Approve the Evaluation Contract for a Component of the Lift Every Voice for Literacy Grant to be Conducted by Dr. C. Victor Fung (Information and Technology Division)

The Lift Every Voice for Literacy Grant, funded by the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program, consists of two components: to increase the reading achievement of struggling readers while increasing the music proficiency of students, and to provide teacher professional development. The grant requires an external evaluation team that consists of reading, music, and research specialists.

For the music specialist component of the evaluation, an agreement for technical services has been developed with C. Victor Fung, Ph.D. Dr. Fung’s major is in Music Education and his minor in Ethnomusicology and conducting. Dr. Fung is a member of the faculty of the University of South Florida’s School of Music, College of Visual and Performing Arts. Dr. Fung's duties as the evaluator for this component of the Year 3 evaluation will include, but not be limited to: administering an assessment of students’ proficiency in accurately singing melodic and rhythmic patterns and songs; collecting data. The evaluator will revise, as necessary, a training syllabus for music strategy professional development, administer a survey of satisfaction of training to teachers, and conduct classroom observations. The evaluator will conduct a survey of student reflections, administer teacher questionnaires, conduct interviews with participants. The evaluator will collect and organize participant reflections (oral and/or written), lesson logs, and video recordings of model lessons. He will also conduct a survey of student reflections on musical abilities.

Approximately 250 students will be involved at eight elementary schools. These schools include: Bing Elementary, B.T. Washington Elementary, Chiaramonte Elementary, Foster Elementary, Lockhart Elementary, Palm River Elementary, Pizzo Elementary, and Witter Elementary.

* Motivate students to become responsible learners, * Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum

A total of $749,183 was awarded for this grant for the entire period. The 2008/2009 portion is $241,183. Of this amount, $13,000 has been set aside for this portion of the external evaluation.

The provider will present a year three evaluation report to the Department of Assessment and Accountability. The year one and two evaluation reports are available upon request from the Department of Assessment and Accountability.