IT would like to inform schools that the annual student account password reset will take place beginning at the end of business on July 31, 2026, and will be completed by 6:00 PM on Aug. 2, 2026. This security process has been conducted annually since 2013 to maintain district security standards.

What to Expect

• Student temporary passwords will be reset to PassXXXX (where XXXX is the last four digits of the student's ID number).
• Students will be prompted to create a new password within 10 minutes of logging into any district device. If a student is not prompted at initial sign-in, please have them sign in to a Microsoft 365 application such as Teams or Outlook, where they will be prompted to change their password.

Mass Password Reset Requests

Schools requiring five (5) or more password changes must submit a request through the Service Desk. Requested passwords must meet district security requirements:

• Minimum of 8 characters
• At least 1 uppercase letter
• At least 1 number or special character
• Cannot be a date of birth, a common password shared by multiple students, or anything easily guessed by peers

New Password Reset Reporting

Beginning this school year, IT will provide Academic Leadership with monthly password reset progress reports. These reports will help identify students who may not have accessed district devices or curriculum resources prior to testing windows and reduce the need for large-scale password reset requests during testing periods. We encourage schools to share this information with staff members to ensure everyone understands and follows the correct password reset process.

Thank you for your partnership in maintaining a secure learning environment.

Principals, the first MTSS Lead Weekly Updates have gone out for the 2026-27SY.  To ensure that communication is making it to the identified MTSS Lead for your school please update the Leadership Launchpad for RTI2. 

TEAM Student Growth scores have been released in the TeachAll platform. Portfolio educators may check TN Portfolio for scores.

Educators with questions regarding their portfolio score should contact their Content Advisor for score-specific feedback and guidance related to scoring results and content-area requirements.

Grievances may only be submitted for the following reasons:

Data Accuracy Issues – Evaluation data assigned to the wrong educator. Disagreement with a score is not grounds for a grievance.

• Procedural Errors – Significant evaluation process errors, such as missing required observations or conferences.
• Please refer to the Guidance for Grievance for complete procedures and eligibility requirements.

A portfolio will be assigned an Incomplete (I) and the teacher’s LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) score will NOT generate for the 2025-26 school year if any of the four collections were not 100% complete by the deadline. These educators will also be assigned to the Novice track in PLZ for SY26-27 and will receive 4 observations.

Please contact the District Portfolio Lead, Floresha Smith via email (smithf2@scsk12.org) for any questions or to report any issues.

In accordance with Tennessee State Board of Education Policy 5.201, all educators must be evaluated annually by a certified evaluator. To support administrators in meeting this requirement, Memphis-Shelby County Schools offers multiple pathways for obtaining or maintaining TEM Certification for the 2026–27 school year.

Returning Observers

An email was sent out in early June for recertification. Administrators who were previously certified as evaluators must:

• Complete the Self-Paced TEM Training in Canvas
• Complete the required Calibration Exercise in PLZ
• Complete all certification requirements by September 8, 2026

Important: If you are still in an eligible role for certification and did not receive the email, please contact EPS at eps@scsk12.org. All Returning Observers must successfully complete coursework and calibration by September 8, 2026, to remain certified for the 2026–27 school year.

New Observers

Administrators pursuing TEM certification for the first time can register for the course below:

Self-Paced Canvas Course

• PLZ Course #50074

2-Day Virtual 

• PLZ Course #50075

Completion of the selected training pathway and all required calibration activities is necessary to obtain TEM certification. All New Observers must successfully complete coursework and calibration by March 30, 2027.

For RETURNING NIE Evaluators that were previously NIE Certified during SY2025-2026, NIE Recertification is NOT REQUIRED for SY2026-2027. Eligible Returning NIE Evaluators will be automatically identified and added as NIE Evaluators in PLZ for SY2026-27.

- NEW NIE Evaluators  

For SY2026-2027, there are two (2) options offered in attaining NIE Evaluator Certification:  

• Self-Paced (Canvas)
• Live/Virtual Session

Course numbers and date information can be found HERE.  

Questions/Concerns? Send an email to eps@scsk12.org.  

The deadline to certify as an NIE Evaluator for SY2026-2027 is April 9.

According to state board rule 0520-02-01 and state board policy 5.201, all educators must be evaluated annually by a certified evaluator.

All evaluator certification training for 2026-27 is virtual.

• The window for RECERTIFICATION is from June 1, 2026 to September 9, 2026, 5 p.m. CT.
  • Those not completing recertification by September 9, 2026, 5 p.m. CT, will be required to complete initial certification.
  • Invitation: If you were a certified TEAM evaluator in 2025-26 and did not receive an invitation and process details, please be sure to check spam/junk folders. As invitations were sent in bulk, a firewall may have blocked receipt.
    • Registration is not required. Invitations to access the learning module and to take the recertification test will be sent directly to currently certified evaluators.
    • Contact TEAM.Questions@tn.gov if you are unable to find your recertification invitation.
• The window for INITIAL CERTIFICATION is from June 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, 5 p.m. CT.

All certification courses will be accessed in the TeachALL platform. You will need to access the courses with your Single Sign On or a self-created TeachALL account. 

Please Note: The department no longer issues a certificate at the end of evaluator courses. Evaluators can save their TASL email as proof of completion.

​**All TEAM Evaluator completion notifications should be forwarded to the Employee Performance & Support Department via email: EPS@scsk12.org.

For more information about TEAM training and certification, please visit the TEAM website  .

Contact the State at  TEAM.Questions@tn.gov should you have any questions or concerns regarding TEAM certification for 2026-2027.

Free Health Screenings

Please review the attached 2026–2027 Principals' Calendar for your scheduled Health & Wellness Day. The screenings include hearing, vision, height, weight, blood pressure, and scoliosis screenings for eligible students.

Principal Screening Calendar Semester 1 26-27.xlsx

If you have any questions regarding the schedule or the screening process, please contact the Health Promotions Department at 901-416-6432.

Important Notice: 

• The Rollover Summer Maintenance Process for the 2026-2027 school year has been completed. Dashboards will once again refresh and update regularly. Please consult the Refresh Schedule on the DAIM Support Hub for more information. New data will start populating on August 5th. 
   
• School staff who previously gained access to Power BI via the MSCS Compass Access App or by reaching out directly to DAIM may potentially no longer have access. Principals and APs can still go in and re-add these people to their school’s access.
   
• School staff with roles that automatically get access to Power BI who are at new locations this year should see their access automatically updated to the new school, as long as their location has also been updated in APECS and Active Directory.

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Upcoming Training Sessions: 

Virtual Office Hours will resume next week, on August 11th and 13th with a quick review of how to navigate the MSCS Compass.

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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Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings. 

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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.  

CRITICAL UPDATE: POLICY 6002 REVISIONS & HIGHLIGHTS

Attention Leaders & Principals: Please review the updated Policy 6002 guidelines below regarding General Choice Transfers and Shared Residency requirements.

1. General Choice Transfers Policy Updates

• Rescissions: Rescinding a transfer will only occur at the end of semesters.
• Warning Letter Requirements: Principals must notify parents/guardians in writing regarding any potential revocation of a transfer due to attendance, grades, or behavior issues.
• NEW REVIEW CRITERIA (Page 9, #4): Parents/guardians/custodians may only request a review of a revoked transfer for the following grounds:
  1. Violation of law, policy, regulation, or guideline.
  2. Inaccurate information/data (including clerical or system errors).
  3. Failure by the school/district to follow proper procedure affecting student transfer eligibility.
• Bottom Line: Principals must strictly adhere to the warning letter process to preserve due process and clear documentation.

2. Shared Residency Policy Updates

• NEW ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTATION (Page 16, B.5): Verification requires three (3) pieces of mail bearing the address where the student will reside during the current school year.
  • Now accepted: Current physical, online, or electronic documentation containing the parent/guardian name and address (e.g., bank/credit union statements, cell phone bills, department store or fuel credit card statements, court/IRS/Social Security/medical documents). (Excludes unsolicited "junk mail" or promotional advertisements).
• Front Office Posting Notice (Page 17): Schools must prominently post notice in the front office directing parents with registration/shared residency questions to contact the Office of Enrollment & Attendance. If the shared residency verification process takes longer than one (1) week, parents may contact the department directly for guidance.

OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE & TRUANCY 

ENROLLMENT & SCHOOL CHOICE

 2026–27 School Choice Portal & Transfers

• Application Access: Families can visit www.scsk12.org from any device to submit transfer requests.
• Who Needs to Apply?
  • New Applicants: Students seeking a transfer for the first time.
  • Transitioning Students: Students moving up a school level (e.g., rising 6th or 9th graders).
  • Note: Current General Choice students staying at their school in good standing do not need to reapply.
• School Action Steps: Host open houses and showcase school programs to recruit, retain, and reclaim students.

2026–2027 Registration: Open for All Students

• Registration for all new and returning students is open via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
• As we welcome our families, remember that first impressions matter. Please ensure your front office and registration teams are welcoming, knowledgeable, and fully prepared to assist with enrollment. Under no circumstances should any family be turned away.

Administrative Action Items:

• Post registration hours and clear instructions in highly visible areas, including all school entrances.
• Schedule school-based Registration Night(s) to assist families. If your school requires additional staffing or operational support, please coordinate directly with the Office of Enrollment and Attendance.
• Verify that all Registration Team members have completed their required refresher training via PLZ.
• For questions or dedicated enrollment support, please contact Stacey Davis at daviss2@scsk12.org.

Kindergarten Enrollment & Eligibility Guide

• Age Cut-off: Student must be 5 years old on or before August 15, 2026.
• Registration Deadline: Per state law, new kindergarteners cannot be enrolled after the first 30 days of the school year (September 30, 2026).
• Health Documentation: Physical exam and immunization records are mandatory at the time of enrollment.
• Early Entrance Screening: For children turning 5 between August 16 and September 30, 2026.
  • Department will coordinate school-based screenings with parental consent.
  • Cut-off: Children turning 5 after September 30, 2026, must enroll in Fall 2027.
  • Portal:  scsk12.org/registration/kindergarten

Grade Placement: Overage or Unenrolled Students (OAG)

• Students returning to MSCS after an extended absence or who are new to the district but have never been enrolled must undergo grade placement assessment.

Process:

1. Complete the OAG Placement Form: https://forms.office.com/r/UsRH8usW5C
2. If the student is already in PowerSchool:
   • Transfer to Registration School
   • Enroll in age-appropriate grade
   • Add entry comment: “Pending OAG Assessment”
   • Provide parent with PowerSchool credentials
   • Inform parent a placement team member will contact them via email
3. If the student is new to MSCS and has proof of residence:
   • Enroll in Registration School
   • Follow the same steps above

DAY ONE REMINDERS

Student Health & Immunization Readiness

• Direct families needing updated immunizations or physicals to submit consent via ShotRX Health and Wellness Solutions.
• Share link with school community: ShotRx901

"Back to Greatness" Block Party & Supply Drive

• When: Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Where: Memphis Sports and Event Center (995 Early Maxwell Blvd, Memphis, TN 38104)
• Highlights to Promote:
  • Free backpacks, school supplies, on-site immunizations, and school physicals.
  • Student registration assistance, Choice Transfers, and bus eligibility information.
  • Truancy intervention/prevention support, live music, prizes, food, and community partners.

TRUANCY

Administrative Action Items

• Update Team Contacts: Complete the 26-27 Attendance Team School Contact List promptly to ensure your campus receives critical truancy updates and support this year.

Key Update: Digital Truancy Clearances

The MSCS Truancy Clearance process is officially moving online.

• Families can submit clearance requests directly via a direct web link or QR code, streamlining the process and reducing campus paperwork.
• Digital clearance posters featuring the link and QR code will arrive on campuses soon. Please display and share these resources with families as needed.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting student attendance and success!