Just a quick note to update you on what is new with RISE, though I did include the new parent resources for our other state required tests. Please share this information with your teachers.
USBE has added Parent Resources to all the USBE Assessment pages
New Cut scores for ELA have been released RISE-Score-Charts_2025_updated.pptx Please note, due to the significant changes in the ELA test, please do not compare last year’s results to this years at a scaled score level.
Please note; All RISE Individual Student reports for ELA, Writing, Math and Science are available to families in the PowerSchool parent portal.
The new writing reporting has 2 categories
Composition (argument/informative): Scale of 1-6
Conventions: Scale of 0.5-3
The two scores are not intended to be added together.
New Writing benchmark modules and ELA interim are available in RISE Test Administration
Most grades have multiple writing benchmarks available with fully automated scoring.
Grade 7 informative writing benchmarks still need more students to participate in the field test before automatic scoring is available. Field testing for 7th grade informative will open again in February.
NEW Feature Update on the RISE calculator in math and science. Students can now copy-paste their answers directly from the onscreen calculator into the response field. This feature is available:
On all Math and Science RISE assessments where calculators are provided onscreen
For all onscreen calculator types (basic, scientific, graphing)
Only for Equation Response items where a student must enter a numerical answer
New Utah Accessibility, Accommodations, and Participation Policy 2025–2026 Check out the Appendixes. There is an Appendix specific to each test which is divided into 2 sections. The first section are the tools and supports available for ALL students, the second section are the additional accommodations allowed for students if they are listed on their IEPs or 504s. Please note, some must be approved by either the state or district before they can be activated for students. RISE is Appendix J, pp 67-69
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
The purpose of this email is to notify you about a new process for hiring school-based administrators. Please read through these updates carefully as there are some significant changes as well as important reminders for current administrators.
What's New?
In an effort to recruit from the best available administrators to SLCSD, we understand that we must draw upon potential candidates earlier than we have previously done. To that end, we will open a school-based administrator pool near the end of October. This recruiting pool is for external candidates only—current administrators should not apply to this pool.
This school-based administrator pool will undergo a multi-interview process in order to identify top talent that will best match the unique needs of our schools. At the conclusion of each round of interviews, we will be able to consolidate our top candidates and move them on to the next round. It is anticipated that the first round of interviews will conclude near the end of November with a second round of interviews in or around January. These procedural changes follow similar processes and timelines of our neighboring districts. Ultimately, our goal is to create a list of top candidates for school-based selection committees to interview and recommend to the Superintendent for a final interview.
HRS will provide more details on this process at an upcoming DLC, as we want to provide you with as much transparency as possible.
Reminder for Current Administrators
For anyone interested in being considered for a change in your current assignment for the next school year, you will need to apply to the internal transfer request posted through SchoolSpring (see posting "Current Administrator Transfer and Promotion Request"). HR Certified Analyst, Lauren Knotts, will send an email to all current administrators when the transfer and promotion request has been posted, which will contain additional information regarding this request.
We acknowledge the uncertainty that comes with a change in any process, and we hope that this email along with a discussion in DLC will help provide a clear vision for how we can ensure we continue to recruit top talent for our students, families, and employees of SLCSD.
Thank you,
Logan
PART II Transfers
Hello Everyone,
We recognize and understand the need for current SLCSD administrators to periodically seek different assignments over the course of their career. If you are interested in a transfer or promotion for a school-based assignment for the 2026-27 school year, you must fill out the application using this School Spring link: https://slcschools.schoolspring.com/
Upload your letter of interest (cover letter) in order to be considered. Please keep in mind that the Superintendent may effectuate transfers in order to meet the needs of the district, but this is your opportunity to express interest in a change of assignment or position.
Additionally, please be aware of the following conditions and procedures regarding requests:
Applications must be submitted by the close of business on December 12, 2025 using the link above. This will be our only method of collecting interest from current administrators.
External candidates and employees who are not current administrators will need to apply to the School Administrator Pool posting.
Under section X, Administrative Vacancies, Transfers, and Rotations, of The Written Understanding, it states, "In determining whether to rotate an administrator, the District will consider the length of appointment, interests of the administrator, and needs of the District."
Requesting a transfer demonstrates your interest in a different assignment or change in location and is not a guarantee of a change in assignment or location.
Requesting a transfer for an assignment paid on a lower lane will result in you being paid at the appropriate step on that lane.
You must submit your preferences for a change in location in the transfer request by uploading a letter of intent in the "cover letter" section of the application.
We appreciate the work you do to ensure positive learning outcomes and safe environments for our students. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact me, Nathan Elkins, or Logan Hall.
If you experience an issue with finding this position that has been posted to internal applicants only, please ensure you are using the Internal side of School Spring by clicking the Internal Jobs tab and signing in (or creating an account) with your district email address to demonstrate you are a current employee.
Thank you,
Lauren Knotts
Human Resources Analyst Salt Lake City School District
District Office: (801) 578-8599
Excellence and Equity: every student, every classroom, every day
We're working to improve our school registration systems and would love input from different members of our school community.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sending out surveys and hosting focus groups with families, school office staff, and district support teams (like McKinney-Vento, Special Education, Counseling, etc.) to learn more about their experiences with registration.
We’d appreciate your help identifying school staff and parents who might be willing to participate and share their feedback.
Here are the upcoming focus group dates:
Parents:
Liberty CLC: October 27 at 4:30 PM
Glendale CLC: October 28 at 4:30 PM
District Support Staff:
In-person meeting with Sam: October 22 at 1:00 PM
School Staff:
Virtual Zoom meeting: October 22 at 3:30 PM
To reiterate: we need the names of potential participants— we’ll take care of sending the invitations.
Please send the names of recommended school staff and families to Sam Quantz, Dr. Bri Conley, Yándary Chatwin, and Dr. Analis Ruiz by October 15, 2025.
Thank you so much — we truly appreciate your support!
Thank you to the schools that have already scheduled and implemented regular mental health meetings!
Anti-Harassment/Anti-Bullying Student Training is being facilitated by school counselors now through October 1st. The Procedures for Training and Reporting are in the Document Center.
All Schools will receive $1000 for Suicide Prevention. Admin, please support implementation of the suicide prevention program at your schools and ensure these funds are being utilized to strengthen it.
InsightThe Prime for Life and Guiding Good Choices schedule is now available. To see the schedule and register please click here
Peer Courtbegins on October 6th. Referrals can be submitted here.
Optional Admin/SRO Gun Safety and Active Shooter Training at East High School Library September 26th from 9:00am to 3:00pm RSVP HERE
School Counselors
Student Services Meeting (Virtual) September 17 from 9-12. All Counselors, Social Workers, Nurses and McKinney Staff attend. Admin are always welcome.
Secondary Counselor Program: • All Secondary Counseling Programs will be reviewed by USBE this Spring to ensure adherence to state counseling standards. This program review nets counselor support budgets at secondary schools. • On-Site Review Performance Evaluation Data Project Reports Counselors must present data projects during a staff meeting. If presentations did not occur last Spring, please schedule asap. • Updates and Essentials Training Allsecondary administrators who have not completed this USBE school training within the past six years must complete the course asap. Documentation of completion will need to be provided to the state in March.
District Social Work and Mental Health Partnerships
Social Work Services • We are excited to welcome Andrea Carrizo, Annie Romano, Haref Montalvo, Jessica Carpenter and Yvette Orr to our team! • Social workers are conducting mental health screening at all school sites. • Thank you to the schools that have already implemented and scheduled regular mental health meetings!
Odyssey House • Salt Lake City School District partners with Odyssey House to provide free school-based therapeutic services to students at East, Highland, Horizonte, Backman and Parkview.
Important items this month: • Vision Screening starts on September 16, 2025. • CPR/AED/Narcan training continue to be offered once a month at the district office building. If you would like to be certified or your certification has expired, sign up for a class. -Remember, schools must have at least three front office staff CPR certified to have an AED in the school. --Elementary: Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and special request. --Middle: 7th grade and any special request.
Important items this month: • Welcome Cisco Ramos our new McKinney Team member • Housing Questionnaire: This form activates supports for qualifying students. Email completed forms to Becky Baskett and Mike Harman - See District Documents Center for translated forms. -See McKinney List in PowerSchool: homeless_code>0 - If students you know qualify and are not on the list, complete the Housing Questionnaire link above • Reminder: McKinney-Vento eligible students can enroll without proof of address, immunization records, and/or birth certificate • Reach out to the McKinney Vento team for student support, questions and/or staff training.
Important items this month: If you need an SRO for any reason: • Call your school assigned SRO (if no response) • Call Sgt. Doug Teerlink 385-228-8072 (if no response) • Call dispatch for non-emergency 801-799-3000 • Call 911 in an emergency • Peer Court •Promising Youth Gang Prevention and Intervention Contact Krystyn Stargel 385-312-3104 regarding referrals or click links below.
After a thorough year-long review, including feedback from school administration, teachers, technical evaluation, and cost/benefit analysis, it has been determined that we will move forward with the following interactive devices in the classroom.
ViewSonic Interactive Boards at the Elementary Level
Deciding Factors
Feedback received through visits and teacher survey.
We save almost $200-300 per board.
We will have a 7-year warranty instead of a 5-year warranty.
ViewSonic software will run the Smart Notebook software that many elementary teachers use.
ViewSonic boards performed better than the SMART brand.
Will support untethered teaching as well
Installation plan
·IT will work with school administration to determine which classrooms are updated first with as little classroom disruption as possible.
·Installation will take a coordination with district electricians and installers.
·We are currently working on creating that plan with Auxiliary services and will send out that plan once it is finished.
·Goal is to replace about 150 boards this year
·The rest of the boards are being replaced over the next 3-5 years.
·The goal is to begin installation in October/November.
Budget Needed
·Schools will not need to budget for this as it will be paid out of the district capital technology outlay funds.
Training
·School technicians are being trained within the next few weeks so there is onsite support.
·IT will work with school administration to develop training opportunities as boards are installed in the school
·IT will work with Teaching & Learning and School Leadership and Support to develop a comprehensive training plan going forward.
Epson Interactive Projectors (still in testing phase) at Secondary Level, with optional ViewSonic Interactive Board option
Deciding Factors
Feedback received through visits and teacher survey.
having more whiteboard space was one of the most frequent requests.
The vast majority of secondary classrooms do not use SMART notebook software or use the touch capability
The picture will be displayed on the whiteboard, allowing the whiteboard to serve dual functionality.
Allows for untethered teaching.
If the Epson Projector does not work in the classroom, ViewSonic Interactive boards will be installed
Installation plan
·These devices have already been installed in some classrooms in the district
·IT has reached out to high school principals to receive the names of a few teachers willing receive these new projectors for additional testing.
·After final testing is completed, installation will take place over the next 3-5 years.
Budget Needed
·Schools will not need to budget for this as it will be paid out of the district capital technology outlay funds.
Training
·School technicians will be trained on the boards for onsite support.
·IT will work with school administration to develop training opportunities as boards are installed in the school
·IT will work with Teaching & Learning and School Leadership and Support to develop a comprehensive training plan going forward.
Title: Action Item: Assigning STEM AC Math Digital Learning Student Licenses
Date: 09/12/2025
To: Elementary, Middle School, High School Administrators
From: Holley McIntosh, Director of STEM and Mathematics
Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Subject: Assigning STEM Action Center Math Digital Learning Student Licenses
Summary:
The math digital learning student licenses listed below awarded to schools from the STEM Action Center Math Digital Learning Grant will be assigned by the SLCSD IT Department.
STMath
IXL
Dreambox
My Math Academy
I-Ready
Derivita
Math Space
Imagine Math
Renaissance
Administrators must submit a SLCSD IT helpdesk ticket to inform IT how the licenses are to be assigned in their school no later than October 1.
One exception: High School ALEKs licenses will be managed and assigned by your HS Math Content Area Specialist (coach).
Rationale:
The STEM Action Center (AC) did not have sufficient resources to fund any school’s full grant request for licenses. With only a portion of the licenses provided, schools need to be strategic in assigning licenses to classes or students that will best utilize them. The STEM AC tracks usage to ensure license are being used at appropriate levels.
Schools not actively using their licenses by October 30, 2025 run the risk of having the STEM AC reassign their licenses to another school in the state.
As we kick off the new school year, we’d like to highlight a few important IT procedures.
After-Hours and Weekend IT Support
If you experience an IT issue outside regular hours, please submit an IT help ticket (https://helpdesk.slcschools.org). When we receive a report of a network or system outage in the evening, it will be addressed the following morning. If the request comes on the weekend, the problem will be worked on within 24-48 hours, though holiday support times may vary.
If you are having an activity after hours or on weekends relying on the computers or network and would like system support, please schedule that with me at least two weeks in advance. Be prepared to provide an account number for potential technician overtime costs.
Monthly System Maintenance
To ensure the smooth operation of our IT systems, regular maintenance is necessary. We’ve established a maintenance schedule for the 2025-26 school year to minimize disruptions for staff and students.
Maintenance will occur on designated weekends each month, during which intermittent system outages may be expected. We will send out notifications each month detailing the affected systems.
The planned maintenance window is typically from 5 pm on Friday through Saturday. Occasionally, maintenance may continue into Sunday. Critical updates may be applied outside this planned maintenance schedule.
Please review the maintenance dates below and plan accordingly.
August 29-30
September 26-27
October 24-25 (limited due to end of term)
November 14-15
December 19-20
January 23-24
February 27-28
March 27-28
April 17-18
May 15-16
June 26-27
July 17-18
IT Help Tickets
When requesting support, please remember to use the IT help ticket system (https://helpdesk.slcschools.org). Tickets submitted through this system are prioritized over emails or phone calls. Utilizing the help ticket system allows us to better analyze data and improve our service.
We wish you a successful start of the school year.
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:
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 sentthis 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:
That “parental consent requirements of Sections 76-7-322 and 76-7-323 are complied with”
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.”
“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 theform to let SLCSD know which topics they are and are not teaching.
USBE guidance states:
“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:
Communication:
Administrative memo will be sent to all building administrators to share with faculty.
Link to required form will be sent to all educators with the deadline of September 30, 2025, for completion.
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:
Contact Katie Lowery, Content Specialist over Health and Physical Education, for assistance.
3. Evaluation:
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Please adhere to the following guidelines when requesting data from the Assessment & Evaluation Team:
Log in with your credentials if prompted
If you receive an error message, please contact Brenda Wiebe or Jeffrey Lutz
Read each question carefully before responding
Note that the following fields are mandatory and must be completed:
Contact information
Data question
The due date field
You will receive a confirmation message once your submission is successful
You may receive follow up emails from the data team for further clarification
Important Reminders
Please allow a minimum of a week for data requests and reports and 48 hours for ad hoc requests. Depending on the nature of the requests, some projects may take longer. The data team will reach out and inform you if this is the case.
Principals and assistant principals can only request aggregate level data from their schools
Teachers and counselors can only request aggregate level data from their classrooms
If more information is needed, email Jeffrey Lutz or Brenda Wiebe, and we will determine whether requests can be fulfilled on a case by case basis
For technical assistance, please contact the data team
