Approve Agreement for Technical Services with Performance Learning Systems, Inc. - $7,000 (Curriculum and Instruction Division)

We request approval of the Agreement for Technical Services with Performance Learning Systems, Inc. for the services of Stephen Barkley to provide two half-day sessions and one Saturday session on building coaching capacity across all content areas for the elementary principals, reading coaches, teacher leaders, and district elementary staff.

On February 29, 2008, Stephen Barkley will provide a morning and afternoon session for all elementary principals and reading coaches along with members of our district elementary staff. This training will provide strategies for working within a school site to monitor and support coaching activities from the perspective of building administrators and district-level personnel.

As part of our new Model Coaching School Initiative, eight elementary schools will be selected through an application process to become model schools for building coaching collaboration among staff members across all content areas. Schools selected will represent a diverse demographic cross-section of district elementary sites. Schools will continue to participate in this initiative through the 2008/2009 school year by participating in collaboration sessions with other model schools. Elementary staff members will provide on-site progress monitoring and support for schools as well as coordinate methods of sharing successful implementation through professional development sessions and site visits to model schools. On March 1, 2008, Mr. Barkley will work with principals, reading coaches, and teacher leaders from a select number of schools to provide a systematic approach to developing model schools for coaching.

Both of these sessions will provide techniques for increasing the impact of coaching and developing collaborative coaching between teachers guided by district and site-based administrators, as well as site-based coaches.

Goal 5 – The district will close the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

Funds of $7,000 are available from the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan budget, Project 4526.