Hillsborough County Public Schools Information and Technology
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Contract with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to Provide Support for the Collection of Parent Consent Forms for the Measures of Effective Teaching Research Project

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project is a national research project which has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Independent researchers, in partnership with school districts, principals, teachers, and unions, will work over the next two years to collect six types of data which sample the real work of real teachers in real classrooms. The data will be collected from English/language arts, mathematics and science classrooms at fourth through ninth grades. The data will be used to develop fair and reliable measures of effective teaching, which together will serve as an accurate indicator of a teacher's impact on student achievement.

Our district has been selected, along with four other school districts in the nation, to participate in the MET project. Due to eligibility requirements, we are estimating that 100 Hillsborough County elementary, middle, and high schools will be involved. Within the eligible schools, we are estimating that 1,000 consenting teachers and over 80,000 students will be subjects in the research project. A parent consent form is required for each student, whether permission is granted or not.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation will be paid $188,020 for consent form collection and consulting fees for this project. BMGF provided this additional funding specifically to contract with an outside consultant to ensure timely collection of the consent forms. The Hillsborough Education Foundation, already serving as fiscal agent for the Empowering Effective Teachers Grant, is well positioned to accept this responsibility.

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

* Increase promotion rates at all grade levels and the percentage of high school graduates, * Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods, * Motivate students to become responsible learners, * Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum, * Recruit, develop, and retain a highly effective, diverse workforce

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

The amount of $250,000 is budgeted in the MET Project for the consultant and additional support for consent collection.

EVALUATION

SUBMITTED BY: Faychone Durant, Administrator on Special Assignment, MET Research Project

David J. Steele, Ph.D.
Chief Information and Technology Officer and Project Director for Empowering Effective Teachers
(813) 272-4600
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
A 5.23
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20100112_390 * Section A Item# 5.23