Greatness Grows Here.

Office of Enrollment and Attendance

Attendance Procedures and Reminders

"Be Present. Be Great." Parent Session 

• The district's first "Be Present. Be Great." Parent Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 25, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Teaching and Learning Academy.
• This session is designed to provide intensive support for families of Tier III chronically absent or truant students who require assistance in overcoming barriers to consistent attendance. Further information will be forthcoming.

Show Up for Greatness: Attendance Monitoring and Recognition

• Please note that our third 20-day school attendance period ends on November 3, 2025. It is a mandatory requirement that all necessary student supports be fully documented within the Show Up for Greatness Application. Please ensure this is completed by the deadline.
• For any questions, please email us at studentservices@scsk12.org.
• By consistently entering attendance data for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers every 20 days, we can proactively monitor attendance trends and identify where additional support may be needed.
• Gold : 96% or higher
• Silver : 91% to 95%
• Bronze : 90% or less
• Attendance progress will also be reflected in student reports and report cards, ensuring transparent communication with parents and guardians.

Approval Required for IEP/504 Transfer Rescissions

• For all students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan whose transfer is recommended for rescission, the withdrawal process requires prior approval from the Office of General Counsel. This measure ensures compliance with all relevant special education laws and regulations before the student can be officially withdrawn.

Attendance Reconciliation Model for Improving Student Attendance

• This initiative establishes a consistent framework for monitoring and supporting student attendance, aligning with MSCS district policies to improve overall attendance rates.

Key Responsibilities

Teachers

• Daily Attendance Recording: Teachers are required to accurately record student attendance in PowerSchool SIS within the first 10 minutes of each class or school day.

Attendance Clerks/Clerical Assistants/GOS

• Daily Verification: Verify teacher attendance submissions and print, review, and file the daily Absentee Report.
• Check-Ins/Outs Management: Monitor and record all student check-ins and check-outs in PowerSchool SIS.
• Parent Note Processing: Collect, enter into PowerSchool SIS, and file all handwritten parent notes.
• Record attendance for absent teachers and placeholders.

Attendance Liaisons

• Process all electronic parent notes submitted via the Student Absence Form.
• Confirm that all attendance codes (e.g., AC, PC) are updated and used correctly.
• Assist schools with the organization and filing of hard-copy documents, including parent notes, absentee reports, and check-in/out sheets.
• Within PowerSchool SIS, verify the correct use of withdrawal codes and comments, monitor "Teachers Missing Attendance" reports, and ensure the proper use of attendance codes.
• Monitor chronic absenteeism and truancy, collaborating with Family Engagement Specialists, Counselors, Administrators, Student Experiences and others to identify and address family-related barriers to attendance.
• Assist with the implementation of the Parent Student Support Plan (PSSP).
• Engage parents in the "Show Up for Greatness" attendance initiative.
• Participate in CompStat report-outs to provide regular updates on attendance data and efforts.

Student Absence Form Available via PowerSchool Parent Portal

• Please be advised that the Student Absence Form is available for all parents through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This online form allows parents to easily notify the school of their child’s absence directly from their mobile devices or computers. Parents can also track the status of their absence submission by returning to the portal.

Keep your Contact Information Updated

• To ensure the safety of all students, staff will verify parent or guardian contact information at every check-in and check-out for all students. This is a critical step in keeping our emergency contacts accurate and up to date.

District Attendance Initiative: Show Up for Greatness!

• Our new attendance initiative is designed to support a regional service delivery model and strengthen tiered interventions:

Tiered Intervention Model:

• Tier 1: Show Up for Greatness
• Tier 2: Everyday Counts– NEW partnership with the Assisi Foundation and Attendance Works
• Tier 3: Be Present. Be Great.

• We are also improving alignment between Attendance & Truancy Liaisons and RTI-B Specialists to maximize effectiveness in reducing chronic absenteeism and truancy.

Truancy Outreach: Parent Student Support Plan

As we intensify our focus on reducing truancy, schools must prioritize identifying students who are chronically absent, defined as five or more unexcused absences.  Early outreach and intervention are essential to re-engage students before absenteeism escalates.  A Parent Student Support Plan (PSSP) is required for every student who accumulates five absences whether excused or unexcused.  The PSSP serves as a proactive tool to address barriers, strengthen family engagement, and support consistent attendance. 

• As we address truancy, our focus will be on students who have not re-enrolled and are marked as no-shows.  These students must be identified early for outreach.

• Monitor your withdrawal list from PowerSchool

Enrollment Procedures and Reminders

• First impressions matter. Please ensure staff are welcoming, knowledgeable, and equipped to assist with enrollment needs. Most issues can be resolved at the school level. Families should not be turned away.
• District-level support is available. The Enrollment & Attendance Office will assist with complex cases involving school assignments, truancy clearance, Eligible Circumstance transfers and other matters.

Kindergarten Age Requirement:

• Children must be 5 years old on or before August 15 of the current school year to be eligible for kindergarten enrollment.
• Effective September 13, 2025, 5-year-old kindergarteners who have not been previously enrolled can no longer be enrolled for the current school year. (Exceptions will be made for students who are experiencing homelessness or displacement.)

Upcoming Dates and Meetings

• Be Present. Be Great. – Parent Meeting
  • Date & Time: Saturday, October 25, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Location: Teaching and Learning Academy
• AL Strategy Touchpoint
  • Date & Time: Thursday, November 6, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
  • Location: Microsoft Teams Meeting

This is a follow-up to the Literacy Commitment content presented during the September Leadership Development Week.  See the next steps below:

The Curriculum & Instruction Department will meet virtually with all 3rd-grade teachers.  Teachers should use the link  to join one of 3rd-grade teacher meetings outlined below:

Tuesday, October 21, 3:30-4 p.m.

Wednesday, October 22, 4-4:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 23, 4:30-5 p.m.

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 250 067 833 264 5 Passcode: 7dP7AR7E

Dial in by phone +1 901-602-6178,,963131872# Find a local number Phone conference ID: 963 131 872#

School teams present Literacy Commitment expectations to families of 3rd-grade students during a school-based parent meeting by November 3.  The resources have been reposted to the following link:  https://shorturl.at/Xbk6j

Please reach out to Dr. Amy Maples (maplesa@scsk12.org, 416-9284) with any questions.

New Metrics Are Available!
New metrics have been added to several District Quick Report pages in the Attendance, Discipline, and High School Progress dashboards.

Featured Reports:

• Data for the 2nd 20-Day period is available in the Show Up for Greatness report. Click here to see the user guide.
   
• The Tutoring Dashboard is available and will start populating data on October 16 (the day after schools begin entering information into PowerSchool). Click here to see the user guides.
  • Note: The i-Ready Growth Tracking report in the Tutoring Dashboard is under construction and is currently unavailable.

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Upcoming Training Sessions:

Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings.

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Sign up for Virtual Office Hours!

• This week (10/14 and 10/16), we have Open Office Hours sessions. So, hop on if you’ve got questions!
   
• For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! Sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 PM on Microsoft Teams.

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New to Power BI? Sign Up for a Power BI New User Training session. Look for Course Code 34810 in PLZ to sign up. 

Refresher Sessions are available for anyone who attended the New User Training previously and wants more advanced skills. Look for Course Code 34812 in PLZ to sign up.

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Monthly Newsletter: 

Check your inbox! On the first Wednesday of every month, the DAIM team sends out a monthly newsletter to all Power BI users. In it, you will find more information on upcoming trainings, new releases, and how-to guides. 

To see this month’s edition (and all archived editions), visit our support page.
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Check out our page of new/updated features and releases on our DAIM Support Page!

You can reach out to us at DAIMSUPPORT@scsk12.org  if you need support.   

In preparation for our Norming Session during October’s Leadership Development Week, participants are encouraged to complete the following pre-work by 5 p.m., Friday, October 24, 2025:   

• Middle and high schools should view the ​6th Grade Science Video   ​ 
• Elementary and K-8 schools should view the Foundational Skills Video. 
• Script the Lesson via a Word Doc  
• ​Align the evidence​ to each descriptor (Optional Upload to form)  
• Assign a score for each of the 7 TEACH Indicators of the ​TEM Rubric​ using the October Norming Activity form. 

Action Required: Principals, this is a friendly reminder to complete and submit your school’s MSCS Teacher of the Year Nomination by October 24, 2025.

Currently, only 26 nominations have been submitted across the district. Let’s make sure one outstanding educator at every school gets the recognition they deserve!

Celebrate excellence – nominate your Teacher of the Year today!

MSCS Teacher of the Year.png

Now Hiring Praxis Tutors. See the flyer for more information Praxis Tutors.pdf

Do you know a Principal or Supervisor who goes above and beyond to support students, staff, and the school community? Help us recognize outstanding leadership by submitting your nomination for Principal of the Year or Supervisor of the Year.

Nominations are open now through November 6, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the exceptional leaders who inspire and make a lasting impact every day.

Click on the embedded link or scan the QR Code on the flyer attached. Let’s honor those who lead with dedication, vision, and heart in Memphis Shelby County Schools.

POYFA (5).pd

SOYFA (6).pdf

The Leadership Labs are designed to provide intentional, job-embedded professional development to support the growth of Principals, Assistant Principals, Vice Principals, and PLC Coaches. Facilitated by a collaborative team of Instructional Leadership Coaches, School Leaders, and Central Office Leadership, these labs will create a space for leaders to learn, practice, and refine the skills necessary to lead high-performing schools. Click here for more information.

Professionalism accounts for 5% of the overall TEM rating for both tested and non-tested educators and must be completed and finalized by both the educator and the administrator to generate an LOE score.

New MSCS educators, as well as any educator seeking a refresher on completing the Professionalism component, may register for the Fall Completing the Professionalism Component Training in PLZ using Course #48775. The training will be held via Microsoft Teams on November 13, 2025, from 4 to 5 p.m.

For questions or concerns please contact Employee Performance & Support @ 416-2475 or eps@scsk12.org.

The Time Is Now!  The Goal Setting season is here and Non-Instructional evaluations are available in PLZ! All Non-Instructional employees must have a Goal Setting Conference as the first step of the performance appraisal process.  As a reminder, the Goal Setting Conference should be completed within 30 days of the NIE employee’s hire/contract start date.​ 

Click HERE for more NIE Goal Setting Conference details. 

The Goal Setting process is simple: 

1) Select your evaluator. 

2) Enter your goals. 

3) Meet with your supervisor for the Goal Setting Conference. 

4) Finalize AND sign off on the form in PLZ.

ALL NIE Goal Setting Conferences should be 100% complete by October 24 for all NIE personnel.   

For your reference, please see the step guides below. 

• NIE Evaluator Step Guide
• NIE Employee Step Guide
• NIE Goal Setting Conference Tutorial

Please reach out to your EPS advisor if you have additional questions or email EPS@scsk12.org.  

Employee Performance and Support in Partnership with the Peer Assistance and Review team is excited to announce the opening of registration for the TEM TEACHer Training Series in PLZ.  Teachers may register using course #48814.

This series is targeted for new teachers or educators needing a refresher on the TEACH Indicators.  It is intended to support teachers with identifying teacher and student actions that guide effective instruction at performance levels 3-5 of the TEACH indicators.

Principals, we are excited to announce the upcoming Regional Teacher Learning Labs, designed to foster collaboration and support professional growth among our educators. These sessions will take place on the following dates:

Northeast and Northwest Regions: October 27-29, 2025

Southeast and Southwest Regions: November 3-5, 2025

Please check your email for important action items.

We appreciate your continued partnership in ensuring our teachers have access to meaningful learning experiences!

SPECIAL POPULATIONS- HOMELESS, FOSTER CARE, & MIGRANT EDUCATION 

This correspondence serves as a reminder of federal and state requirements regarding the enrollment of kindergarten students who are experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or from migratory backgrounds.

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and applicable state enrollment policies, school districts receiving federal funds may not deny or delay enrollment for students in these protected categories, even if state or local enrollment deadlines have passed.

Key Reminders:

• Immediate Enrollment: Eligible students must be enrolled immediately, even if required documents such as proof of residency, immunization records, birth certificates, or prior academic records are unavailable at the time of enrollment.
• Equal Access: Enrollment timelines and procedures should not create barriers for students experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or from migratory families.
• Collaboration: Designated McKinney-Vento liaisons and school enrollment teams should assist families and students to ensure a smooth enrollment process and access to all available supports.
• Transportation and Support Services: Continue to coordinate with the Special Populations Team to ensure compliance and support for the student’s educational stability.

We appreciate your continued commitment to equity, access, and compliance with federal law. Our shared goal is to ensure every student, regardless of circumstance, has immediate access to education and support.

Homeless Student Referral Information

To ensure timely support, all McKinney-Vento referral forms have been uploaded to the Special Populations SharePoint. In order for services to be initiated, a completed referral must be submitted to our office. Once received, a team member will contact the parent or caretaker within 48–72 hours. Please use the SharePoint link below to access the referral forms.  

MSCS Displaced Referral Forms.pdf

If you need additional guidance or have questions about enrollment procedures, please contact Dr. Karen Ball-Johnson at ballkf@scsk12.org or 901-416-7393.

Thank you for your dedication to serving our students and families with care and compassion.

We’re off to a great start with implementation of Student Clubs and Organizations again this year. As a reminder, the deadline to upload your list of Student Clubs and Organizations was Friday, October 10, 2025. Each list should include the Name of the Student Club or Organization, a Brief Description, and the Total Number of Students in each. You may use the provided sample template or another format.

Link to Folder: Student Experience- Student Clubs and Organizations

Student Club and Organization categories have been set up in the Student Program module of PowerSchool. Once inside the module, leaders will find that clubs and organizations are listed by general category, (e.g., Art, Mentoring, STEM/STEAM). Please be sure to update this information in PowerSchool by Friday, October 31, 2025.

Link to Step Sheet: Assigning Student Programs to Students in PowerSchool

Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Erin Y. Luster <lusterey@scsk12.org>.

DO THE WRITE THING WRITING CHALLENGE

Greetings, Middle School Principals.

We are excited to participate in this year's Do the Write Thing (DtWT) writing program. DtWT is a writing competition where middle school students share how violence has impacted them and propose solutions. We salute our 2025 National Ambassador from Hamilton K-8 School and our finalists from:

• A. Maceo Walker Middle School
• Colonial Middle School
• Grandview Heights Middle School
• John P. Freeman Optional School
• Hamilton K-8 School
• Mt. Pisgah Middle School

We are excited about this year's challenge and look forward to the submission of essays, poems, songs, plays and more! We are looking for submissions from every middle school this year.

Our students will have the opportunity to submit to the local competition and the winning essay will advance to the and national competition in Washington, D.C. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our students' talent and there is no cap on the number of submissions per school. Please share this information with your school teams to encourage participation.

Local Entry Information (Deadline: 12/15/25)

• Any form of written expression (e.g. essays, poems, plays, songs)
• Must address the following questions:
  • How has violence affected my life?
  • What are the causes of youth violence?
  • What can I do to reduce youth violence?
• Positive and non-derogatory language
• Fictional writings must be identified as such
• Strong preference will be given to non-fiction writings
• Credit must be given to outside sources
• Writings based upon plagiarism will not be considered

Completed packets may be sent to our office via MSCS Board Mail. Please be sure to include a summary page with the packet noting the contact person for your school and the number of submissions. Also, each submission should contain its own cover sheet with the parent/guardian's signature.

In addition to information on https://www.dtwt.org/, please review the MSCS Do the Write Thing Resources Folder.

For more information about the local implementation of the national program, please contact:

Ernest Brooks, II

Associate Deputy District Attorney/Senior Policy Advisor

Office of District Attorney General Steve Mulroy

201 Poplar Ave., 11th Floor Ernest.Brooks@scdag.com

(901) 222-1547 – Office

(901) 222-1300 – Main Office/Reception

(731) 293-4187

Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Erin Y. Luster <lusterey@scsk12.org>.