HCPS FL Logo Curriculum and Instruction
Action Item
DATE: Tuesday, September 30, 2014
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS
Approve the Purchase of Professional Development from Educational Publishing Services (EPS) (Curriculum and Instruction Division)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2010, the Board approved the county adopted instructional materials, Making Connections Interventions, Specialized Program Individualized Reading Excellence (S.P.I.R.E.), and Academy of Reading.   The publisher of these products is EPS.  The curriculum focuses on a clinical intervention for our students performing at the lowest level on our state reading assessment in grades 6 and 9.  This program is designed to identify and remediate reading deficits for the individual student and, as such, the curriculum is diagnostic and prescriptive in nature.  Our past success rate with this prescriptive intervention program, when implemented with fidelity, is between 60 percent and 78 percent of the students making annual gains on our state assessment. 

The diagnostic and prescriptive instruction used in this intervention model for our most at-risk middle and high school readers requires additional focused support for teachers through classroom support, online support, and reading coach support at each middle and high school site.  Teachers of this curriculum must be adept at identifying the specific weaknesses of the individual student through a clinical diagnostic process.  EPS works with each teacher of this curriculum to ensure that the diagnostic process is precisely conducted.  EPS then works with each teacher to develop an instructional prescription for each individual student.  The instruction is conducted through small group and individual instructional sessions.  The level of program support is imperative due to the critical needs of this population of students and the high turnover rate with reading teachers within this curriculum. 

This purchase is exempt from the requesting competitive solicitations by the Florida Department of Education 6A-1.012 Purchasing Policies (11) (b).

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  Yes)
Funds in the amount of $90,000 are available in Project 4528.
EVALUATION
Gains will be determined by student performance in Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) and Progress Monitoring through Florida Assessment Instruction and Reading (FAIR–FS).
SUBMITTED BY:  Rebecca T. Kaskeski, Ed.D., Instructional Leadership Director, Middle
Denny B. Oest, Instructional Leadership Director, Secondary
Wynne A. Tye   Gretchen Saunders
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction
(813) 272-4221
  Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
    A 6.09
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20140930_642 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 6.09