The purpose of the Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grant is to implement centers as Choice options for the District's Unitary Plan that helps to reduce, eliminate, and prevent minority group isolation throughout the District. Dr. Tina Bacon will evaluate the success the grant is having on the program to date by supervising and reporting the results of the grant evaluation. Dr. Bacon will meet with national consultants hired by the Department of Education to assist the Local Educational Authority (LEA) with the rigorous evaluation pieces of the Magnet grant, and will assume the role of principal investigator. Dr. Bacon will attend conferences, do programming for data collection, communicate with participants, conduct site visitations, assist in the planning stages of implementation, and analyze collected data. Dr. Bacon will coordinate efforts and communicate with the Magnet Program Supervisor and the Department of Assessment and Accountability at all times. The program evaluation will involve approximately 5,000 students at Ferrell Middle School, Lee Elementary School, Tampa Bay Tech High School, Rampello K-8 School, and Cahoon Elementary School.

Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum.

The grant budget is approximately $1,865,000, and the amount allotted for this phase of the evaluation is $34,000.

A final report will be submitted to the Department of Education and Hillsborough County Public Schools' Director of Assessment and Accountability, Magnet School Program Supervisor, and Staff by July 15, 2009.