Bartram High School; Edison High School, Lincoln High School; Roxborough High School; Sayre High School; Ben Franklin High School; Dobbins High School; Mastbaum High School; Overbrook High School; Philadelphia Military Academy; Vaux Big Picture High School; Frances E. Willard School; Conwell Middle School; Wagner Middle School; Louis Elkin School Renewal Options: Yes
Number of Options: 1 Duration of each option to extend: Years: 1 Months: Maximum compensation authorized per option period: Each option fixed at $1,067,869 Description: The Office of School Safety leads the District Safe Path program. Safe Path is a program that activates members of the community through contracted community-based organizations to keep students safe on their way home from school. The Program launched in August 2022, at the start of the 2022-23 school year, initially supporting six schools. The program has now undergone multiple rounds of expansion and is now active in supporting 24 schools. Of the 24 schools served by the program, 15 are supported by a direct contract between the District and the Institute for the Development of African American Youth, Inc. (IDAAY). An additional nine schools are served in the program through a PCCD grant held by the University of Pennsylvania Injury Science Center (PISC) and in a partnership between the
District, PISC, and contracted community-based partners. Why is this contract needed? Through this action item, the Office of School Safety seeks to amend its existing contract with the Institute for the Development of African American Youth, Inc. (IDAAY) to authorize additional spending to fund the full cost of the expanded Safe Path program 15 sites administered directly by the District. The budget for the program continues to be based on the pricing established in the original competitive bid awarded to IDAAY, NG10074. The program is currently completely grant-funded. How is this work connected to the District’s plan to achieve Goals & Guardrails? The Safe Path program directly supports Guardrail 1: Welcoming and Supportive Schools, supporting school and community safety and emphasizing positive student and community engagement. The Program also aligns with Guarrail 2: Partnering with Parents/Family Members, as the program works directly with community-based partners to activate and
compensate members of the community to be an active part of supporting safety and building community around our schools. How will the success of the contract be measured? The Safe Path Program is being evaluated as part of the PCCD grant held by the University of Pennsylvania Injury Science Center. Beyond evaluating operational effectiveness and program management, community safety will be measured using crime data and school incident data to assess change in violent incidents within proximity to schools on or near Safe Path sites and change in the number of violent incidents that involve students. An additional measure that will be evaluated is changes in reported feelings of safety as measured by the Philly School Experience Survey. Related resolution(s)/approval(s):
April 20, 2023; 1 March 24, 2023; 15 December 15, 2022; 31 November 17, 2022; 1 Funding Source(s): FY24 School Safety Grants Office Originating Request: Operations - School Safety
Action Item - 27. Title: Contracts with Various Vendors on the PEPPM Cooperative Agreement - Technology Equipment and Peripherals - $2,475,000 Board of Education Meeting Date: 12/7/2023 Action under consideration The Administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or his designee, to execute and perform a contract, subject to funding, as follows: With: CDW Government LLC Mythics, Inc B & H Photo & Electronics Corp. Bluum USA, Inc (f.k.a., Troxell Communications, Inc.) Purpose: To provide general technology hardware, software, peripherals, parts, and related supplies for the Office of Information Technology Start date: 1/1/2024 End date: 12/31/2024 Compensation not to exceed: $2,475,000 Separate Compensation by Vendor: CDW Government LLC - PEPPM Contract 531722-002 - $2,000,000 Mythics, Inc - PEPPM Contract 533902-224 - $225,000 B & H Photo & Electronics Corp. - PEPPM Contract 532462-002 - $125,000
Bluum USA, Inc (f.k.a., Troxell Communications, Inc.) - PEPPM Contract 531722-001 - $125,000 Location: All Schools; Administrative Office(s); Renewal Options: No
Description: 1. Why is this contract needed? These contracts with various catalog vendors are necessary to support cost-effective and streamlined access to purchase technology hardware, software, and related maintenance services. Purchases may include, but are not limited to, special purpose computing equipment, enterprise servers and data storage platforms, media and production equipment, assistive technology, productivity and application software, cloud subscription services, telecommunications and networking hardware, HVAC and electrical system components, and consumables and spare parts. Given the diverse nature of equipment that may need to be purchased, utilization of a cooperative agreement offers of the Office of Information Technology the ability to purchase consumables in an on-demand way using negotiated pricing through the Pennsylvania Education Purchasing Program for Microcomputers (PEPPM), competitively bid through IU 16 Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU).
2. How is this work connected to the District’s plan to achieve Goals & Guardrails? These contracts will support the ongoing operations of the Office of Information Technology using competitively negotiated agreements in a cost-effective, streamlined manner. Successful IT operations are critical to high availability access to internet and other technology resources in our schools and administrative offices. 3. How will the success of this contract be measured? Successful contracts will be measured by the vendors’ abilities to provide competitive pricing and meet all order needs of the district in a timely manner. Funding Source(s): All IT Operating Budgets: FY24, FY25 Office Originating Request: Information Technology
Action Item - 28. Title: Contract with Neubauer Family Foundation and Philadelphia Academies, Inc. for Support and Expansion the 9th Grade On-Track program ($2,604,064.65) (Added 11.22.2023/Updated 12.06.2023) Board of Education Meeting Date: 12/7/2023 Action under consideration The Administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or designee, to execute and perform contracts, subject to funding, as follows: Memorandum of Understanding with: Neubauer Family Foundation and Philadelphia Academies, Inc. Purpose: Establish a structure for support of the 9th Grade On-Track program Start Date: 12/16/2023 End Date: 06/30/2027 Renewal Options: Yes 2 options for 1 year each Contract With: Philadelphia Academies, Inc. Purpose: To sustain and expand the 9th Grade On-Track program with data coaching and support Start Date: 7/1/2024 End Date: 6/30/2027 Compensation Not to Exceed: $2,604,064.65. FY25 - $774,953.44
FY26 - $895,697.44 FY27 - $933,413.77 Locations: Eligible high schools as determined by the Division of Academic Services Renewal Options: Yes 2 options for 1 year each Compensation during Option Period: $1,000,000.00 per option period.
Description School District of Philadelphia (District) data consistently shows that 9th Grade On-Track status is linked with on-time graduation. In the spring of 2023, 27% of 9th grade students tested on grade level in ELA and 18% in math. At the end of the 2022-23, 73% of 9th graders were on track to graduate in four years, and 27% were firmly on track. The Board previously authorized the District to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI) and The Chicago To&Through Project to expand the 9th Grade On-Track work, reduce dropouts, and increase four-year graduation rates. These services are supported entirely by funding from the Neubauer Family Foundation (NFF) during the 2023-2024 school year. These contracts with Philadelphia Academies, Inc. for SY25 through SY27 and with NFF are needed to reflect the District’s willingness to commit to sharing in the costs associated with continuing and expanding the 9th Grade On-Track
program. NFF has generously committed to supporting the effort by funding $225,000 worth of services provided by The Chicago To&Through Project and PAI in 2023-2024, $223,000 worth of services provided by The Chicago To&Through Project in 2024-2025, and $230,000 worth of services provided by The Chicago To&Through Project in 2025-2026 totaling $1,278,000. In alignment with achieving the Strategic Plan–Accelerate Philly, the School District is seeking approval to assume the costs for the work to be done by Philadelphia Academies, Inc. related to 9th Grade On-Track team data coaching and support beginning in SY25. In alignment with achieving the Strategic Plan–Accelerate Philly, the School District is seeking approval to assume the costs for the work to be done by Philadelphia Academies, Inc. related to 9th Grade On-Track team data coaching and support beginning SY25. Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and Chicago To&Through Project will continue to implement
the 9th Grade On Track data coaching and support which provides professional development, coaching, and network-wide learning to identified schools. 9th Grade On Track teams will collaborate to share data-driven interventions and student supports to assist students in developing the necessary skills and mindsets to pursue and achieve academic and postsecondary success. The addition of new schools will be based on key data points (e.g. a school’s 9th grade class size and graduation rate), a pre-existing school application process and a joint selection committee made up of partners from the Chicago To&Through, Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and the District.
How is this work connected to the District’s plan to achieve Goals & Guardrails? The relationship with The University of Chicago To&Through Project, supported the NFF, and Philadelphia Academies, Inc. strives to close the systemic gap in on-time high school graduation for Black, Latinx, economically-disadvantaged, and other marginalized student groups by building capacity of 9th grade teacher teams to support their students and increase 9th Grade On-Track rates. This work aligns with the Board of Education’s Goals & Guardrails and the District’s strategic plan, Accelerate Philly- both of which are designed to drive student success. How will the success of this contract be measured? The success of the contract will be measured by the number and rate of 9th graders who are on-track for four-year graduation and other measures such as the usage of data monitoring tools available to staff and students, and results from District satisfaction surveys.
When applicable, is this an evidence-based strategy? If so, what evidence exists to support this approach? In general terms, schools receiving this support have seen larger gains in their 9th grade on- track rates than other schools in those two networks. These gains are particularly notable among some student groups. For example, among males identifying as Black/African American, the rate dropped slightly (about 1 percentage point) at the Network 3 and 14 schools that did not participate. In contrast, schools joining in 2018-19 and 2019-20 saw increases of 2 and 20 percentage points, respectively. Similarly, the 2019-20 and 2020-21 schools saw large gains among male students identifying as Hispanic/Latino (22 and 16 percentage points, respectively). When applicable, was a larger community of District community members and/or stakeholders involved in this selection process? If so, what groups and how?
The larger community of District community members have been engaged, including senior executive leadership, school administrators in regard to needing this level of professional learning and support. The district has had a standing relationship with the To&Through Project since 2014-15. Through surveys and several public forums, school leaders have highlighted how important the support has been in working to support 9th graders on-track status.
Related resolution(s)/action item(s): 06/29/23 No. 96 Office Originating Request: Academic Support
Action Items - Intermediate Unit - 1. Title: Contract with Curriculum Associates, LLC for Phonics for Reading Materials and Professional Development ($477,584) Board of Education Meeting Date: 12/7/2023 Action under consideration The Administration recommends that the Board of Education, acting in its capacity as Board for Directors of Philadelphia Intermediate Unit No. 26 (IU 26), authorize IU 26, through the Executive Director or his designee, to execute and perform contracts, subject to funding, as follows: With: Curriculum Associates, LLC Purpose: To purchase Phonics for Reading supplemental special education instructional intervention materials for teachers and students and to provide professional development to teachers on implementation. Start date: 12/8/2023 End date: 12/7/2024 Compensation not to exceed: $477,584 Location: All Schools Renewal Options: Yes Number of Options: 3 Maximum compensation authorized per option period:
Each option at a fixed amount of 110% of the preceding year amount Description: Why is the contract needed? Many District elementary and middle school students struggle with reading. This is particularly true of the special education students diagnosed with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) who are typically two to three grade levels behind in reading. Without a strong foundation in reading, these students will be unable to master the core curriculum and graduate ready for college and career. The Phonics for Reading program is a scientifically-based solution designed to enable striving readers to make significant gains during the school year by providing them with the tools and instructional framework that teaches students the critical foundational skills they need to become proficient readers. Authorization is requested to continue to provide District teachers, staff, and students with
disabilities in grades 3 through 8 with the Curriculum Associates, LLC Phonics for Reading intervention program. For the 2023-2024 school year, the program includes both materials and professional development on appropriate classroom implementation. Phonics for Reading has been successfully used by the District since the 2022-2023 school year to significantly improve the reading levels of students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in 77 schools. Phonics for Reading is a scientifically-based, well-researched intervention with demonstrable success in improving the foundational literacy skills of students with disabilities. The program was specifically designed for students in grades 3 to 12 who struggle with reading and decoding words by providing them with a structured curriculum primarily focused on phonics and understanding how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes) to form letter-sound correspondences and spelling
patterns. Phonics for Reading is intended to supplement the District's high-quality core instructional resources and aligns with our rigorous standards for curriculum selection. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B is a federal program that provides the District with grant funds to support the educational needs of students with disabilities. IDEA recommends the use of grant funds for purchasing scientifically-based educational materials and interventions and for professional development to implement these educational resources. The Office of Diverse Learners (ODL) plans to utilize IDEA grant funding to contract with Curriculum Associates, LLC for the purchase of Phonics for Reading materials and for professional development on appropriate classroom implementation by teachers and staff. How is this work connected to the District’s plan to achieve Goals & Guardrails? Phonics for Reading is a research-based reading intervention program designed to help striving
readers develop the foundational skills they need to become proficient readers. The Phonics for Reading supplemental special education instructional/intervention materials will help our students develop the reading skills they need to succeed in college and career. The program's focus on decoding, encoding, and fluency helps students read accurately and quickly, which is essential for success in all content areas. The program's emphasis on vocabulary and comprehension helps students to understand what they are reading. Phonics for Reading enables students to develop the confidence and self-efficacy they need to be successful learners. The program's focus on mastery helps students feel successful, motivating them to continue learning. Additionally, the positive and supportive learning environment fostered by the program can help students develop a love of reading. All of these factors contribute to the work of the Goals & Guardrails, which
emphasize core content proficiency and college and career readiness. How will the success of this contract be measured? The success of this contract will be measured by assessing the changes in student reading performance using the i-Ready Diagnostic test and the STAR Renaissance Assessment. These testing tools provide teachers with data and a complete picture of student performance relating to their grade level and national norms. If this is the continuation of a contract, how has success been measured in the past, and what specific information do we have to show that it was successful? During the 2022-2023 school year, Phonics for Reading was introduced to 2,010 students across
77 District schools. Using the i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment tool, these students on average demonstrated significant improvements in reading fluency and comprehension, with many students moving up a grade level during this year. Using the same diagnostic assessments, this high level of improvement far exceeded the reading outcomes these same students made the previous school year without the support of the Phonics for Reading program. When applicable, is this an evidence-based strategy? If so, what evidence exists to support this approach? Phonics for Reading is a research, scientific and evidence-based approach to literacy instruction developed by Dr. Anita Archer. The program provides striving readers in Grades 3–12 with the confidence and tools they need to become independent readers. Phonics for Reading utilizes systematic phonics instruction with a focus on phonetic awareness to teach students the
knowledge and skills that are essential in connecting letters to sounds and acquiring decoding and word-reading skills. The program's systematic and explicit instruction in phonics, decoding, and fluency is consistent with the Science of Reading, the body of research that has identified the most effective ways to teach reading. The utility and success of phonics-based programs in improving the literacy outcomes of striving readers have been consistently demonstrated by peer review and the studies of research-based educational institutions throughout the country. In addition, the success of the Phonics for Reading program was demonstrated by the improved reading outcomes of District students using this intervention during the 2022-2023 school year. When applicable, was a larger community of District community members and/or stakeholders involved in this selection process? If so, what groups and how?
The Phonics for Reading program was selected through the RFP process through the Office of Procurement negotiation Number NG10238. Professional staff from the Offices of Diverse Learners, Curriculum & Instruction, Climate & Culture, as well as District principals and teachers, were part of the RFP selection team, which chose Phonics for Reading as the best instructional intervention for striving readers in grades 3 to 8. Funding Source(s): FY23-24 IDEA Grant Office Originating Request: Academic Support Office Originating Request: Academic Support ATTACHMENTS: Description Type