REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 7, 2021
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
San Bernardino County Early Literacy Transmedia Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between San Bernardino County and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to execute and partially fund the San Bernardino County Early Literacy Transmedia Project for the initial period of December 7, 2021 through December 6, 2024, in the initial amount of $1,727,782.50, with an option for a two-year extension in the amount of $1,083,208 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $2,810,990.50.
(Presenter: Leonard X. Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, 387-5417)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County’s (County) share of the total cost of this agreement, should the two-year option be exercised, will not exceed $2,810,990.50 of which approximately $1.2 million is anticipated to be funded with the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund). The remaining $1.6 million in contract costs are recommended to be funded using additional Discretionary General Funding.
The total project cost for five years is $5,621,981 if the two-year option is exercised. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (Superintendent) will pay $3,455,565 upfront to Footsteps2Brilliance, Inc. (Project Vendor) for the first three years of the term, and $2,166,416 for the remaining two years of the project term, should the term be extended by two years, upon evaluation of metrics by the Superintendent and upon mutual agreement of the County and Superintendent. The $2,166,416 payment would occur at the completion of the initial three years and upon approval of the parties of the two-year option to extend the MOU. Since the County and Superintendent agree to split the total project cost at 50 percent in accordance with the MOU, the County will issue the reimbursement payments of $1,727,783 and $1,083,208 (this payment only occurs if there is an amendment exercising the two-year option), respectively, to the Superintendent at each point of time as outlined above. Any necessary budget adjustments will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for approval in a future quarterly budget report.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Transmedia learning is the strategy of designing, sharing, and participating in a cohesive story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms. Under this Early Literacy Transmedia Project, the County will be the first to use transmedia learning as an innovative strategy for kindergarten readiness, third grade reading success, and 21st century skill development.
Phase 1 of San Bernardino County’s Vision2Read Digital Initiative began in 2017. Utilizing the Footsteps2Brilliance Bilingual Early Literacy Mobile Technology Platform, the County was able to provide English and Spanish curriculum resources and services to all PreK students and families within the County’s zip codes. Families were provided with thousands of eBooks, songs, interactive learning activities, and writing activities. Scale was achieved because the Footsteps2Brilliance Platform allowed the County to leverage the smart phones, tablets, and computers that parents already owned. Once downloaded in a Wi-Fi environment, access to the internet was not required.
In Phase 2, under this MOU, the County will expand the Vision2Read Digital Infrastructure to all kindergarten through third-grade students. This allows the County Office of Education and its 33 school districts to unite under one Countywide vision to ensure 100% equity so that all students are kindergarten ready and reading proficiently by third grade. This strategy creates a much-needed literacy continuity bridge between the PreK and K-3 education systems.
The Transmedia Learning strategy will include the following six components:
• Television programming
• Extension activities via mobile devices
• Push technology platform
• Contests and incentives for countywide adoption
• Social networking platform
• Data analytics
The MOU will establish funding expectations for Phase 2 between the County and the Superintendent, in expanding the PreK perpetual licenses for Footsteps2Brilliance Enterprise App, School Edition, Bilingual Version, Summer Climb, Clever Kids University: Pre-Reader, and Clever Kids University: I Can Read (“Programs”) to all kindergarten through third-grade students, and teachers, administrators, organizations, and families that serve such students in San Bernardino County. The expansion would include providing 117,175 additional licenses for kindergarten through third-grade students.
This collaboration will provide a cohesive effort to reach the student and community population throughout the county, including services to disproportionately impacted communities by the COVID-19 public health emergency, to provide access to educational resources and content that will promote early literacy.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 19, 2021; Finance (Joon Cho, Administrative Analyst, 387-5402) on October 29, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on November 17, 2021.