Approve the Annual Service and Support Renewal Agreement with Pearson Digital Learning for Waterford and Successmaker Reading and Math in 38 Title I Schools for the 2008-2009 School Year (Student Services and Federal Programs Division)

Currently, Pearson Digital Learning provides programmatic and technical support for its Waterford Early Learning and Successmaker products in 35 Title I Schools. Next year, three additional schools will be provided this support. In an effort to minimize the yearly support/service costs for individual schools and maximize the effectiveness of each school’s implementation, the district is consolidating all schools under Pearson’s Partnership Plus agreement. Through this agreement, more than $200,000 will be saved at individual schools. In addition, Pearson will allow any schools to purchase their products throughout the year and automatically be part of the agreement at no additional cost. All service and support is provided on site in an effort to build the knowledge and capacity of the school staff for the products. With 23,222 targeted students enrolled in the 38 schools, the service and support contract of $327,400 will cost approximately $14.10 per student. This is a savings of $.51 per student over the prior year’s contract.

The percentage of students scoring at Level 3 or higher on the FCAT in both reading and math will increase a minimum of 5 percentage points each.

The impact to the Title I Part A budget will be $327,400.

At the conclusion of the 2008-2009 school year, a review of all support and service provided to schools will be conducted by the Director of Federal Programs. On-site training and technical support calendars and logs will be provided by Pearson Digital Learning. This information, along with survey information from school staff, will be used to determine the effectiveness of the support provided. Currently, a programmatic evaluation is being conducted in the Office of Assessment and Evaluation to determine the impact of the Successmaker product on student achievement. The district has on file an evaluation done by the Office of Assessment and Evaluation on the positive impact of Waterford products on student achievement.