Action Item
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Curriculum and Instruction
Action Item |
| DATE: | Tuesday, February 11, 2014 |
| TO: | School Board Members |
| FROM: | MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent |
| SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| Accept the Renewal and Purchase of Additional Microsoft IT Academy Licenses for Hillsborough County Public Schools Utilizing Dell Marketing L.P. - Invitation to Bid (ITB) #12207-DST Microsoft Campus and School Agreement (Curriculum and Instruction Division) | |
| EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | |
| On February 5, 2013, the School Board approved the Microsoft Campus and School Agreement which is a subscription licensing program. The district is entering into the second year of a three year agreement. We are requesting that 55 additional Microsoft IT Academy licenses be added to this Agreement.
The Microsoft IT Academy is a college and career-ready program designed to provide students with the twenty-first century technology skills necessary to earn Microsoft certifications and be competitive in the globally evolving workplace. Students will have access to web-based e-learning courses and receive hands-on experiences with the latest Microsoft software, gaining job-ready skills and industry credentials while still in school. This program will be used by multiple career and technical students preparing for Microsoft industry certification exams. In addition, all of the students in the included schools will have access to Microsoft IT Academy e-learning 24-hours a day from any internet-connected computer. The achievement of industry certification credentials are a required component of Career Academies as outlined in Florida’s Career and Professional Education (CAPE) legislation. Students successfully earning industry certifications generate weighted full-time equivalent (FTE) funding back to the Career and Technical Education programs where the student is enrolled. Student participation and performance in industry certification testing is included in the calculation of school grades. |
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| STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES | |
| • Increase promotion rates at all grade levels and the percentage of high school graduates • Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum | |
| FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes) | |
| The total cost of the Microsoft IT Academy licenses renewal is $84,112 and will be implemented at all high schools, 37 middle schools, and 3 career centers ($1,255 per site). Students will be able to prepare for and take industry certification tests through district-funded testing licenses. Students who earn industry certifications have the potential to generate weighted FTE to be used to pay for future student certification preparation and testing fees. These licenses are being added to the existing Microsoft Campus and School Agreement. | |
| EVALUATION | |
| This program will be evaluated by the supervisor who will review the number of students accessing the web-based curriculum and the number of earned Microsoft industry certifications. | |
| SUBMITTED BY:
Warren S. Brooks, General Director, Career, Technical, and Adult Education Chris Jargo, Assistant Director, Career and Technical Education |
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| Wynne A. Tye | Gretchen Saunders | |
| Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction (813) 272-4221 |
Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270 |
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| A 6.03 | ||
| Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20140211_625 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 6.03 | ||