To:

Members, Board of Education

From:

Eric J. Becoats, Ed.D.
Sharon S. Ozment

Date:

August 8, 2008

RE:

SpringBoard for Middle Schools

SpringBoard is a unique program designed around the rigorous College Board Standards for high school and college success.  By backward-mapping the competencies students should master from grade 12 down to grade six, SpringBoard enables our teachers to provide a systematic, seamless and rigorous curriculum throughout middle school to better prepare them for high school and to increase the rigor of our middle school language arts classrooms. The programs are designed to help prepare more students for Advanced Placement (AP) and other rigorous high school classes and use a student-centered approach and exploratory, hands-on activities. Preliminary analysis in SpringBoard classrooms across the country show increased student engagement (more than 80 percent of students on-task and focused) and increased achievement.

GCS will continue to provide new professional development for all middle school language arts teachers in SpringBoard. Teachers will attend face-to-face sessions to learn new pedagogical strategies for teaching English language arts and how to use SpringBoard's resources to their fullest. Teachers will also have year-round access to online mentors and a community of peers to share best practices and questions.

The attached agreement details the services to be provided by SpringBoard during the 2007-08 school year.

RECOMMENDATION: The administration recommends that the board approve and enter into the attached agreement with The College Board for the period of June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2009, at a cost of $175,175 for SpringBoard subscription, services and materials.

Attachment - Agreement