Hillsborough County Public Schools Student Services and Federal Programs
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 2006
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Grant Application for the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), CFDA #: 84.374A, to be Submitted by July 31, 2006, to the U.S. Department of Education for up to $60,000,000 Over a Five-year Period (Student Services and Federal Programs Division; Human Resources Division; Information and Technology Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of the Teacher Incentive Fund, authorized as part of the FY2006 Department of Education Appropriations Act, P.L. 109-149, is to support programs that develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools, described in the Request for Proposal as schools with 30% or higher free/reduced lunch population. The goals of the grant include: improving student achievement by increasing teacher and principal effectiveness; reforming teacher and principal compensation systems so that teachers and principals are rewarded for increases in student achievement; increasing number of effective teachers teaching poor, minority, and disadvantaged students in hard-to-staff subjects; and creating sustainable performance-based compensation systems. The grant's project design and timeline are briefly described in the attached "Salary Differential Program Overview." By the end of the fifth year, approximately 85% of the District's schools will be phased into the grant.

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

All District Goals and Critical Success Factors.

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

The District is requesting $12,000,000 grant funds for each of five years. In the application's budget, the District is assuring that an increasing share of funds from sources other than this grant will be used to pay for earned differential compensation costs as they are phased in during the performance period. In the final year of the performance period, the District must ensure that at least 75% of differential compensation costs are not paid from this grant. The required match is outlined in the attached "Salary Differential Program Overview."

EVALUATION

The District's Department of Assessment and Accountability will coordinate, facilitate, and validate the development of instruments and data collection continuously throughout the grant period in order to provide feedback and revisions as needed. Annual reports will be submitted to the Board. Also, as the applicant, the District agrees to participate in a rigorous national evaluation that will provide a common design methodology, data collection instruments, and performance measures for all grantees funded under this competition.

SUBMITTED BY: Barbara Anderson, Ed.D.
 Constance Gilbert, Ph.D.
 Daniel I. Schultz, Manager, Applications Programs

Gwendolyn L. Luney
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Federal Programs
(813) 272-4879
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
5.09
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20060711_179 * Section E Item# 5.09