Curriculum and Instruction Action Item

DATE:	Tuesday, August 11, 2015
TO:	School Board Members
FROM:	Jeff Eakins, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS
Approve Agreement for Services with LiteracyTA, Inc. (LTA) for Curriculum Design and Support (Curriculum and Instruction Division)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LTA will provide 100 transferable licenses to a web-based dynamic teacher toolbox designed to assist teachers with standards-based reading comprehension and writing instruction.  The LTA web-based site delivers access to practical student materials, engaging activities, lessons, and teaching tools for reading, speaking, and writing about texts.  The teacher toolbox will be used by teachers and district curriculum staff members to design literacy-infused lessons to support standards-based literacy instruction in middle and high school English Language Arts and core content classrooms.  All materials created using LTA resources become the property of Hillsborough County Public Schools and can be reproduced and implemented perpetually throughout the district.  A live online interactive orientation is provided to the LTA users on how the online toolbox is accessed and used to create Florida Standards aligned lessons.  There will be 12 monthly 30-minute online meetings held with district staff to provide guidance and support.  Additional customer and technical support is provided on-demand via telephone and email.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Increase promotion rates at all grade levels and the percentage of high school graduates
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  Yes)
Funds of $100,000 are available from the Comprehensive Reading Plan, Project 4526.
EVALUATION
Implementation effectiveness data will be collected through surveys, observations, and Professional Learning Community agendas and reflections.  Florida Standards Assessment and School Improvement Plan evaluation markers, including formative and interim assessment data, will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the LTA impact at the classroom level.
SUBMITTED BY:  Lynn Dougherty-Underwood, Director, K-12 Literacy

Denny B. Oest		Gretchen Saunders
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction (813) 272-4221		Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270
		A 6.05
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20150811_698 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 6.05