Hillsborough County Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, August 10, 2010
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Purchase of Student Licenses for Renaissance Place for the 2010/2011 School Year (Curriculum and Instruction Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We request approval to purchase student licenses for Renaissance Place for the 2010/2011 school year. Renaissance Place is the portal used to facilitate Accelerated Reader (AR), STAR Reading and other Renaissance Learning software titles. Renaissance Learning is the sole source provider of this educational software.

In the previous versions of Accelerated Reader, some schools purchased many AR quizzes while others purchased very few. With the 2008 purchase of Renaissance Place, all 141 elementary sites have access to any AR quiz available. New quizzes are automatically updated into the database every Wednesday and all data management is provided from a district level. This alleviates the site of many technical issues as well as entering data and quizzes individually. No matter where in Hillsborough County Public Schools an elementary student transfers, they will have the same AR quizzes available and their historical record follows them. Parents can access “Home Connect” and follow their child’s progress in this program as well as setting up email alerts when their child has taken a quiz. This program has been provided to all elementary schools at no cost to the site; there is a recurring yearly subscription cost for student licenses. The yearly cost of student licenses for this program is $200,000; and this cost should remain constant through the 2012/2013 school year.

Support is provided digitally from the vendor as well as an “RP Conference” located in IDEAS for exchange of questions, suggestions, ideas and success stories. Two Moodle courses have been created: “Introduction to Renaissance Place,” a basic tutorial of how to use the program; “Renaissance Place Data Analysis,” how teachers can look at the data from this program and guide the student’s independent reading practice.

Executive Summary is continued on attachment.

ANNUAL DISTRICT GOAL(S) AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S)

* Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods, * Motivate students to become responsible learners

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

Funds of $200,000 are available from the Comprehensive Reading Plan (Project # 4526).

EVALUATION

Success will be measured through statistical data retrieved from Renaissance Place. This will include usage at each site and more importantly the success index based upon 85% or higher on reading comprehension quizzes.

SUBMITTED BY: Barbara B. Hancock, General Director, Elementary Education

Wynne A. Tye
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction
(813) 272-4221
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
A 5.10
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20100810_417 * Section A Item# 5.10