Action Item
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Information and Technology
Action Item |
| DATE: | Tuesday, September 29, 2015 |
| TO: | School Board Members |
| FROM: | Jeff Eakins, Superintendent |
| SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| Approve Amendment to SchoolCity Contract and Software License Agreement to Add GradeCam Scanning Software for All Elementary Schools (Information and Technology Division) | |
| EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | |
| On December 9, 2014, the Board approved the award to provide an assessment platform to SchoolCity. The assessments are conducted on proprietary answer sheets and processed on OpScan® scanners. The district maintains a minimum of one scanner per school at an annual maintenance cost of $332 each. The scanners are aging, many seven years old or more. This Change Request Form amends the agreement with SchoolCity to include GradeCam software licenses for all third through fifth grade students. GradeCam will enable most document cameras and almost any inexpensive webcam to be used in place of the OpScan scanners. GradeCam is priced at $1 per student. The additional software cost is offset by the elimination of the annual scanner maintenance. Additionally, the costs of proprietary bubble answer sheets add up quickly. Using the GradeCam online form generator, teachers can print answer sheets on plain paper using any printer at a lower cost.
A pilot of the GradeCam software was conducted, with positive results, in eight elementary schools. Using the GradeCam software teachers are able to use any of the supported documents cameras available at the schools. Executive Summary continued on Attachment 1. |
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| STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES | |
| • Align the performance management system with the district's priorities | |
| FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes) | |
| The cost of this agenda item totals $49,508. This includes the $1 per student charge for all elementary students in grades three through five totaling $45,008, and a one-time setup fee of $4,500 for integration of GradeCam to SchoolCity's assessment system. In subsequent years the expense will increase as the program expands to include middle and high school students. The actual annual net cost will depend on the number of replaced scanners, repair cost of remaining scanners, and reduction in forms expense. Funds in the amount of $49,508 will be available in the Information and Technology Divisional budget for this year. The expenditure amount of $49,508 reflects 8 percent of the total budget for this program. For tracking purposes, the project number specific to the assessment platform program is 5093. As of September 17, 2015, the budgeted amount for the assessment platform program in project 5093 equals $573,475. | |
| EVALUATION | |
| SchoolCity will provide a GradCam usage report by grade level at the close of the school year to determine actual usage and value. | |
| SUBMITTED BY: Samuel R. Whitten, Director, Assessment and Accountability | |
| Anna L. Brown, Ed.D. | Gretchen Saunders | |
| Chief Information and Technology Officer 813-272-4600 |
Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270 |
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| A 6.27 | ||
| Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20150929_701 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 6.27 | ||