TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

School district gets Gates research grant

ADVERTISEMENT

By SHERRI ACKERMAN

sackerman@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2009

TAMPA - Hillsborough County schools have won a $2.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for research on what makes teachers effective and students more successful.

The district received a contract Tuesday morning, and school board members approved it during their regular meeting later in the day.

The Measures of Effective Teaching grant will allow Gates' researchers to spend about two years observing teachers in the classroom, monitoring their effectiveness through student test scores as well as surveys and videos of class time.

"It's not about evaluating the teacher's performance but more about uncovering the best measures for effective teaching," said foundation spokesman Chris Williams.

Hillsborough is one of three urban school districts to take part in the project, with three others pending, Williams said.

Teachers can volunteer to participate. In New York, where the Gates Foundation awarded $2.6 million to the education department, 1,000 teachers from 100 schools each will receive a $1,500 stipend.

The project in Tampa would create two new positions - a project director and supervisor.

David Steele, the district's chief information and technology officer, said about 30 people have applied for the jobs since the Seattle-based foundation sent a spokesman to talk to the school board two weeks ago.

He didn't know what the salary levels were for each position but said the jobs might be lateral moves for some applicants.

The district is also on the short list for a $100 million Gates Foundation grant designed to overhaul teacher training and evaluations in an effort to produce more high school graduates who will become successful college students.

That grant would last for about seven years. Foundation officials expect to name a winner or winners of that grant in mid-November.

Just because Hillsborough won the smaller grant, though, does not mean the district is certain to win the larger one, Williams said.

Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT