Approve Agreement for Technical Services with the HOPE Foundation for the Presentation at the Dr. Kevin McCarthy Accomplished Teaching Academy on June 20, 2008 – $6,300 (Curriculum and Instruction)

We request approval of the Agreement for Technical Services with HOPE (Harnessing Optimism and Potential through Education) Foundation for the services of Alan Blankstein to design, develop, and train high performing teachers on current trends and techniques regarding teacher leadership through the Accomplished Teaching Academy (ATA). Mr. Blankstein will train new and returning teachers on June 20, 2008, in a large group forum.

Mr. Blankstein, Founder and President of HOPE Foundation, will utilize excerpts from his book, “Faiilure Is Not An Option: Six Principles That Guide Student Achievement in High Performing Schools”, focusing on creating high-functioning leadership teams that consistently enable schools to close achievement gaps among students while enhancing overall success. Participants will develop action plans for improving student achievement that will be implemented during the 2008/2009 school year. Approximately 378 K-12 teachers will benefit from Mr. Blankstein’s services. These plans and their implementation will be shared with other teachers during the Accomplished Teaching Academy in June 2009.

The Dr. Kevin McCarthy Accomplished Teaching Academy was initiated in 2003 and has proved to be highly successful for enhancing instructional delivery skills for classroom teachers. The 2008 Academy is scheduled for June 17-20, 2008, at Jefferson High School.

Goal 5 – The district will close the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of ten percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

Funds of $5,300 are included in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Education budget, Project 4502 and $1,000 in the Accomplished Teaching Academy Internal Account at Jefferson High School. Funds cover the cost of training and materials for 378 K-12 teachers.

Participants will develop action plans specific to improving student achievement at their site during the Academy. Each program of work will be reviewed by the principal prior to implementation and a final evaluation submitted at the end of the school year, July 2009. Each evaluation will target measures of student achievement scores.