Principals please review the 8/31 MTSS Lead Weekly Updates.

All Returning Observer participants must successfully complete their TEM coursework and calibration by Tuesday, September 8, to remain certified for the 2026-27 school year. 

Important: If you are still in an eligible role for certification and did not receive the email, please contact EPS at eps@scsk12.org. 

School leaders, please designate a Student Perception Survey Site Coordinator for your school by completing the Student Perception Site Coordinator Designation Form by Friday, September 11, 2026.

The designated coordinator will serve as the school’s primary point of contact and support survey communication, scheduling, technology preparation, participant verification, and participation monitoring throughout the fall survey administration.

Note: If a coordinator is not designated, the principal will receive coordinator communications.

Student Perception Site Coordinators will be required to attend a mandatory training in October.  

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 if you have any questions or concerns regarding TEAM certification for 2026-2027.

The TEM TEACHer Training Series is open for ALL teachers. This series supports educators with identifying teacher and student actions that guide effective instruction at performance levels 3-5 of the TEACH indicators. 

Fall Sessions: 

• Indicators 1 & 2: September 14, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Indicators 3 & 4: September 21, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Indicators 5, 6, & 7: October 5, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Register in PLZ, course #50609. 

For questions or support, please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.

Evaluation Plans

• NIE and TEAM plans have populated in PLZ. Visibility in the evaluator's staff evaluation tab requires the employee to select his/her evaluator.
• TEM Classroom/Non-Classroom plans are populating daily.  All TEM Classroom/Non-Classroom plans are expected to be uploaded by September 4.

Initial Evaluation Tracks

At the beginning of the school year, all educators will be placed on one of two evaluation tracks:

• Novice:  No prior year LOE.  Any educator who has no prior year LOE will be assigned to the novice evaluation track, as well as non-PYE (Partial Year Exempt) educators who have missing or incomplete TEM components (e.g., observations, professionalism, or student growth data)
• Proficient:  All educators who are expected to generate a LOE will be placed on the Proficient track.

Instructions for New MSCS Educators Expected to Receive SY25-26 LOE Scores

Educators who joined MSCS from another District in Tennessee and are expected to generate a LOE score should notify Employee Performance and Support via email when their SY25-26 LOE score is received.  Evaluation tracks for these employees will be processed upon verification of scores in TN Compass.   

Future Track Adjustments

All other SY26-27 evaluation tracks will automatically be adjusted in mid-January to accurately reflect SY25-26 Level of Overall Effectiveness (LOE) scores.  The updated evaluation track changes will be visible in PLZ and on the Evaluation KPI Dashboard.  A notification will also be placed in Leaderboard.  

Questions:  Email Employee Performance at Support-eps@scsk12.org

Own Your Impact. The Difference You Make Matters. 

The NIE Goal Setting Conference season is here! As the first step in the Non-Instructional Evaluation (NIE) process, the Goal Setting Conference provides an opportunity to establish meaningful goals and begin documenting the impact you make every day.

IMPORTANT: NIE Employees will need to select their evaluator first, in order for the evaluator to have access to their NIE plan in PLZ. In addition, the evaluator must be NIE Certified.

View the flyer below for important information, key dates, and resources to help you get started. 

• SY26-27 NIE Goal Setting Conference Flyer

Goal Setting Conferences are due by October 23, 2026.

Questions? Contact EPS@scsk12.org

Fine Arts, Physical Education (2nd and 5th grades), Pre-K, and World Language (French and Spanish) educators will submit TEAM Student Growth Portfolios for SY2026-27. Please complete the TEAM Student Growth Portfolio Teacher Information form by Friday, September 25.

Questions or concerns? Please email eps@scsk12.org.

The deadline to complete TEM New Observer Certification is Tuesday, March 30, 2027. 

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

Self-Paced Canvas Course PLZ Course #50074 OR 2-Day Virtual PLZ Course #50075 

For questions or support, please email eps@scsk12.org.

Leadership Lab: Optimizing Educator Growth Through Strategic Support

📢 Calling all Principals, Assistant Principals, Vice Principals, PLC Coaches, and Aspiring Leaders!

Are you ready to transform classroom observations from a routine compliance exercise into a high-impact growth engine for your school? Join us for an engaging, job-embedded Leadership Lab designed to sharpen your coaching lens, build teacher capacity, and drive real student outcomes!

Facilitated by an experienced practitioner with a record of impact, this lab creates a collaborative space to learn, practice, and refine the exact skills needed to lead high-performing schools.

🗓️ EVENT DETAILS AT A GLANCE

🎟️ SECURE YOUR SEAT TODAY!

⚡ Space is limited! Log into PLZ today to register for your preferred September session date. Let’s partner together to unlock the full potential of our educators and students!

View Session Details Here: MSCS Leadership Lab Sessions September 2026.docx

Enrollment Procedures and Reminders

Reminder: Policy 6002 Revisions & Compliance

Please take a moment with your team to review the updated Policy 6002 guidelines:

• General Choice Transfers: Ensure strict adherence to transfer rescission timing (end-of-semester only), mandatory written warning letter procedures, and review grounds for revoked transfers to protect due process.
• Shared Residency: Confirm you have three valid address verification documents on file (excluding promotional mail) and that the required shared residency notice is prominently posted in your front office.

Ensure administrative and front office staff are fully aligned with these requirements.

Homeschool Guidance for Families

• Information & Inquiries: For questions regarding homeschooling options, parents can contact mscshomeschool@scsk12.org.
• Ready to Apply: Families can submit their formal application directly through the MSCS Homeschool Application Portal.
• Re-Enrolling in MSCS: Parents interested in re-enrolling students from homeschool back into the district can view the Re-Enrollment Information Flyer for details and next steps.

Attendance Procedures and Reminders

• With the school year underway, daily attendance remains a top district goal. All staff are encouraged to reinforce consistent presence and keep students engaged.
• Our focus is to increase Average Daily Attendance (ADA), reduce Chronic Absenteeism (CA), and lower truancy rates. Attendance Liaisons will align with truancy prevention, RTI-B frameworks, and counseling services to address barriers early. Explore the MSCS Student Attendance Pact Guide to see how students, families, and staff can team up to make every day count.
• CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE MSCS ATTENDANCE PACT GUIDE

Action Required: Daily Attendance Compliance

Principals, accurate daily attendance tracking is critical to student safety, truancy monitoring, and our district compliance under MSCS Policy 6014. Please ensure your teaching staff follows these required procedures:

• Teachers must submit attendance electronically in PowerTeacher Pro within the first 10 minutes of every class period or homeroom.
• Paper rosters or offline forms are strictly prohibited.
• Office staff and attendance administrators must review and fully reconcile all daily attendance discrepancies before the end of the school day.
• Daily record-keeping is a legal and district mandate. Unsubmitted or falsified attendance directly impacts state funding and places your school out of compliance.

Thank you for your leadership in keeping your building on track and maintaining 100% daily compliance across all classrooms.

Student Withdrawal & No-Show Reminder

• No-Show Withdrawals: Please clear all attendance entries before processing a no-show withdrawal, and backdate the exit date to August 3, 2026.

• Ensure you select the correct exit code when withdrawing a student, and update any existing codes promptly to maintain accurate records.
• Always include a detailed comment explaining the reason for the withdrawal.
• For questions or guidance, reach out to our office at studentservices@scsk12.org.

Student Absence Form via PowerSchool Parent Portal

• Encourage parents to regularly verify and update their contact details via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
• Parents can submit and track absence notifications directly from their mobile devices or computers using the Student Absence Form in the portal.  Attendance Pact Guide Infographic.pdf

"Show Up for Greatness" District Initiative

We are continuing the Show Up for Greatness initiative to support our regional service model and tiered interventions:

• Tier 1: Show Up for Greatness
• Tier 2: Everyday Counts
• Tier 3: Be Present. Be Great.

Schools will continue using the Show Up for Greatness tracking application to monitor progress and log student supports. Supports must be logged for every 20-day period, with all entries recorded promptly at the end of each cycle.

Truancy Procedures and Reminders

Administrative Action Items

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

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.

SART Meeting & Truancy Clearance Guidance

As we strengthen our attendance practices, please ensure schools and attendance teams hold SART meetings for all students with five (5) or more unexcused absences in PowerSchool.

When a student receives a Truancy Clearance to enroll, complete the following:

• Conduct a SART meeting with the student and parent/guardian.
• Complete the Parent Student Support Plan (PSSP).
• Record the appropriate PSSP log entry in PowerSchool.

 Access the PowerSchool PSSP Step Sheet

These steps help us address absences, identify barriers, provide support, and accurately document our efforts to improve attendance. 

Reminder: Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento

Please ensure students and families experiencing housing instability are enrolled immediately, as required by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and district guidelines.

• Allow the student to start school right away. Do not delay enrollment for missing residency documents, transcripts, immunizations, or a Truancy Clearance.
• Complete and submit the McKinney-Vento/Displaced Student Referral so the family receives support as quickly as possible.
• A Truancy Clearance should never be used as a prerequisite or reason to delay enrolling a student.

If you have questions about eligibility or procedures, please reach out to Dr. Karen Ball-Johnson or the FACE/Special Populations team.

Student Support Services Resource Guide

Student Support Services Resource Guide

Please save and reference this guide to support your staff, students, and school community throughout the year:

Office of Student Support Services Resource Guide

Highlighted Reports:

• A new report for tracking Project Graduation enrollments is available in the Student Enrollment dashboard. With this report, you can track course enrollments in Project Graduation by subject area, course name, teacher, and room. Check out the user guide for more information. Project Graduation information is also available in the Raw Data, District Quick Report, and Student Report pages. Click here to see all user guides for the Student Enrollment dashboard. 
   
• The During the Day ELA Tutoring Compliance Report in the Tutoring Dashboard has been updated to include K-5 students. K-2 are retained students from the prior year. 3-5 are students who require tutoring based on the Literacy Commitment process. You can use this report to track students who are required to enroll, their enrollment status, and attendance rate. The report also now includes Charter School students by default for staff with District-Level access. Charter School data is available to identify students required to enroll. The enrollment status and attendance of these students is not tracked. Charter School students can be filtered out using the Filter Pane on the right side of the screen. For more information about the DLD ELA Tutoring Compliance Report, click here.
   
• Data for the 1st 20-Day Attendance Period is available within the Show Up for Greatness Report in the Student Attendance dashboard. Data in this report will update the day after each 20-day period ends. Note that due to inclement weather and school closures, some schools may be on different 20-day schedules. This report is based on the number of instructional days. Click here for the user guide.
   
• The 1:1 Devices Dashboard has been sunset and is no longer available within the MSCS Compass. This includes all reports within the dashboard. User guides for these reports have also been archived and are no longer available on the DAIM Support Hub.

Coming Soon:

• Student Attendance will soon include updated at-risk levels for Chronic Absenteeism. This will replace the High, Medium, and Low Risk levels currently available. The new levels will include: Less Than 10 Days Enrolled, Low Risk (attendance rates of 95.1-100%), Medium Risk (90.1-95%), High Risk (Recovery Possible) (90% or less, but there are enough days in the year left to recover), and High Risk (Recovery Not Possible) (90% or less, and there are not enough days in the year left to recover). This will be available in the Student Attendance dashboard, and Student Snapshot. The District 360 dashboard will be updated at a later date TBD.  For the Student Attendance user guides, click here.
   
• The Student Discipline dashboard will soon include updated data from the Student Intervention Platform (SIP). This will include the creation of a new Student Intervention Report within the Discipline dashboard, as well as updates to the District Quick Report, Raw Data, and Student Report pages.  The District 360 dashboard will be updated at a later date TBD. For the Student Discipline user guides, click here.

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Upcoming Training Sessions: 

Virtual Office Hours this week (9/8 and 9/10) will be a review of the new Student Discipline: Progressive Discipline and Student Intervention Reports.

For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! Sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.  on Microsoft Teams. 
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Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings. 

 
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Monthly Newsletter: 

Check your inbox! On the second 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.
---------------------------- 

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.   

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.

09.07.26.Principal Health Screening Calendar.pdf

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

Immunization Plan

Please review the Immunization Plan for 2026-2027.

09.07.26.ImmunizationPlan.pdf

Handwashing Advisory

Please review the Handwashing Advisory for 2026-2027.

09.07.26.HandwashingAdvisory.26.27.pdf

Medication Training

Please review the Medication Training for 2026-2027.

09.07.26.MedicationTraining.pdf

CPR/AED/NARCAN Training

Please review the CPR/AED/NARCAN Training Flyer.

09.07.26.CPR.AED.Narcan Classes.pdf

School Care and Immunization Training

Please review the School Care and Immunization Training Flyer.

09.07.26.SchoolCareImmunizationTraining.pdf

Healthy Teams

Please review Healthy Teams for 2026-2027.

09.07.26.HealthyTeams.pdf

District Approved Medical Service Vendors

Please review the list of approved vendors.

09.07.26.DistrictApprovedMedicalServiceVendors.pdf

Assigned School Nurse Absence

Please review the information regarding assigned school nurses' absence.

09.07.26.Nursing.pdf

Physical Education Survey

09.07.26.PESurvey.pdf

Purpose of Title IX in Athletics

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities, including athletics. Schools are required to provide equitable athletic opportunities, benefits, and services for all students. Equity does not mean identical treatment; rather, it means that the overall athletic experiences and opportunities available to female and male students are comparable.

Principal Responsibility

Principals are responsible for ensuring that athletic programs are administered in a manner that provides fair and equitable opportunities for all student-athletes. Compliance is evaluated by reviewing the overall athletic program and identifying any disparities that negatively affect students based on sex. A single significant inequity or multiple smaller inequities may result in concerns regarding Title IX compliance.

Key Areas of Athletic Equity

Schools should regularly evaluate the following areas to ensure equitable opportunities and treatment for all student-athletes:

1. Accommodation of Interests and Abilities

Schools should provide athletic opportunities that reflect the interests and abilities of both female and male students. Opportunities should be reviewed periodically to ensure participation needs are being met.

2. Equipment and Supplies

Student-athletes should have equitable access to quality equipment, uniforms, practice gear, and supplies. Replacement schedules and overall quality should be comparable across programs.

3. Scheduling of Games and Practice Times

Practice times, competition schedules, and access to facilities should be allocated fairly. One group should not consistently receive preferred practice times or competition opportunities.

4. Travel and Transportation

Transportation arrangements, travel accommodations, and meal allowances associated with athletic participation should be equitable and reasonably comparable across programs.

5. Coaching and Academic Support

Student-athletes should have equitable access to qualified coaches, supervision, and any academic support services provided through athletics.

6. Compensation and Assignment of Coaches

Schools should ensure that coaching assignments, workloads, and compensation practices are administered fairly and equitably.

7. Locker Rooms, Practice, and Competitive Facilities

Facilities used by student-athletes should provide comparable quality, accessibility, maintenance, and convenience. Differences should be based on legitimate sport-specific needs rather than gender.

8. Medical and Training Services

Athletic training services, injury treatment, and medical support should be available equitably to all student-athletes.

9. Publicity and Promotion

Schools should provide equitable visibility and recognition for athletic programs through announcements, websites, social media, publications, awards, and special events.

10. Funding and Support Services

Budget allocations, support services, and access to resources should be reviewed to ensure equitable benefits and opportunities for all athletic programs. Equal spending is not required, but inequitable treatment is prohibited.

Understanding Equity in Athletics

Title IX does not require schools to:

• Offer the exact same sports for girls and boys.
• Spend identical amounts on girls' and boys' athletic programs.
• Provide identical facilities, equipment, or resources.

Instead, Title IX requires schools to provide equivalent athletic opportunities, benefits, and treatment to female and male student-athletes. Compliance is evaluated based on the overall athletic program, including factors such as equipment and supplies, facilities, scheduling, coaching, travel, medical services, and publicity. Differences may be permissible when based on legitimate sport-specific needs or other nondiscriminatory factors, provided they do not result in unequal athletic opportunity.

Booster Clubs and Donations

Booster clubs and community supporters often provide valuable resources to athletic programs. However, schools remain responsible for maintaining equity regardless of the source of funding.

When a donation or booster club contribution significantly benefits one athletic program, administrators should assess whether comparable opportunities and benefits exist for other student-athletes. If disparities result from outside funding, schools may need to take additional steps to maintain equitable athletic opportunities.

Annual Principal Review Checklist

✓ Participation opportunities for all students

✓ Athletic program offerings and student interest

✓ Equipment, uniforms, and supplies

✓ Practice and competition schedules

✓ Facilities and locker rooms

✓ Transportation and travel arrangements

✓ Coaching assignments and support services

✓ Athletic training and medical services

✓ Publicity, recognition, and school communications

✓ Booster club contributions and donations

✓ Equity concerns, complaints, and corrective actions

Key Takeaway

The goal of Title IX athletics compliance is to ensure that all student-athletes have equitable access to opportunities, resources, support, and benefits. Principals play a critical role in monitoring athletic programs, identifying potential disparities, and ensuring that every student has a fair opportunity to participate and succeed in athletics. For additional support please reach out to the Athletic Office  901-416-7740 and/or the MSCS Title IX Office 901-416-5417.

Each year, Memphis-Shelby County Schools joins the nation in observing National Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15. Find the updated toolkit here.

Learn the essentials of MSCS's new online curriculum, as well how to enroll students, and run reports in Edgenuity. This session is recommended for PSCs, Graduation Coaches, and all district personnel who support students using Edgenuity for Grade Repair, Credit Recovery, Credit Accrual, or Homebound instruction. The VSOL Dept. is hosting multiple in-person trainings on Monday and Tuesday, September 14 and 15. Reference this flyer for training details and PLZ sign up info. 

(flyer link: https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/griffinrj_scsk12_org/IQBcYGKI_fVYQoiUwbowh5wAAY-zv7WxUoxmIFB-Sucz4X8?e=aHOrBQ )

Please be sure to review Student Government (Policy 6065).This policy applies to middle and high schools. ​

Each school shall establish an elected student council. The council shall be governed by its own constitution which shall be approved by the school principal. Defining the council’s jurisdiction shall be a joint and cooperative effort of the council, students, and the student government constitution.

Please provide the contact information for your school's Student Council or Student Government Association by Friday, September 25, 2026.

Sign-Up Link: MSCS Student Council and Student Government Advisors 2026-27 – Fill out form

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Billy J. Walker, II <Walkerbj@scsk12.org>.