, please register to attend a virtual informational kickoff meeting on January 27th (3:45 - 5:30 PM) and January 28th (9:30-11:30 AM) that will be facilitated by WestED. 

Participants will need to register to attend and should plan to attend both sessions. To register, please click on this link.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Gregory Firn (gregory.firn@schools.utah.gov) if you have any questions.

Krista Hotelling

School Improvement Specialist

Utah State Board of Education

801-538-7932

krista.hotelling@schools.utah.gov

x Powerful Protection for WordPress, from Shield Security
This Site Is Protected By
Shield Security →