Hillsborough County Public Schools Business
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Payment to the University of South Florida (USF) for Year Four Services Associated with Their Partnership in Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Federal Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) Grant, PR/Award #S374A070100-10 (Student Services & Federal Programs Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Department of Education (USDOE) awarded $13,638,450 to HCPS to implement the TIF grant (Project Performance Optimized With Effective Rewards – POWER), which provides differentiated compensation for teachers and administrators at high poverty schools, in alignment with the State and District’s Merit Award Program (MAP), and the District’s Empowering Effective Teachers (EET) project. The awarded amount for year four of the five year project is $2,781,724. Of the total funds, $171,430 is allocated to USF to provide leadership training, and to perform the required project evaluation. Faculty and staff from USF College of Education’s Anchin Center, through the Tampa Bay Educational Partnership, a formal partnership with the University, are providing expert leadership training to assist school administrators in developing the specialized skills necessary to become effective leaders at high needs, high poverty schools. Dr. Brian Mann of the Anchin Center will serve as the project’s external evaluator. A description of the leadership training and evaluation plan is found in “Attachment A - Scope of Work,” of the attached subagreement. The Project Director is Christina Russell, Manager, Teacher Incentive Fund Grant. Year four of the five year project began July 1, 2010, and ends June 30, 2011.

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

* Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods, * Recruit, develop, and retain a highly effective, diverse workforce

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: No)

Funding for this project is provided by the USDOE, PR/Award # S374A070100-10. HCPS is the grant’s fiscal agent and project funds reside with the district.

EVALUATION

Under the terms of the grant, an external evaluator from USF, contracted by HCPS through this subagreement, will evaluate the project, providing Annual Reports to HCPS and the USDOE. Copies of the Annual Reports, and the final evaluation report will be provided to the District's Office of Assessment and Accountability. The year three Annual Report has been submitted to the USDOE, and will be amended in October to include incentive payout data for year three of the project.

SUBMITTED BY: Lynn Fell, Grants and Research Operations Officer

Gwendolyn L. Luney, Assistant Superintendent
Student Services and Federal Programs
(813) 272-4879
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
A 5.05
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20100921_426 * Section A Item# 5.05