Approve Agreement for Technical Services with Irene Betancourt to Monitor the Enhancing Education Through Technology – “Leveraging Laptops: Effective Models for Enhancing Student Achievement” Grant - $25,531.24 (Curriculum and Instruction Division)

An Agreement for Technical Services has been developed with Irene Betancourt to monitor the Enhancing Education Through Technology – “Leveraging Laptops: Effective Models for Enhancing Student Achievement” Grant for the period October 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007.

Participating school sites include Village of Excellence Charter School; Bing, Potter, and West Tampa Elementary Schools; Madison Middle School; and Robinson High School. The provider will provide professional expertise to support these schools. Services will include collection of survey data, arranging and conducting trainings as outlined in the grant, and conducting bi-weekly visits to the participating school sites.

The Enhancing Education Through Technology – “Leveraging Laptops: Effective Models for Enhancing Student Achievement” Grant is a one year $1,012,722.96 competitive grant which will prepare students to enter adulthood with the 21st Century Skills necessary to be productive citizens. This grant promotes cross-grade collaboration using a variety of tool-based software, laptops, and Palm handheld devices to transform the learning environment at school and at home. One example of such collaboration is participating charter, elementary, middle, and high school students will utilize technology across the curriculum to provide emergency preparedness information to local, state, and national Emergency Operations Centers.

Goal 5 – The District will eliminate the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

Funds of $25,531.24 are included in the divisional special revenue/federal programs budget through Project 1057 - Enhancing Education Through Technology – “Leveraging Laptops: Effective Models for Enhancing Student Achievement” Grant.