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Title: Recommendation: I recommend that the School Board approve the Picower Foundation College Success Program Grant for $551,260, effective July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008, and authorize the Superintendent or designee to sign all documents and contracts related to the grant which are required for implementation of grant activities. Description: The Picower College Success Program Grant will continue for a third year to fund a two-fold initiative which includes: SpringBoard § SpringBoard, developed by the College Board, is a curriculum structure for students in grades 6 – 12, providing students with interactive inquiry-based learning opportunities and infusing rigorous content with processing skills to build student interest and confidence for learning. § At the heart of SpringBoard is a commitment to establish a student-centered learning climate by: o Creating a climate that encourages the highest level of engagement and thought by students. o Developing in students the ability to collaborate with students and teachers in a team approach to problem solving. o Providing a strong scaffolding component that addresses each student at a level for success and then builds for deeper content development. o Introducing a variety of manipulatives and media sources to connect content for meaningful application. § SpringBoard will continue to be implemented in 20 secondary schools and will serve up to 63 students in the middle schools and 92 students in each high school. § Participating schools include: Bear Lakes, Carver, Congress, Conniston, H.L. Watkins, Palm Springs, John F. Kennedy, Lake Shore, Lake Worth, Lantana, Odyssey, Okeeheelee, and Roosevelt Middle Schools; Village Academy and Pahokee Middle/Senior High (counted as both a middle school and a high school); and Forest Hill, Glades Central, and Palm Beach Lakes, and Palm Beach Gardens High Schools. Pre AP/AP Professional Development This focus of this part of the project is to: provide a model for teacher development that can directly affect student success; promote a strong college ready climate; and create classroom and tutorial support to empower first generation college goers with a strong post graduation goal and the guidance and support to reach that goal. § Schools will apply to participate by submitting the Picower College Success Program FY08 Commitment to Participate document and must agree to all conditions of the grant. See attached “Commitment to Participate.” Five high schools and five feeder middle schools will be selected to participate. § At each high school, an onsite stipend Picower College Success Program Coordinator will be identified to serve as the coordinator of grant activities, such as: o Ensure teachers register for and attend College Board workshops; o Utilize AP Potential fully to identify and enroll eligible students in AP courses the following year; o Coordinate with Guidance to develop a parent contact program to include an AP parent night; o Ensure that the school is using the district’s SAT Coach program or College Board’s SAT Online program; o Set up College Success Class and enroll potential first generation college going students; o Implement a College Success Program Class with content addressing college prep with study skills, critical thinking exercises, goal setting, career exploration, and developing work and college ready skills; and o Implement a First Generation Mentor Program, utilizing first generation current college goers as mentors within the Picower College Success Program Class. § CollegeEd classes will be implemented during a nine-week elective wheel, as recommended by College Board, in grades seven and eight. § The grant will continue to fund three specialists and one part-time program assistant. § Program evaluation components are listed on the attached Picower College Success Grant Evaluation. Financial Impact: The financial impact to the Special Revenue-Other Funds Budget is an increase of $551,260. All grant related expenditures and contracts are authorized for payment up to the amount of the revenue. There is no financial impact to the Operating Budget. For Additional Information, contact: Alison Adler Attachments (list):
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