Leaders,

We are excited to share an incredible opportunity for your 3rd-grade students!

Tenn Under 10, powered by PNC and hosted by the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), selects 10 Tennessee 3rd graders each year to serve as GELF Literacy Ambassadors and receive a $2,000 post-secondary education scholarship. Honorees will be featured in GELF’s marketing and communications throughout the year, including video production, social media, and press outreach.

Who Qualifies?

• Must be a Tennessee 3rd grader during the 2025–2026 school year
• Enrolled in a Tennessee public or charter school
• Has overcome an obstacle related to literacy development or access to literacy resources
• Exhibits the four key values of Tenn Under 10

Important Details:

• Nomination Deadline: January 19, 2026
• Schools and districts may submit multiple nominations
• Applications must be submitted online by the school or district

Nominate a Student: https://dhsgbbf.wufoo.com/forms/zcli2i51o8mj3b/

Learn More: Program Details

Thank you for helping us celebrate Tennessee’s youngest learners and their literacy journeys! Please share this opportunity with your teachers and encourage nominations.

Leaders,

Greatness in the Gaps Walks for SEAs Supporting During-the-Day Tutoring: The remainder of the fall semester, Ms. Heba Sammour and Dr. Amy Maples will be out observing SEAs in action.  We will focus on the during-the-day tutoring instruction being provided by the SEAs.  The observation tool can be viewed via the following address:  https://tinyurl.com/3bn5m36u.

Spring Semester Preparations:  A voice-over presentation will be provided in December to ensure all building leaders are apprised of the upcoming action steps aligned with the Literacy Commitment compliance items.  This communication is disseminated in the following manner: emailed directly to the Leads, posted in LeaderBoard, and posted in Monday Memo.

As we move through the current athletic season, it is important to reaffirm our collective commitment to the values that define educational athletics — sportsmanship, respect, and integrity. These principles are central to the mission of interscholastic sports and essential to fostering a positive and safe environment for all participants. 

Incidents of unsportsmanlike behavior include but are not limited to verbal altercations, ejections, and confrontations involving players, coaches, and spectators. Such actions undermine the purpose of our programs and set a poor example for our student-athletes. We must all work together to model and enforce the highest standards of conduct at every level of competition. 

Those penalties include but are not limited to $250 fine (minimum), game suspensions, forfeits and program probations.   

Examples of Infractions: 

• Head coaches and assistant coaches ejected from contests with security escorts for derogatory language
• Players leaving the bench area to join altercations happening on the floor
• Players being ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior ex. fighting, derogatory language etc…
• Spectators entering the court/field of play without prior approval from the game administrator

To ensure sportsmanship standards are upheld, here is a brief video explaining TSSAA Unsportsmanlike Conduct Rules to support you in establishing the following practices: 

• All staff, athletes, and fans understand that respect for officials, opponents, and one another is non-negotiable
• Incidents of misconduct are addressed immediately and reported through the proper channels
• Each school continues to promote positive sportsmanship as a central part of its athletic culture

Let us continue to provide our student-athletes with experiences that emphasize character, teamwork, and responsibility. Thank you for your leadership, attention to compliance, and commitment to maintaining the integrity of education-based athletics. 

Greatness Grows Here

Office of Enrollment-Attendance-Truancy 

Attendance Procedures and Reminders

Show Up for Greatness: Attendance Monitoring and Recognition

• Please note that our third 20-day school attendance period ended 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.

 Spotlight on Success: Celebrating Our Students and Schools in December! 

• We are excited to recognize and celebrate throughout the month of December the hard work and positive growth within our student body.
• We are seeking nominations for students who have demonstrated outstanding attendance, shown significant improvement in their attendance, or positive behavior and leadership within the school community.
• If you know a student who deserves a spotlight, please reach out directly to our office. We would like to honor the selected student(s) with a special recognition and a meaningful gift to celebrate their achievement!
• We will also be tracking overall school attendance and selecting schools to recognize for their collective effort and improvement during December.

 Greatness Spotlight : Let’s Celebrate Perfect Attendance – The Gold Standard

• Through the third 20-Day Attendance Period, 19,058 students across Memphis-Shelby County Schools have achieved Perfect Attendance, a powerful demonstration of their commitment to excellence and their willingness to Show Up for Greatness every day.
• These outstanding Gold students exemplify what it means to be present, prepared, and focused on achieving their academic goals.  Their consistency reflects not just individual determination, but the strength of the entire school community that surrounds them.
• Our Gold Students remind us that Greatness Starts with Showing Up.  Their achievement strengthens our entire district and moves us closer to our goal of reducing chronic absenteeism and increasing academic outcomes for every student.

Celebrating Our Gold , Silver , and Bronze Attendance Champions

As we continue our districtwide commitment to Show Up for Greatness, we are proud to share an exciting milestone in our attendance efforts.  Across Memphis-Shelby County Schools, 94,233 students have earned recognition through our Gold, Silver, and Bronze Attendance Tiers reflecting their dedication, resilience, and ongoing commitment to academic success.

 Congratulations to Our Attendance Achievers!

 46,997 Gold Students – Exemplary Attendance

These students have demonstrated outstanding commitment by consistently showing up every day, on time, and ready to learn.  Their exemplary attendance places them in our highest honor tier, and they will be recognized and celebrated across our schools and regional teams.  Gold students set the bar for excellence and exemplify what it means to Be Present. Be Great.

 23,299 Silver Students – Strong and Steady Progress

Our Silver-tier students continue to build positive attendance habits and are making clear strides toward excellence.  They are showing consistency, responsibility, and improvement.  Schools are encouraged to celebrate these students while motivating them to keep pushing toward Gold status. With continued support and encouragement, they are well on their way.

 23,937 Bronze Students – Growing with Support

Bronze-tier students represent an important group with great potential for improvement. These students will receive targeted, student-centered interventions aligned to their barriers, attendance patterns, and individual needs.  Attendance Liaisons, GOS teams, counselors, and school leaders will work collaboratively to ensure each student receives wraparound support that strengthens their path to success.

 A Collective Effort

This achievement is possible because of the unwavering support of:

• Principals and school leaders who reinforce the importance of daily attendance
• Teachers who create welcoming, engaging learning environments
• Attendance Liaisons, Advisors, and support staff who monitor, encourage, and connect with families
• Parents and guardians who make daily attendance a priority

Your leadership ensures that every student, whether Gold, Silver, or Bronze knows that their presence matters and that we believe in their potential.

Let’s continue to build on this momentum, celebrate our students’ achievements, and remain unwavering in our commitment to improving attendance across every school and region.

Approval Required for IEP/504 General Choice Transfer Rescissions

• For students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan whose transfer is recommended for rescission, our department confers with General Counsel to ensure compliance with all relevant special education laws and regulations.

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 ten 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 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
• 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 primary attention should be on students who have been withdrawn due to ten consecutive unexcused absences.
• Regularly monitor your withdrawal list in PowerSchool and contact your assigned Truancy Liaison for guidance and support.
• Ensure all withdrawal documentation is complete and accurate, including evidence of outreach efforts and parent contact attempts, before finalizing the student’s withdrawal.
• Each School is required to designate individuals to conduct SART Meetings and those meetings must be logged in PowerSchool. This is imperative as we continue to identify students who are habitually absent/truant in school.

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 kindergartners 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.)

Decision Analytics and Information Management (DAIM)

• For all the recent Compass updates, training opportunities, “How To” guidance, and additional DAIM support needs, please click the link below for the most recent newsletter.
• Click here for the November DAIM Newsletter.

Upcoming Dates and Meetings

• Exemplary Attendance and Great Attitudes Board Presentation
  • Districts: District 4 (Tamarques Porter)

                          District 5 (Sable Otey)

                          District 6 (Keith Williams)

• Date & Time: December 2, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
• Location: MSCS Board of Education- Board Auditorium

The District's Spelling Bee is back! We’re encouraging all elementary and middle schools to host a school-level Spelling Bee and give students the chance to showcase their spelling skills and confidence on stage.

The MSCS Spelling Bee will highlight our spectacular spellers in grades 1-8. But first, they’ll need to win your school’s spelling bee by Friday, January 23, 2026. Now is the time to identify your Spelling Bee Coordinator and plan for e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-c-e.

Sign-Up Here: Spelling Bee Intent to Participate 2025-26

If you have questions about how to get started, join us please let us know.

For more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, visit spellingbee.com/enrollment to learn more and register your school. Participation in the Scripps Bee is NOT required for participation in the MSCS Spelling Bee.

Thank you for all you do to create meaningful learning opportunities for our students and for helping them build confidence through friendly academic competition!

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

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>.

Please ensure that you submit requests for interpretation support at events through the Ivanti work order system. If an event request is not submitted in advance, we cannot guarantee that support will be provided. Below are the steps to submit a request.

(Requests must be submitted at least seven (7) days in advance.) 

Interpretation Requests for non-Exceptional Education Department meetings: 

Visit the Ivanti Work Orders icon on the Edugoodies website or use the following link:

mscsk12-amc.ivanticloud.com:Service Catalog. 

Select Service Catalog 

On the left menu, click ESL 

Choose ESL Interpreter Request  

Document Translation Requests: 
Follow the same steps above and select ESL Translation Request. 

This includes options for translating all general school-based documents except transcripts. 

District-wide translations for Spanish are handled by the Bilingual Communications team within the Communications Department. To request this service, click on Communications on the left menu. 

Growth & Achievement containers are open for educators who transferred schools or were hired after the initial window closed on Monday, November 3. The containers will close Friday, November 21. 

Educators who did not make G & A selections during the initial window may also make selections during this time.   

If you have questions, please reach out to Employee Performance and Support by telephone: (901)-416-2475 or email: eps@scsk12.org.

The deadline to complete TEM Announced Observation #1 is Friday, December 5.

School Administrators (Principals, VP, and APs), Regional Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents may access their school's data using the following link: 

25-26 Evaluation KPI Dashboard

Questions? Please reach out via email: eps@scsk12.org or by telephone: (901) 416-2475.

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has released 2024–25 Educator Level of Overall Effectiveness (LOE) scores in TNCompass.

To receive an LOE score, all required component scores (depending on the evaluation type) must be present in TNCompass. Components may include:

1. Observation
2. Achievement
3. Growth
4. Professionalism
5. Student Perception Survey.

*LOE Generation/Evaluation Track Update

• Educators identified as Partial Year Exemption (PYE) will not receive an LOE score.
• Evaluation tracks have been updated in PLZ for educators who have generated LOE scores.
• Educators new to MSCS who have generated LOEs should email eps@scsk12.org to have their tracks updated.
• There are approximately 1,200 educators who have not generated LOE scores.  These educators selected achievement measures that have embargoed data.  Scores will be updated when the data is released.

*Best of All 

The “best of” option will apply to AGM-URS (K-2 ELA Teachers—IReady)  scores for the 2024-25 school year.  

• Educator level of overall effectiveness (LOE) scores based on TN-URS data, when available, will be used only if the scores are higher than LOE scores produced with the educator’s selected TVAAS composite growth score.
• Both LOE scores will be displayed in the TNCompass platform, but only the higher of the two will be used.

Due to challenges with CTE data submissions, a “best of” option is available for educators who have selected TVAAS CTE Concentrator or TVAAS CTE as their growth measures for the 2024-25 school year only. 

• The District will select another growth measure from available measures, as determined appropriate for that educator.

All SY24-25 evaluations in TN Compass should be finalized and signed by Personal Identification Number (PIN) by the Educator and Administrator by December 10, 2025.  The process must be initiated by the school Administrator.

If you have questions about missing component scores or other evaluation-related questions, please submit an Ivanti ticket so the EPS team may research the issue. Employees may use this ​​​​step sheet​​​​ ​​for information on how to submit a ticket. 

Hello Leaders,

We wanted to provide a brief update regarding our Leadership Labs schedule.

To allow everyone focused time to successfully navigate the critical closeout of the first semester, we will be pausing our Leadership Labs for December.

We look forward to reconvening and diving back into our collaborative work starting on Thursday, January 8, 2026!

Details regarding Lab topics/implementation framework, along with the PLZ codes, will be posted in the December Leaderboards.

Wishing you a strong and successful semester closeout!

Thank you for your active engagement during November's Leadership Development Week. Your contributions helped make it a meaningful and impactful experience. 

As a follow-up, please find the shared resource folder linked below for your continued reference and support: November LDW Resources

If you would like to access previous LDW resources, please use this link: 2025-2026 LDW Resources

Important Update: There will not be a full week of Leadership Development sessions in December. Instead, we will hold one meeting exclusively for Principals. Other leadership groups will not participate in this meeting.

Contact Us: performanceandleadership@scsk12.org 

Canvas courses have been reopened until Friday, December 5. Completed courses will not populate to PLZ transcripts until the window closes. During the week of December 8, teachers should resubmit their PLZ transcript to the principal or her/his designee for review. 

🚨 Critical Reminder: Required Submissions for ILT Stipends

To ensure all ILT members receive their stipend payments before the holiday break, we need your immediate attention and cooperation on two critical submission deadlines.

Please ensure the following two documents are submitted no later than December 8th:

• Fall 2025 ILT Teacher Logs (with principal signature on each line)
• ILT Stipend Bi-Weekly Excel Sheet (with principal signature)

⚠️ Important Stipend Payment Notice:

If these required documents are not submitted by the December 8th deadline, the corresponding ILT members will unfortunately not receive their stipend payment before the holidays. Our payroll processing timeline is strict, and late submissions will necessitate payment in the following cycle.

We understand the workload during this time of year, and we are here to support you in meeting this crucial deadline collaboratively. Please reach out immediately if you foresee any challenges completing these submissions by December 8th, so we can work together to find a solution.

 Flyer: December ILT Flyer Updated 11.20.25.pdf

Contact Manager Ron Clark @ scsiltstipends@scsk12.org for support and guidance.

Report Updates:

• School Information has a new location in the MSCS Compass under School Trends. This dashboard provides current year and historical data on each school, including senior leadership and school contact information, grade levels served, state letter grades, and school year calendars.
   
• Data for the 3rd 20-Day period is available in the Show Up for Greatness report. Click here to see the user guide.
   
• Updated AP Exam Scores (24-25 SY) are available in the Ready Graduates dashboard. Click here to see the user guide.

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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!

• No VOH this week because of Thanksgiving.
• We’ll be back next week on 12/2 and 12/4 with sessions on Subscribing to Reports in Power BI. See you then!
• 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.