As we have had several questions related to appropriate campaign activities on school property and during public school meetings, I have attached updated political activity guidelines for your review. We have multiple contested board member seats in the upcoming election, so please ensure you are following board policy, district administrative procedures, and state law in your treatment of all candidates.
The guidelines are available: here. Thank you for taking the time to ensure that all our stakeholders feel valued and respected as we move forward.
From: Dr. Chelsea Malouf, Literacy Director Adrienne Kumik, Literacy Supervisor Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director Teaching and Learning
Subject: Academic Discussion Data Collection Event 2026!
Summary:
The district’s Strategic Plan for Student Achievement has a goal to increase student academic conversation—the opportunity to talk about thinking or demonstrate learning—to 50% of time in every classroom. This looks different grade to grade and content to content: what is important is that students are personally engaged in actively processing their learning.
Collecting Data
Earlier this year, we collected perspective data about academic discourse from teachers and administrators. We had a great response rate—thank you! It was great to see that academic discourse is being used intentionally throughout the district and valued for the increase seen in student engagement and learning.
We now need to collect data on the observed percentages of academic conversation in the classroom so we can report to the Board. We will be using an observation protocol that will collect information without any teacher identifiers. Information will be reported by elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Friday, March 27, 10:30 – 11:30: Training on the observation tool and protocol. Instructional coaches and district staff will be participating. Any school administrators who would like to participate are invited to join us in the board rooms.
Monday – Wednesday, March 30 – April 1: We will be strategically visiting classrooms across the district for 20-minute sessions. We plan to capture data from different grades, content areas, and times of day. Again, we would love to have site administrators join us for any time you have available to support the process.
Rationale:
This will demonstrate instruction change as we move through the years of our strategic plan.
Expectations for Implementation:
Communication
Teaching & Learning will send information to teachers. Please help us spread the word – and the assurance that this is NON-EVALUATIVE and anonymous data collection.
Collaboration:
Dr. Chelsea Malouf
Adrienne Kumik
Tiffany Hall
Evaluation
Our objective is to capture a broad look at district wide data that we can replicate each year to track our progress on this instructional goal.
Tiffany Hall, Executive Director, Teaching and Learning
Subject: Social Studies Graduation Requirements
Summary:
Social studies graduation requirements will increase from 3.0 to 3.5 for students in grade 10 starting in 2026-2027. This will also reduce required elective credits to 5.0 from 5.5. The significant information as of now follows:
New Social Studies Graduation Requirement
The new requirement will affect students entering grade 10 starting in 2026-2027.
Requirements for graduating students in 2026 and 2027 are unchanged.
Standards are being written for a new 1.0 course called American Constitutional Government and Citizenship to meet the new graduation requirement.
We will create course offerings and codes once the standards are approved.
This guidance is intended to support school leaders in planning safe, efficient, and compliant transportation for extended and overnight school trips. The district remains committed to providing meaningful student experiences while adapting to current transportation capacity constraints.
Key Updates
Due to ongoing limitations in bus availability and driver capacity, the district has implemented the following changes:
District buses will no longer be available for:
Extended school trips
Overnight travel
Charter bus services are now required for all trips that meet these criteria.
Definition of Extended Trips
In general, an “extended school trip” refers to any overnight trip.
If a school is planning a long-distance, same-day trip (e.g., travel to St. George or similar distances without an overnight stay), administrators are asked to:
Consult with the Area Director prior to finalizing transportation plans to determine appropriate next steps.
Financial Considerations
For the remainder of the current school year:
The district will provide support for charter transportation costs, as needed.
Beginning next school year:
Schools should proactively budget for charter transportation when planning extended or overnight trips.
These costs should be incorporated into annual school budgets and activity planning processes.
Planning Expectations for School Leaders
Principals and assistant principals should:
Plan early to secure charter transportation, as availability may vary.
Work with approved vendors and follow district procurement guidelines.
Ensure alignment with school budgets for all extended and overnight travel.
Communicate clearly with staff, students, and families regarding transportation expectations and any changes from past practices.
Prioritize student safety and supervision in all travel planning.
Support and Collaboration
The district is committed to supporting schools through this transition. Administrators are encouraged to:
Reach out with questions related to planning, budgeting, or vendor selection.
Consult on unique or complex travel scenarios, particularly long-distance, non-overnight trips.
Collaborate early to troubleshoot challenges and ensure smooth implementation.
Conclusion
We recognize that this shift represents a change from prior practice and appreciate your leadership and adaptability. These updates are designed to ensure that all student travel remains safe, reliable, and sustainable given current operational realities.
Thank you for your continued commitment to providing enriching opportunities for students while maintaining strong stewardship of district resources.
For additional guidance or support, please contact your Area Director.
From:Dr. Chelsea Malouf, Director-Literacy and ALS
Adrienne Kumik, Literacy Supervisor
Teaching & Learning
Subject:Teacher Feedback on Draft District Proficiency Scales
Summary
Over the past several months, the district literacy team has developed draft proficiency scales aligned to the Utah Core ELA Standards. These scales are intended to provide greater clarity around grade-level expectations and to support instructional conversations within professional learning communities.
Before these scales are finalized, we are asking teachers across the district to review the drafts and provide feedback. Your support in sharing this information with faculty and encouraging teacher participation will help ensure the scales are clear, instructionally useful, and aligned to classroom practice.
Timeline
Now – March 27: Teachers review the draft proficiency scales and complete the feedback survey
Teacher feedback should be submitted no later than March 27.
March–April: District team reviews feedback and identifies needed revisions
Spring–Summer: Scales are refined and finalized
2027–2028 School Year: Final proficiency scales available for district use
Finalized scales will be introduced at the August opening days
Rationale
Teachers are the professionals who work most directly with the standards and who will ultimately determine how useful these tools are in practice. Inviting teacher feedback serves several important purposes:
Ensures the scales accurately reflect grade-level expectations and classroom realities
Identifies areas where language or learning progressions may need greater clarity
Helps determine whether the examples of evidence of learning are practical and observable in classroom settings
Strengthens teacher ownership of the work by incorporating professional expertise from across the district
The goal is to refine the scales so they are clear, instructionally meaningful, and supportive of collaborative PLC work.
Expectations for Implementation:
1. Communication
Administrators are asked to:
Inform and/or remind teachers to watch for an email from Chelsea Malouf with a video explanation and link to the scales and survey.
Encourage teachers to review the scales and complete the survey by March 27.
2. Collaboration:
Reach out to your literacy coach for additional questions
3. Evaluation
Survey responses will be reviewed for patterns across the district. Feedback will be used to:
clarify language
adjust learning progressions where needed
revise examples of evidence of learning
improve overall usability of the scales
Updated versions will be shared once revisions are complete.
As you continue planning school activities and staff meetings, please be mindful of the scheduling expectations outlined in Article 4.4 of the Written Agreement. This provision specifies that district or school activities involving teachers may not be scheduled after 3:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
To ensure compliance with the agreement and to support consistency across schools, please avoid planning meetings, professional learning sessions, or other activities that require teacher participation during those times. School or district meetings may be scheduled on other days of the week as needed.
Thank you for your attention to this guidance and for your continued leadership in supporting clear communication and thoughtful scheduling practices within your schools. Your efforts to honor these agreements help maintain positive collaboration and strong working relationships across our district.
Please feel free reach out to either me or Logan Hall, Executive Director of HRS (Logan.Hall@slcschools,org) if you have any questions.
Sincerely, Leeson M. Taylor II, Ed.D. Executive Director, School Leadership and Support Salt Lake City School District
Subject: Utah Jazz + Utah Mammoth Launch New “Assist for Good” Student Grant Opportunity – Applications Due March 20
We are excited to share a new opportunity for your students through the SEG Foundation. We hope that you pass this along to the principals at your middle, junior and high schools. Today we launched the “Assist for Good” Grant Program, which empowers junior high and high school students across Utah to create meaningful, student-led change within their school communities.
Through this program, students are invited to submit an application outlining an action plan to address a specific need at their school. Selected schools may receive up to $2,000 in grant funding to bring their student-driven project to life during the remainder of the 2025–26 school year.
Projects may focus on areas such as:
Student wellness
Inclusion initiatives
Campus improvements
Service projects
Other programs that create lasting, positive impact
Applications are due March 20, 2026. Interested students can apply here.
Students from each winning school will also be invited to attend either the March 23, Utah Mammoth game or the March 30, Utah Jazz game, where they will be recognized for their commitment to uplifting their school community.
We would love your help in sharing this opportunity with school leaders, student leaders, clubs, councils, and other groups who may be interested in proposing a project. This is a wonderful chance for students to practice leadership, collaboration, and service while making a real difference in their schools.
Thank you for all you do to support and inspire your students. Please feel free to reach out to me or segfoundation@teamseg.com with any questions.
SLCSD must have parents on the Human Sexuality Committee. This committee reviews all materials used to teach health topics related to maturation, sexuality, relationships, etc. We would like to have 10 parents from throughout the district agree to be on the committee. We need to have names by May 1 so we can have them approved by the Board. A flier is available to share with parents (click here to download).
Rationale:
State administrative code and district AP I-12: Human Sexuality Education indicate that we must have “at least as many parents as school employees” on the committee. We would like to have wide parent representation to review materials that will be used in Health classes.
Expectations for Implementation:
Communication
Ask parent groups for volunteers to participate for the 2026-27 school year.
There are up to 5 meetings a year, scheduled from 4:00 – 5:00PM (If there is not a program to review, the meeting is canceled.)
Meetings are held in person, but parents can participate online.
Collaboration:
Katie Lowery is available to help answer questions and talk with parents, 801-578-8208.
The Policy Project is pleased to announce the launch of the Focused Classroom Implementation Grants, a new funding opportunity supporting Utah schools implementing student device policies aligned with Utah Code 53G-7-227.
These implementation grants are designed to help schools move from policy adoption to effective practice by supporting tools, communication strategies, and student engagement efforts that strengthen focused learning environments.
Schools may request up to $5,000 per site, and LEAs may submit applications for multiple schools.
A central priority of this program is meaningful student engagement. We encourage applications that involve students as partners in implementation, feedback, and culture-building efforts.
In cooperation with the Utah State Board of Education, The Policy Project developed the Focused Classrooms Toolkit, which includes model policies, communication resources, and implementation guidance to support local decision-making.
We’d like to make you aware of our latest free virtual online offerings that Ballet West is presenting for Students and Teachers.
We would be very grateful if you were to make the requests for your entire school and share the information and passwords with all your teachers. Or you could pass this message along to your teachers and they could fill out the requests individually. Your school is welcome to request access to all three offerings and keep them in your pocket for use throughout the remainder of the year.
To make this process as easy as possible, and to expedite your ability to gain the passwords you will need, please access the google form at this link to request access to the programs you’d like.
These offerings are offered free of charge and are reserved for teachers and their students exclusively and not the general public.
We will provide study guides, which include follow-up projects and activities which assist teachers in their efforts to incorporate the Utah State Core Curriculum, Life Skills, and Career and College readiness concepts, into their classrooms. These are available for all offerings, and we recommend these for all grades. Additionally, you may have received this email more than once, our intention is simply to ensure you have access to this important information.
