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Category: Teaching and Learning

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Title:             Human Sexuality Classroom Instruction

Date:              June 25, 2025

To:                 All Administrators

From:            Adam Eskelson, Director 

    Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director

Dept:            Teaching and Learning

Subject:        Human Sexuality Topic Certification

All instruction related to sex education must take place within the context of Utah State Law (53G-10-402) and Utah State Board of Education rule (R277-474). New legislation has added topics beyond health class which require parent notification and permission.  

Any course which involves "Sex education instruction" [now includes] any course material, unit, class, lesson, activity, or presentation that, as the focus of the discussion, provides instruction or information to a student about:

  1. sexual abstinence;
  2. human sexuality;
  3. human reproduction;
  4. reproductive anatomy;
  5. physiology;
  6. pregnancy;
  7. marriage;
  8. childbirth;
  9. parenthood;
  10. contraception;
  11. HIV/AIDS;
  12. sexually transmitted diseases; or
  13. refusal skills, as defined in Section 53G-10-402.

In accordance with Rule R277-474-7-4, teachers may answer student questions or correct inaccurate statements as long as the answer is consistent with state law and the approved instructional materials. Educators may also direct students to parents.

Teachers will be sent this survey and are required to indicate if they cover any of the listed topics. All teachers must respond by September 30, 2025.

The parental Consent Form is included in all student registration and information is available to teachers regarding the parent’s option for instruction.

Rationale:

Utah Code 53G-10-402 states:

  1. That “parental consent requirements of Sections 76-7-322 and 76-7-323 are complied with”
  2. And, “require a student's parent to be notified in advance and have an opportunity to review the information for which parental consent is required under Sections 76-7-322 and 76-7-323.”
  3. “An LEA governing board shall provide appropriate professional development for the LEA governing board's teachers, counselors, and school administrators to enable the teachers, counselors, and school administrators to understand, protect, and properly instruct students in the values and character traits referred to in this section and Sections 53E-9-202, 53E-9-203, 53G-10-202, 53G-10-203, 53G-10-204, and 53G-10-205, and distribute appropriate written materials on the values, character traits, and conduct to each individual receiving the professional development.”

To facilitate compliance, each secondary teacher is required to complete the form to let SLCSD know which topics they are and are not teaching.

USBE guidance states:

  1. “Health, CTE, science, and psychology teachers should [acquire parental permission and complete this training] if they teach eligible courses like Health, Child Development, Health Science, Medical Anatomy, Human Development, Genetics, or any course with instruction on sex education as defined in Utah Code 53G-10-403.”

Expectations for Implementation:

  1. Communication:
    1. Administrative memo will be sent to all building administrators to share with faculty.
    2. Link to required form will be sent to all educators with the deadline of September 30, 2025, for completion.
    3. The Canvas course required for all teachers who present an effected topic (listed above) will be provided once the USBE creates the course after July 1, 2025.

2.        Collaboration:

  1. Contact Katie Lowery, Content Specialist over Health and Physical Education, for assistance.

3.        Evaluation:

  1. The district will check for the completion of the required form by due date.  If it is not complete, the assistance of building administrators will be requested.
  2. The district will keep a current record of all teachers who have completed the USBE Canvas course. 

Keywords: Human sexuality, health education, Utah Code 53G-10-402

Administrators: https://www.shapeamerica.org/MemberPortal/prodev/leading-healthy-schools.aspx

Leading Healthy Schools (LHS) is a free, year-long professional development and coaching program for school administrators to help them gain the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a school that prioritizes student health and wellness. Participants engage in collaborative learning experiences and coaching that are flexible to their school’s context and relevant to their role as a school leader.  

Interested in learning more about the program before you register? Sign up using the link above to attend an information session with LHS Program Director Kaitlyn Gaddis Thompson and hear from members of the 2024 and 2025 LHS cohorts!

For Administrators: Health textbook adoptions are complete, and we are ready to order for the upcoming year.  Please contact Katie Lowery for more information. Each school must complete a requisition. 

For Teachers:  Deadline to complete the required questionnaire for those who teach HEALTH, or ANY SUBJECT with human sexuality content is September 30th.  

All teachers (not just health) who discuss any topic below that they must include a statement in their disclosure for parents to sign and that parents must sign the USBE form as well. Do not just rely on the electronic registration for the 7-12th graders. 

Teachers should complete this survey and are required to indicate if they cover any of the listed topics. All teachers must respond by September 30th. 

HEALTH / HUMAN SEXUALITY SURVEY 

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As we work together to maintain the highest level of professionalism and consistency across our district, we would like to remind you of the established protocols concerning employee work schedules and job titles.

Effective immediately, no changes to work schedules, job titles, or responsibilities should be made without prior approval from both the Area Director and Human Resources. These approvals are necessary to ensure that any adjustments align with district policies, budget constraints, and overall staffing needs.

Rationale:

The District understands that school operations often require flexibility, but it is crucial that we maintain district-wide consistency and fairness in staffing decisions. This protocol helps ensure that we are in compliance with contractual obligations, legal requirements, and the district’s strategic goals.

Expectations for Implementation:

Should there be a need to adjust schedules, reassign duties, or modify job titles for any staff member, please follow the outlined steps:

  1. Submit a written request to your Area Director detailing the proposed changes and the reasons for them.
  2. Upon review and conditional approval by the Area Director, Human Resources will conduct a compliance check to verify alignment with district policies.
  3. Final approval must be obtained in writing from both the Area Director and HR before any changes can be implemented.

Conclusion:

Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing dedication to fostering a supportive and efficient work environment for all staff members. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Keywords: Job Titles, Work Schedule

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Summary: On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the SLCSD approved the purchase of Amplify Science for all 6-8 science classrooms in SLCSD. Principals will receive more information regarding ordering materials for teachers. Amplify Science materials are comprehensive and align with the Utah Science with Engineering Education Standards. Amplify Science materials include:

  1. Classroom Kits- hands on and printed classroom display materials
  2. Print Materials- student investigation notebooks with article companions and print teacher guides
  3. Digital Tools- digital teacher’s guide; digital student experience; videos; simulations; and engineering internships
  4. Assessments- pre/end-of unit assessments; critical juncture assessments; on the fly assessments; benchmark assessments.

Middle school principals will be ordering materials for each science educator in the building. Elementary principals will also be able to order materials for each sixth-grade teacher or for a teacher who teaches all sixth-grade science in the building. More information about ordering is forthcoming. Please contact Candace Penrod if you have any questions.

Keywords: science materials; 6-8 grade; Amplify Science

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Every August, there's a renewed sense of excitement and energy in the air—we're ready to begin a new school year filled with possibilities! It's a fresh start, a time to reconnect with colleagues, welcome new students and families, and set meaningful goals for learning and growth.

We have exciting new curriculum for science grades 6-8, health teachers, and social studies teachers. We will continue to connect with goals for literacy, mathematics, and academic discourse. The schedule has also been adjusted to provide schools with 1.5 days with their staff for professional development and meetings. Please see the following schedule for your planning:

Expectations for Implementation:

  1. Communication:
    1. Principals are responsible to communicate with their staff about the days in their before-school communication.
    2. Ensure that their staff attend as appropriate

       
  2. Collaboration:
    1. Katie Ieremia, Professional Development
    2. Tiffany Hall, T&L

Keywords:

August, teacher days, start of year

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Summary:

For the past four years, we have leveraged ESSER funding to support K-5 science materials in every K-5 classroom. This included a Mystery Science digital license for every K-5 teacher, as well as Mystery Packs with hands-on materials.

This year, our funding stream has changed, which has necessitated changes in what the district can provide. We are excited to announce that the district WILL be purchasing a Mystery Science digital for every K-5 teacher during the 2025-2026 school year. We regret that we cannot fund the purchase of additional Mystery Science Packs for the 2025-2026 school year.

We offer the following guidance for addressing hands-on science materials that support the Mystery Science digital lessons:

  1. Some teachers will have leftover materials from the previous years that can be used for the 2025-2026 school year.
  2. If funding permits, schools can purchase needed consumable materials to replenish Mystery Packs for teachers.  Please consult the K-5 materials lists to know what to order.
  3. If funding permits, schools may purchase Mystery Packs for teachers.

Please note, the science department has a limited supply of materials for new teachers that will be available in August. Please contact Candace Penrod on August 1, 2025, regarding possible materials for a new teacher (not guaranteed, as we are limited to only the items we have in stock).

Expectations for Implementation:

  1. Principals are responsible for reviewing the information and making decisions on how to handle hands-on science materials for the 2025-2026 school year.
  2. Principals are responsible for sharing the information with impacted staff in a clear and timely fashion.

     
  3. Collaboration:
    1. Contact Candace Penrod with any questions or concerns.
  4. Evaluation:
    1. The district will be conducting a formal adoption for elementary science materials during the 2025-2026 school year for the 2026-2027 school year.

Conclusion:

Thank you for your support in elementary science. Please reach out to Candace Penrod if you have any questions.

Keywords:  elementary materials; K-5; science materials; science kits; Mystery Science

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HB396 funding will be available for the 2025-2026 year for both educators and building administrators.  For each qualified individual 1.0 FTE, 25 hours are available. Here are several important reminders and deadlines:

  1. HB396 provides SLCSD with funding for educators to complete 25hours of paid professional time at their hourly rate. This includes general education and special education teachers, counselors, school specialists, library technology teachers, school psychologists, speech pathologists, audiologists and building administrators. Hourly teachers are not eligible.
  2. Individuals may complete pre-approved district plans, university courses or endorsements without supervisor approval (but the district form must still be submitted). Alternately, an Individual Plan* may be submitted and must be reviewed and approved by the supervisor prior to beginning any work.
  3. All educators must submit their plan, on the district form, before the end of the day on September 30, 2025.
  4. When all HB396 hours are completed, a timecard and activity log of hours and activities must be reviewed and signed by supervisors no later than May 29, 2026.
  5. Professional development work for HB396 may be completed between July 1, 2025, and the last day of the school year, May 29, 2026. All educators must complete their hours outside of contract time.

*Individual Plans should be designed to follow the guidelines of the legislation:

“…(a) provide educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and to meet the challenging state academic standards; and (b) may include activities that (i) improve and increase an educator's: (A) knowledge of the academic subjects the educator teaches; (B) time to plan and prepare daily lessons based on student needs; (C) understanding of how students learn; and (D) ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, and materials based on the analysis (ii) are an integral part of broad school-wide and LEA-wide educational improvement plans; (iii) allow personalized plans for each educator to address the educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback; (iv) advance educator understanding of:  (A) effective and evidence-based instructional strategies; and (B) strategies for improving student academic achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of educators (v) are aligned with, and directly related to, academic goals of the school or LEA; and (vi) include instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice.” Educator Paid Professional Hours

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Summary:

Utah House Bill 233 (HB 233), titled "School Curriculum Amendments," introduces specific limitations on health education in Utah. The legislation prohibits districts from allowing organizations that perform elective abortions, such as Planned Parenthood, to provide health-related instruction or materials in schools receiving state funding.

Key provisions of HB 233 include:

  1. Definition of Restricted Entities: The bill defines "elective abortion providers" and their affiliates, encompassing entities with common ownership, management, or control related to abortion services.
  2. Prohibition in Educational Settings: LEAs are barred from permitting employees, representatives, or affiliates of such organizations to deliver health instruction or distribute health-related materials in public schools.

As a result of this legislation, certain previously approved providers we have used for years in SLCSD are no longer allowed to help support Health classes and teachers.

We are in the process of adopting new, state-compliant health curriculum resources that align with both legislative requirements and Utah Core Standards. Our goal remains the same: to provide students with high-quality, accurate, and age-appropriate health education that supports their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

An element of our purchasing process is materials review. This is an opportunity for educators, parents, and community members to view the resources under consideration.

Health Curriculum Open House

Wednesday, May 28

3:00 – 7:00PM

Riley Elementary School

Expectations for Implementation:

  1. Communication:
    1. Please make sure that your teachers are aware of this opportunity to see the new curriculum. We will also email them directly with this information.

       
  2. Timeline:
    1. After May 28, the purchasing department will finish the purchasing process. Schools will receive ordering information as soon as possible after the negotiations are completed.

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Hello! 

Here are a few reminders and updates about ending the year. We have several groups of teachers who need to complete work critical to the district before the school year ends.

This year, the last day for elementary music services will be Friday, May 23. Music teachers will use May 27-29to complete an inventory and transition plan for all their schools, identify instruments needing repairs, and plan for instrument deployment in the fall. Please do not plan on music during the last week of school. (Questions? Adam Eskelson)

Your elementary PE paraprofessionals must inventory and store equipment and prepare lists of equipment needed for the next year. The last day of elementary PE will be Friday, May 23. (Questions? Katie Ieremia)

Job-embedded learning will continue with Content Areas Specialists in schools through Friday, May 23.  After that, they will be working on professional development for next year, aligning instructional documents for teachers, and reviewing assessments to ensure we are ready for 2025-26. Some elementary schools will have a different schedule, but your CAS has already discussed that with you if your date is different. (Questions? Dr. Chelsea Malouf, ELA; Holley McIntosh, Math; Candace Penrod, Science; Sallie Warnecke, Digital Learning)

Library learning centers have mixed schedules. Please talk with your teacher librarian about the end of the year versus the start of the year. There are specific tasks that must happen in the library once a year: inventory, restocking, book orders, documenting carryover and budgets, and securing equipment.

  1. If your school begins Specials immediately, the teacher librarian will need time at the end of year: May 27-29/30.
  2. If you prefer to take Specials to the last day of school, they will need time at the start of the year: August 19-22.

Each of you handle this differently, so please talk with your teacher librarian and reach out if you have any questions. (Questions? Dr. Tiffany Hall)

Thank you for understanding that this time is important for these teacher groups to be ready to end the school year. ​If you have specific concerns about a schedule at your school, please talk with your teacher(s) about alternatives and reach out to the supervisor if needed.

Best wishes for a great summer!

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Good afternoon,

The registration is now live in Kickup for the:

  1. Elementary PLC Professional Development with Garrick Petersen (2 days)
  2. Secondary PLC Professional Development with Garrick Petersen (2 days)

Clicking on the “Register for all” button in Kickup, registers individuals for both days.

Kickup quick instructions:

  1. Accessible through “Employees” on SLCSD webpage or on Clever
  2. From homepage select “Learning” on left-hand menu
  3. Use the calendar on the right to select “After” and June 1
  4. Select either the elementary or secondary series by clicking on the title
  5. Click the “register for all” button on the right

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All Tests

THANK YOU! Together, we successfully administered
over 158,000 tests. Thank you for your attention to detail, patience, and dedication
to ensuring accurate test data for all students.

 


Parental Exclusion- One copy stays with the teacher, one
copy goes into the student’s file and one copy must be sent to the Assessment Department
– ATTN: Terrilyn Lee for K-8 assessments,
ATTN: Dan Del Porto for 9-12 assessments.

 

Illuminate/Renaissance- Performance Matters will replace Illuminate
at the end of the year. Please see below for more information.

 

Acadience Reading and Acadience
Math

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact
Websites

4/15-5/16
State

DDC-Acadience

Lynette Peck

Schedule--DDC

The district Acadience window closes on May 16th.  We are
required by the state to test any student enrolled in the district during the window,
even if they registered after the testing team was at a school.  Please be
aware of these students to ensure we are testing 95%+ of our K-3 students.

Acadience Math Computation and Concepts & Applications scores should be recorded
by classroom teachers in ALO within three days of testing.  Please remember
to administer these indicators to absent students upon their return to class. 
All math scores must be recorded in ALO by Wednesday, May 14th. 
Score entry directions can be found within the TAM packet or linked
HERE.

USBE is offering the following Acadience trainings this summer:

Acadience School Leader Data Analysis (June 2nd) 9:00
AM-12:00 PM.  Participants will focus on analyzing the EOY Acadience Reading/Math
data at the district, school or grade level.  Intended for school administrators/academic
coaches.   This will be a virtual meeting, here is the link: https://schools-utah-gov.zoom.us/j/81397339038?pwd=r5TkBb3XfXMfmlWS6g1mZgpbSpaq4g.1

Acadience Reading Essentials (June 26th) grade level
specific times.  Course held online.  Registration through MIDAS Course
#62609.  Intended for those new to Acadience Reading, or those who would like
to update their skills.  Training required prior to administration of indicators
for benchmark and progress monitoring.  There will be a second session offered
on July 25th.  MIDAS registration will be available soon.

End-of-Levels K-2

Important Dates:
Required By:       
Additional Information
Contact:
Website:

4/7 - 5/16 1-2

4/28 - 5/23 Kinder
SLCSD Board

 
Brittany Dimick

 

1&2 EOL—Make sure all offline items are administered before 5/16. Renaissance
has a tile to help monitor completion. Make sure students click submit as they finish
the online portion of the test. Please return the materials, as a school, according
to the instructions on the Packing list.

Kindergarten- If you enter the Math Kinder scores directly into Renaissance, you
do not need to fill out the bubble answer sheets.  Please return the materials,
as a school, according to the instructions on the Packing List.  Kindergarten
Fall testing window starts on July 28.  Materials should arrive in June.

Because of the tight timeline, it is unlikely that SLCSD EOL testing will receive
reports this school year.

Goodbye to Renaissance/Illuminate

Important Dates:

Required By:       

Additional Information

Contact:

Website:

6/30

 

 


Brittany Dimick

 

Tests Transfer—If you would like to save any tests you have created,
please view this
video and save them before 6/30.

Crosswalk- This is a
crosswalk document of the two platforms.

If you want to learn more about Performance Matters, please view my
canvas course.

NWEA Map Growth Reading

Important Dates:

Required By:       

 

Contact:

 

4/21-5/16

District

 

Brittany Dimick

 

NWEA spring window opens April 21st and closes May 16th.  

Alternative Assessments

Important Dates:

Required By:       

Additional Information

Contact:

Website:

 

State

 

Terrilyn Lee

 

Please make sure to complete all DLM Testlets by May 23.  If you have questions,
please contact Terrilyn

K-3.  ELAA and MAAA Alternate Assessments (for Acadience) results due May 23. 
Please sent them to Terrilyn via
email or district mail (Terrilyn – Assessment@Beardsley)

 

WIDA K-12 (Screener &
ACCESS)

Important Dates
Required By:       
Additional Information
Contact
Websites

Complete
State

DDC
Terrilyn
Lee
WIDA Secure Portal
& WIDA AMS

 

WIDA Results are in.  You can find them in Illuminate, Ellevations
and AMS.

Individual Student Reports in multiple languages are in the AMS.  Paper copies
are on their way and should arrive next week.

Please Note: WIDA Screener grades K-12—Remember, eligible students
must be screened within 10 days of enrollment throughout the rest of the school
year.

Students who have previously tested in the state of Utah, either with WIDA ACCESS
or WIDA Screener, do not need to be re-screened.  Please contact Terrilyn
Lee or Mischelle Colby,
to assist in locating student test histories.

 

RISE 3-8

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact
Websites

March 24-May 23
State

DDC
Terrilyn Lee
RISE Portal

 

All staff administering Spring RISE summative tests, need to complete the following:


  1. USBE Standard Test Administration and Ethics

  2. RISE Teacher Training & Certification

 

There are changes to the RISE writing and the RISE ELA Summative tests this year.

  1. The new Writing Rubrics are here
    Resources
  2. The new ELA blueprints are here 
    ELA Blueprints
  3. Due to the changes in both tests, cut scores will need to
    be re-set.   Results will be delayed until Fall 2025

 

Writing Field Test Window February 18- May 31.  Please participate. 
If there aren’t enough responses to train the scoring engine, Writing Benchmarks
will not be available next year.

Teachers new to the district/changed schools- Fill out theRISE
User Information Survey  

Reminder- When administering ALL RISE tests (Interims, Benchmarks,
and Summative) the
Test Administration Manual must be followed explicitly.

 


USBE Test Participation & Accommodations

Visit the RISE Portal and the
RISE folder in the District Document Center or contact
Terrilyn

Advanced Placement (AP)
9-12

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact
Websites

5/5-5/9 & 5/12-5/16
 

DDC
Dan
Del Porto

AP Central

Regular Testing Window open now until May 16th.

 

Ordering AP Exams for Students Unable to Test on
Late-Testing Dates:

Exception testing is available if students are unable to
test on the late-testing date due to unforeseen circumstances.

Starting May 5 (the first day of the AP Exam administration),
AP coordinators can order exams through:

 


AP Registration and
Ordering.

 

Note: These exams must be administered during the school
day on any of the three exception testing dates:

May 28, 29, and 30.

 

Utah Aspire Plus 9-10

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact:
Website:

3/3-5/9 – UA Plus

8/1-6/30 - Benchmarks
State

DDC
Dan
Del Porto

Utah
Aspire Plus Resource Center

UTIPS WIKI

Utah Aspire Plus and ADAMImportant Items/Dates:

  1. Spring Summative Window – March 3–May 9. All-district testing day was April 23rd.
  2. Student detail reports have been available within roughly
    24 hours of completion.
  3. ISRs, Test Scores
    Date File, and Test Events Data File are available May 23, 2025.
  4. More information is provided in the Score Interpretation Guide

ACT 11th Grade

Important Dates:
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact:
Websites:

3/11-4/18
State

DDC
Dan
Del Porto

ACT State Testing;
Success;

ACT Now

March 12th was the all-district ACT testing
day.

 

State and District Testing windows closed as of April 18th

 

Scores available 3-8 weeks after testing.

 

Dual Immersion 3-9

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact:
Website:

10/14 – 11/29
State

DDC

Stephanie Mecham
https://www.languagetesting.com/aappl

Congratulations on an amazing job with AAPPL Testing! 99% (445
of 446) of DLI students completed testing.

 

Please send score reports to parents within three weeks of the testing window closing.


How to print score reports and certificates

 

Reports – 2024 Testing data is now available. Click the following
links to ACCESS your DLI testing data:


AAPPL Test Scores Report | Illuminate Education


AAPPL Student Longitudinal Scores Report | Illuminate
Education

Seal of Biliteracy 11-12

Important Dates
Required By:
Additional Information
Contact:
Website:

3/3/2025 – 4/11/2025
 

DDC
Stephanie Mecham
https://www.languagetesting.com/aappl

Congratulations to all students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy!

2024–2025 Seal of Biliteracy Highlights:

  1. 370 students achieved the Seal of Biliteracy
  2. 226 graduating seniors will
    receive the Seal of Biliteracy
  3. Seals were awarded in 17 different languages
  4. 17 students earned the Seal in multiple languages

 

 
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