Educational Leadership and Professional Development Action Item

DATE:	Tuesday, May 15, 2018
TO:	School Board Members
FROM:	Jeff Eakins, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS
Approve the First Amendment to the Memorandum of Agreement with The University of Tampa (Educational Leadership and Professional Development)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Educational Leadership and Professional Development (ELPD) has partnered with The University of Tampa to design an Educational Master’s Degree Program with an emphasis on Turnaround Leadership for teachers to assist in improving the district’s schools with the highest needs.  Educational Leadership is required to become an assistant principal in the state of Florida, and is the first step needed to enter the Hillsborough Principal Pipeline. The purpose of the degree is to recruit aspiring administrators to teach in high-need schools while earning their Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and to develop their capacity to lead in a high-need school through reflecting on and studying effective practices in turnaround leadership. The group of 15 highly effective teachers selected will participate in a two-year course of study focused on leading in a high-need school. Staff from The University of Tampa and Hillsborough County Public Schools will work together to select a yearly cohort of talented teachers to enter the program. Hillsborough Staff will provide support and feedback to the cohort throughout the process in order to eventually place them into assistant principal positions. The teachers selected have agreed to serve the district in a high-need school for a minimum of six years.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Improve the high school graduation rate • Provide a student-centered learning environment that engages every child • Recruit, support, and retain a highly effective and diverse workforce
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  Yes)
There will be a financial impact associated with the tuition costs for each of the cohorts.  These costs will be paid from the Turn Around Leadership Grant dollars.  The district will pay tuition for 15 participants at $9,000 each for a cost of $135,000 per cohort.
EVALUATION
Teachers interested in the program will go through a rigorous and competitive selection process. In-depth tracking and continuous performance evaluation of cohort members will be key factors in determining program success. Data on the teachers selected will be maintained during the two-year course of study, after graduation, and during the time they serve as an assistant principal. The effectiveness of the leaders will be captured for six years. Upon completion of their Master’s Degree and the Future Leaders Academy, leaders will begin their assistant principal careers with a highly effective principal in a less-demanding school, and then move to a high-need school after serving a minimum of two years in an entry-level assistant principal position. The University of Tampa was selected to provide turnaround support due to their willingness to work together to design a comprehensive curriculum with relevant field experiences, partner with our system to select candidates, and utilize our principals in high-need schools as expert partners. ELPD has designed an extensive process to evaluate program effectiveness and will be ready to report results in 2020. As a result of the program, high performing, experienced administrators will be prepared to serve in any of our high-need schools.
SUBMITTED BY:

Tricia McManus		Gretchen Saunders
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Leadership and Professional Development (813) 272-4876		Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270
		C 6.15
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20180515_878 (Board Meeting followed by Public Hearing) * Section C Item# 6.15