Hillsborough County Public Schools Business
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve the Payment to Suncoast Earth Force for Services Associated with Their Partnership in Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Grant, Project #S215L070536 (Division of Student Services and Federal Programs)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) awarded $9,549,227 to HCPS for the district’s SLC grant project, entitled Tomorrow’s Leaders. The purpose of the program is to support activities that improve student academic achievement in large public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students. The following high schools are included in the grant: Armwood, Brandon, Durant, Hillsborough, Jefferson, King, Riverview, and Robinson. The district’s Supervisor for Academic Programs serves as Project Director for this grant. The awarded amount for year three of the five-year project is $2,063,246. Of this total amount, $46,183 is for project services rendered by Suncoast Earth Force. Earth Force will provide a Project Coordinator to oversee all aspects of the contractual work and the service learning program at targeted sites. In addition, they will provide a qualified trainer for monthly support meetings, loan advanced scientific equipment kits to improve the quality of student projects, and devote grant funds to provide mini-grants to targeted school sites. Finally, Earth Force will provide training in Service Learning by two qualified trainers for a total of 40 hours of professional development. Year three of the project began October 1, 2009, and ends September 30, 2010.

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

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

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: No)

Funding in the amount of $46,183 for this project is provided by the USDOE SLC grant, Project #S215L070536. HCPS is the grant’s fiscal agent and project funds reside with the district.

EVALUATION

Under the terms of the grant, HCPS is responsible for project evaluation. A copy of the annual reports and final evaluation report will be provided to HCPS Office of Assessment and Accountability. The anticipated due date for the year three annual report is December 30, 2010.

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 5.10
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20091103_364 * Section A Item# 5.10