Approve Classroom License Agreement Between Certiport and The School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida, to Provide Certification Testing for Career and Technical Education Students and Teachers (Career and Technical Education)

We request approval of this contract to provide certification testing for Career and Technical Education students and teachers in Hillsborough County Public Schools. This contract establishes a Certiport center in Hillsborough County in which students will be able to take the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification exams. These certification exams are recognized by industry and provide students with a marketable skill to take to the workforce.

In addition, these industry certification exams are a required component of Career Academies as outlined in Florida’s Career and Professional Education (CAPE) legislation. Students successfully earning industry certifications generate weighted FTE funding back to the Career and Technical Education programs where the student is enrolled and where the industry certifications are earned. Industry certifications are to be included in the calculation of school grades.

* Increase promotion rates at all grade levels and the percentage of high school graduates, * Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum

Funding for these certification tests will eventually be self-sustaining as earned certifications will generate weighted FTE to be used to pay for future student certification preparation and testing fees. Funds from the federal Carl D. Perkins Grant will also be used to pay for student’s certification fees. There will be no additional cost to the district.