Hillsborough County Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, October 2, 2007
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Agreements for Technical Services with The Great Books Foundation - $18,740 (Curriculum and Instruction Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We request approval of two Agreements for Technical Services with The Great Books Foundation to support Shared Inquiry Instructional methodology implementation by conducting a 2-day training and 40 follow-up coaching sessions, in-class demonstrations, and teacher debriefing sessions from October 2007 to March 2008 to support implementation for routine classroom use for a minimum of 30 classroom sessions with students by each participating teacher.

Shared Inquiry and Junior Great Books is certified as a US DOE school reform model offering an instructional program appropriate for disadvantaged students, at-risk students, and less able readers. Research supports significant reading gains. Shared Inquiry advances student reading, writing, mathematics, and science literacy achievement.

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

Goal 5 - The District will eliminate the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

Funds of $3,740 for the 2-day training contract and $15,000 for follow-up contract are included in the Staff Development budget, Project 4502.

EVALUATION

Student pre- and post-reading comprehension level assessments will be compared to determine reading skill increase after student participation in 30 classroom Shared Inquiry reading sessions.

SUBMITTED BY: Pamela Campbell-Peralta, General Director, Career and Technical Education 
Arlen Black, Supervisor, Career and Technical Education
 Charlotte Hughes, Coordinator of Grants and Special Projects, Career and Technical Education

Michael A. Grego, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction
(813) 272-4221
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
A 5.13
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20071002_267 * Section A Item# 5.13