Title: G16-Teaching American History Grant Program

Recommendation:
I recommend that the School Board accept the Teaching American History competitive grant award, STEPS in Time, from the United States Department of Education in the amount of $999,748, effective July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2009, and authorize the Superintendent or designee to sign all documents and contracts related to the grant which are implementation of the grant activities.

Description:

The Teaching American History grant award will fund professional development projects to raise student achievement by improving teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of traditional American History. This competitive grant award will provide a district-wide professional development model for each of three years for three groups of 34 Palm Beach County middle and high school teachers of American History, or a total of 102 teachers over a three year period. The Teaching American History grant will fund one (1.0) FTE for a TAH project manager for the three years of the grant.

To implement this federal grant award, activities will be carried out in partnership with the following non-profit organizations: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Organization of American Historians, Florida Atlantic University, the University of Central Florida’s Project Central, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, the Norton Museum, the Flagler Museum, the Palm Beach County Public Library, the University of Houston’s Digital History, and the College Board. 

For each of the three funded grant years, American History teacher professional development will focus on central themes in American History through a series of seminars, workshops, field experiences, and week-long historical summer immersion institutes in Colonial Williamsburg, New York City, and Washington, D.C. for the  teachers and project managers.

The Teaching American History grant project is required to demonstrate improved student achievement through a rigorous evaluation and will fund a quasi-experimental design conducted by an independent, third-party evaluator as a consultant. The impact of this project will be measured by 1) improved teacher knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of American History; 2) improved teacher content delivery of American History in the classroom; and 3) increased student interest, performance, and achievement in American History. Additionally, this USDOE grant-awarded project will build long-term capacity to support and sustain improved teaching and learning in American History.  

Financial Impact:

The financial impact to the Special Revenue-Other Funds Budget is an increase of $999,748 for three years: FY07 - $ 353,481; FY08 - $ 312, 707; FY09 - $ 333,560.

For Additional Information, contact:

Ann Killets - killets@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Barbara Terembes - terembb@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Brenda Magee - magee@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Mary Helen Arbogast - arbogam@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Attachments (list):
Board Report Attachment #1.doc-TAH.pdf
Data Panel - Middle Schools-TAH.pdf
Data Panel - High Schools -TAH.pdf
QandAG16.doc