Approve Consultant Agreement with Theodore Lewis Boydston, Ph.D., to Conduct the Evaluation of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Grant (Information and Technology Division)

The goal of EETT is to improve student achievement, assist students in crossing the digital divide, and encourage the integration of technology resources with teacher training and curriculum development. Additional grant information is attached. The consultant will assist with the evaluation of the portion of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant that deals with the use of technology in delivering specific curricula to students at all grade levels. Dr. Theodore Boydston will assist with this portion of the EETT grant evaluation. Dr. Boydston is currently working at the University of South Florida (USF) with the Alliance for Applied Research in Education and Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, as a Research Associate. In addition, he has worked at USF in the David C. Anchin Center, College of Education, as a Senior Research Associate working on grants researching the impact of educational reforms on classroom practices. Dr. Boydston is a retired Dade County School Board employee where he worked as the District Science Supervisor for 11 years. Dr. Boydston’s duties will include analyzing student/teacher/administrator technology skills evaluation data through the use of appropriate instruments and tools (Florida Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills, and conduct a formal evaluation of the district's EETT entitlement project including rigorous formative and summative evaluation methodology.

Goal 1: The percent of students scoring at level 3 or higher on FCAT Reading will increase a minimum of 5 percentage points (CSF 1a - Assign high performing teachers to teach students performing below grade level; 1b - Implement interventions for students below grade level, on grade level, and above grade level; 1c - Develop and administer assessments to monitor student progress, instructional pace, and appropriate level of instruction; 1d - Monitor student achievement and use that data as the basis for instructional decisions; 1e - Involve families in supporting literacy at home).

The EETT portion of the budget for this expenditure is $7500. The evaluation expense of $6500 is funded by the Enhancing Education Through Technology Grant (EETT), Project 1246. The funding from the grant is also used to pay for salaries for five DRTs (1 elementary science, 1 elementary mathematics, and 3 reading - one at each grade level. These DRTs assist in the delivery of the specific curricula through the use of technology. All district schools are provided services by the five resource teachers.

Final evaluation report is due September 2007.