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JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND

Campaign for Grade Level Reading | Contract Scope of Work | Kids Hope Alliance | 2026-27

Provider: Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF)

Program: Campaign for Grade Level Reading

Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Total Investment: $100,000.00

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

National, state, and local data consistently reveal that students of color and economically disadvantaged students are disproportionately represented among those who are not reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. In Duval County, this disparity is stark: the most recent Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) data from the 2024-25 school year shows that only 51% of Duval County 3rd grade students scored at Level 3 or above in English Language Arts reading, the district's best performance since 2021 but still below the statewide average of 57%. Nearly half of Duval's 3rd graders are not reading on grade level, and the district continues to lag behind the state and all six of Florida's other large urban school districts.

This literacy gap is not a reflection of innate ability. It is a product of systemic conditions including food insecurity, housing instability, limited access to quality early learning, and under-resourced multigenerational support systems.

Approximately 32% of children in Duval County experience food insecurity, and an estimated 2,746 children lack secure housing. These conditions demand solutions that go beyond in-school instruction to address the full ecosystem of support that families need.

Research shows that students who are not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than those who are reading proficiently. Closing this gap requires sustained, community-grounded investment, exactly the kind that the Campaign for Grade Level Reading has represented across multiple years of work in Jacksonville's highest-need school communities.

Evolving Landscape

The Jacksonville literacy landscape is undergoing meaningful transformation. Mayor Donna Deegan and her administration have elevated early literacy as a citywide priority. The Literacy Alliance is advancing multigenerational literacy supports in collaboration with community partners. The Jacksonville Transformation

Coalition has engaged partners across the city with literacy and chronic absenteeism as dual education priorities. New DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier is leading a refresh of the district's strategic plan with student achievement at its center.

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These developments represent a significant opportunity for collective action and signal the need for trusted, independent partners who can synthesize evidence, surface community voice, and inform aligned decision-making across the ecosystem. JPEF is uniquely positioned to serve in this role.

JPEF's Role

The Jacksonville Public Education Fund's mission is to activate community support, connect partners, and advance effective ideas for the success of all students. JPEF's research is widely respected for providing independent analysis of student data and highlighting innovative, equity-centered solutions. Over the course of the Literacy Enhanced Afterschool Pilot (LEAP) Program, JPEF has built deep relationships with each of the eight focus school communities, with the two provider organizations serving those schools, and with KHA as the initiative's managing partner.

This contract year represents the final year of the LEAP pilot and the culmination of a multi-year investment in eight of Jacksonville's highest-need school communities. JPEF will conduct a rigorous end-of-pilot evaluation producing a definitive account of what the model produced, what each provider's approach revealed, and what the evidence recommends for the future. Simultaneously, JPEF will lead a new community literacy access initiative, the book vending machine at Police Athletic League of Jacksonville (PAL) in partnership with KHA bringing visible, tangible evidence of JPEF's commitment to literacy access in the Eastside community.

JPEF will also continue as an active participant in citywide literacy planning convenings, contributing independent research and strategic insight to ecosystem-wide discussions. JPEF will maintain a minimum of one coordination meeting per month with KHA to ensure alignment, review progress, and address any emerging needs across both workstreams. JPEF will also secure a district-level data-sharing MOU with Duval County Public Schools in Quarter 1 to formalize JPEF's authorization to engage across all eight LEAP school communities.

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SCOPE OF WORK: LEAP PILOT EVALUATION

Purpose and Approach

The Literacy Enhanced Afterschool Pilot (LEAP) Program has operated across eight Duval County elementary schools over multiple years, engaging two distinct provider organizations, Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc., to deliver literacy-focused afterschool supports, case management, and family engagement. This contract year marks the conclusion of the pilot and calls for a comprehensive, independent evaluation that documents impact, surfaces lessons learned and provides actionable recommendations to KHA and the broader literacy ecosystem.

JPEF will conduct this evaluation using a mixed-methods approach that integrates retrospective focus groups with school leaders and providers, an improved second-year parent voice survey, and synthesis of implementation data collected across the pilot. The evaluation is designed to answer three core questions:

- How did the LEAP model advance student literacy outcomes and strengthen school-community connections in the eight focus school communities?

- Analyze a comparison of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc. implementation approaches reveal about which model elements drove impact?

- What should KHA and Jacksonville's literacy ecosystem sustain, scale, or evolve based on the evidence from this pilot?

Focus Groups: Retrospective Pilot Evaluation

JPEF will facilitate eight school-level focus groups, one session per school, using a structured retrospective protocol organized around the three domains that have guided the pilot throughout: partnership effectiveness, shared measurement, and continuous improvement. Each focus group will engage school leaders and provider staff in a reflective conversation covering the full arc of the pilot, not just the current year, to surface cumulative strengths, persistent challenges, and honest assessments of outcomes.

The protocol will include a common core applied consistently across all eight schools, along with school-specific probes informed by the action plans and check-in data JPEF has gathered across the pilot. This design reflects the genuine differences in implementation context across schools and providers and will yield richer, more differentiated findings than a uniform instrument could produce.

A deliberate component of the analysis will compare findings across the two provider models. Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. brought a community center approach characterized by broad wrap-around services, strong family relationships, and consistent literacy programming, with case management staffing identified as an area of ongoing attention. Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc. brought a school-embedded model with deep integration into school teams, strong case management at several sites, and high levels of coordination across student support functions.

Neither model is superior; each reveal something important about the conditions under which afterschool literacy partnerships produce results. JPEF will name and examine that comparison explicitly in the final evaluation report.

Focus groups will be completed across two quarters. Approximately 30% of school focus groups (2 to 3 schools) will be facilitated in Quarter 1, prioritizing schools with the most complex implementation histories. The remaining 70% (5 to 6 schools) will be completed in Quarter 2, bringing all eight school-level focus groups to 100% completion by the close of December 2026.

Parent Voice Survey - 51% or more of parent surveys completed

The improved parent voice survey builds on the instrument deployed in the prior year and will be administered at all eight LEAP schools beginning in August 2026. The survey window runs through October 2026, giving schools sufficient time to www.jaxpef.org 4 engage families through Back-to-School Orientations, Open Houses, and follow-up outreach. JPEF will provide active support to each school around deployment logistics and completion rates, with Dr. Shameka Brown serving as the primary JPEF point of contact for school-level coordination.

Survey findings will be integrated with the focus group data to produce a unified mixed-methods analysis. Parent voice provides an essential perspective that school leader and provider data cannot fully capture: what families experienced, what they needed, and whether the LEAP model reached them in ways that mattered.

End-of-Pilot Evaluation Report

The primary deliverable of this workstream is the End-of-Pilot Evaluation Report: LEAP School Community Impact 2024- 2027. This report will be produced as a professional, publicly shareable document that JPEF stands behind as an independent evaluator. It will include:

- A summary of the LEAP model and its theory of change

- School-level findings for each of the eight focus schools

- A comparative analysis of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc. implementation approaches

- Integrated analysis of focus group and parent voice survey findings

- Cross-cutting themes and patterns across the pilot

- Recommendations for KHA, providers, and ecosystem partners on sustaining, scaling, or evolving the LEAP model

A companion Recommendations Brief will distill the report's key findings into an accessible format suitable for KHA board presentations, funder reporting, and ecosystem partner dissemination.

SCOPE OF WORK: BOOK VENDING MACHINE INITIATIVE

Purpose and Community Context

Access to books outside of school hours remains one of the most significant and under addressed contributors to the literacy gap in Jacksonville's highest-need communities. Research consistently demonstrates that children who have access to books at home read more, read better, and develop stronger literacy habits, and that this access is profoundly unequal across income levels and communities.

In partnership with Police Athletic League of Jacksonville (PAL) and KHA, JPEF will introduce a book vending machine in the Eastside community as a tangible, community-facing investment in literacy access. This initiative is distinct from the LEAP school programming and is designed to reach children and families in the community broadly. The initiative creates a natural pipeline: the book vending machine sustains a culture in the literacy community.

JPEF's Role in This Initiative

JPEF will serve as the grant administrator and coordinating partner for this initiative. JPEF will issue a grant to PAL to fund the procurement and installation of the book vending machine, ensuring that PAL retains ownership of the machine and executes all purchasing and contracting directly. The grant agreement between JPEF and PAL will specify data reporting requirements, including books distributed, families reached, and community engagement indicators, so that JPEF can document and report on the initiative's progress. JPEF will coordinate with KHA on the public launch celebration and maintain regular coordination with PAL throughout the year.

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Initiative Phases (See Milestones and Deliverables)

Phase 1: Planning (Quarter 1, July - September 2026, due by October 10, 2026)

JPEF will execute the planning partnership with PAL, confirm machine selection and ordering, establish site readiness, and initiate event planning coordination with KHA. The PAL grant agreement will be finalized, and a launch event plan will be established with clear partner responsibilities and a target event date.

Phase 2: Implementation (Quarter 2, October - December 2026, due by January 10, 2027)

PAL will install and activate the book vending machine at their site using grant funds administered by JPEF. JPEF and KHA will co-host the community launch celebration as a public community event announcing the initiative, celebrating the partnership, and inviting the Eastside community to engage. PAL will begin collecting usage data per the grant agreement reporting requirements.

Phase 3: Monitoring and Progression (Quarter 3, January - March 2027, due by April 10, 2027)

JPEF will conduct monthly coordination meetings with PAL to review progress, receive usage data reports, and address any emerging needs or partnership developments. PAL will track and report books distributed, families reached, and community engagement indicators to JPEF on a monthly basis per the grant agreement. JPEF will synthesize this reporting and use it to inform any mid-year adjustments and final documentation.

Phase 4: Impact Data (Quarter 4, April - June 2027, due by July 10, 2027)

JPEF will produce a community impact spotlight summarizing the initiative's first year of operation: books distributed, families and children reached, community response, and partnership outcomes. This spotlight will identify opportunities for sustainability or expansion beyond the contract year and will be designed for use in KHA funder reporting and community communications.

SCOPE OF WORK: ECOSYSTEM PARTICIPATION

Throughout the contract year, JPEF will serve as an active partner in Jacksonville's citywide literacy planning landscape.

JPEF will engage in convenings hosted by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, contributing independent research and strategic insight to collective action discussions.

JPEF will document its participation in these convenings through a quarterly ecosystem recap memo, summarizing key discussions, decisions, and implications for Jacksonville's literacy landscape.

Each quarter, JPEF will also produce a Quarterly Implementation Memo covering overall contract progress, technical assistance provided to schools and partners, and any challenges or barriers encountered. These memos together ensure that KHA has a clear and consistent picture of JPEF's contributions and the health of the work throughout the year.

LOCATIONS

JPEF's work under this contract is community-wide in scope, with two primary areas of concentrated activity. The LEAP pilot evaluation will engage the eight focus school communities: Arlington Elementary, Arlington Heights Elementary, Highlands Elementary, Northwestern Legends Elementary, Pinedale Elementary, Reynolds Lane Elementary, Rufus E.

Payne Elementary, and Woodland Acres Elementary, along with the two provider organizations serving those schools. The book vending machine initiative will be anchored in the Eastside community at PAL. Ecosystem participation activities will engage partners across the Jacksonville metropolitan area.

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STAFFING

All JPEF staff contributing to this work hold professional qualifications including Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral-level education combined with extensive experience in education research, program evaluation, policy analysis, and community engagement. Senior staff with doctoral-level qualifications and cross-sector consulting experience will lead the LEAP evaluation design, focus group facilitation, data analysis, and report production. Dedicated staff support will be provided for parent voice survey coordination and school-level outreach across all eight focus schools. This contract does not include direct service to students.

BUDGET SUMMARY

Total funding of $100,000 will support JPEF's evaluation, community engagement, and ecosystem participation activities across four quarters at $25,000 per quarter. This investment reflects the seniority of the team deployed, the depth of the end-of-pilot evaluation, and the community-facing scope of the book vending machine initiative. The budget includes JPEF staff time for evaluation design, facilitation, analysis, and report production; coordination and contract management for the PAL partnership; and documentation and dissemination activities. JPEF may raise additional funds to help cover costs not included in KHA's funding.

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SCOPE OF WORK: MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES

Timeline / Budget

Milestone Activities Deliverables (Artifact)

Quarter 1 July - September 2026, due by October 10, 2026

($25,000)

LEAP Pilot Evaluation: Launch

Book Vending Machine: Planning

Ecosystem Participation

LEAP Pilot Evaluation

- Develop retrospective focus group protocol grounded in the full LEAP pilot arc, organized around partnership effectiveness, shared measurement, and continuous improvement

- Facilitate focus groups at 30% of LEAP schools (approximately 2 to 3 schools, one session per school), prioritizing schools with the most complex implementation histories

- Launch improved parent voice survey across all eight LEAP schools with active outreach support aligned to Back-to-School Orientations and Open Houses

- Coordinate with school leaders on survey deployment logistics and provide survey tracking support

Book Vending Machine Initiative

- Execute planning partnership with PAL to confirm book vending machine selection, site readiness, and ordering timeline

- Initiate coordination with KHA to establish launch event concept, target date, and partner responsibilities

- Formalize JPEF contract with PAL

- Focus Group Facilitation Summaries (30% complete, first wave) Parent Voice Survey deployed and tracking active across all 8 schools

- Grant agreement executed between JPEF and PAL for book vending machine (JPEF is administering a grant to PAL for the book vending machine)

- Book vending machine launch event plan with KHA

- District-level data-sharing MOU with Duval County Public Schools submitted to KHA

- Quarterly Implementation Memo (Q1): progress, technical assistance, and challenges

- Quarterly Ecosystem Recap Memo (Q1) from JPEF representative

- Documentation of monthly KHA coordination meeting and monthly meetings with CIS and BGCNF (sign-in sheets/screenshot of virtual attendance, agenda, notes)

Ecosystem Participation

- Participate in and document citywide literacy planning convenings hosted by ecosystem partners www.jaxpef.org 8

Quarter 2 October - December 2026, due by January 10, 2027

($25,000)

LEAP Pilot Evaluation: All 8 School Focus Groups Complete (100%)

Book Vending Machine:

Implementation and Launch

Ecosystem Participation

LEAP Pilot Evaluation

- Complete focus groups at the remaining 70% of LEAP schools (approximately 5 to 6 schools, one session per school), completing all eight school-level focus groups across both provider networks (Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc.)

- Close parent voice survey by October with mid-point and final completion check-ins at each school

- Begin comparative analysis of focus group findings across both provider models

- Provide targeted technical assistance to schools and providers based on emerging focus group themes

- Book vending machine installed and activated at PAL in partnership with PAL and KHA

- Community launch celebration executed as a public community event in the Eastside community

- Begin collecting initial usage data including books distributed and community engagement indicators

- Focus Group Facilitation Summaries (all 8 schools complete, 100%) Parent Voice Survey closed with completion documentation across all schools

- Preliminary cross-school focus group analysis memo (internal)

- Book vending machine installed and activated at PAL by PAL using JPEF grant funds

- Community launch celebration hosted

- Initial book vending machine usage data report received from PAL

- Quarterly Implementation Memo (Q2): progress, technical assistance, and challenges

- Quarterly Ecosystem Recap memo (Q2) from JPEF representative

- Documentation of monthly KHA coordination meeting and monthly meetings with CIS and BGCNF (sign-in sheets/screenshot of virtual attendance, agenda, notes)

- Continue participation in citywide literacy planning convenings and collective action discussions www.jaxpef.org 9

Quarter 3 January - March 2027, due by April 10, 2027

($25,000)

LEAP Pilot Evaluation:

Analysis and Draft Report

Book Vending Machine:

Monitoring and Progression

Ecosystem Participation

LEAP Pilot Evaluation

- Complete full comparative analysis of LEAP pilot findings across Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Inc. models

- Integrate parent voice survey data with focus group findings into a unified mixed-methods analysis

- Draft the end-of-pilot evaluation report with school-specific and provider-specific findings and cross-cutting themes

- Present preliminary findings to KHA for review and input before final report production

- Identify what elements of each provider model drove impact and what the comparison reveals for the field

- End-of-Pilot Evaluation Report (draft): LEAP School Community Impact 2024-2027

- Parent Voice Survey Analysis integrated into evaluation findings

- Provider Comparison Brief:

Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Inc. vs.

Communities in Schools of Jacksonville, Inc. models

- Preliminary findings presented to KHA

- Book vending machine monthly usage monitoring summary

- Quarterly Implementation Memo (Q3):

progress, technical assistance, and challenges

- Quarterly Ecosystem Recap Memo (Q3) from JPEF representative

- Monitor book vending machine usage and community engagement on a monthly basis

- Document community response, family reach, and any partnership developments at

PAL

- Documentation of monthly KHA coordination meeting and monthly meetings with CIS and BGCNF (sign-in sheets/screenshot of virtual attendance, agenda, notes)

- Book vending machine usage data report (Q3)

- Participate in citywide literacy planning convenings and contribute research and strategic framing

- Conduct monthly coordination meeting with PAL and receive usage data report www.jaxpef.org 10

Quarter 4 April - June

2027, due by

July 10, 2027

($25,000)

LEAP Pilot Evaluation:

Final Report and Dissemination

Book Vending Machine:

Impact Data

Ecosystem Participation

LEAP Pilot Evaluation

- Finalize and publish the end-of-pilot evaluation report incorporating KHA feedback

- Produce recommendations brief for KHA and ecosystem partners on sustaining, scaling, or evolving the LEAP model

- Share findings with the broader Jacksonville literacy ecosystem through accessible formats

- End-of-Pilot Evaluation Report (final): LEAP School Community Impact 2024-2027

- Recommendations Brief: Sustaining and Evolving the LEAP Model

- Book Vending Machine Community Impact Spotlight

- End-of-Year Summary: JPEF Contributions to Jacksonville Literacy Ecosystem

- Ecosystem partner dissemination of LEAP findings in accessible formats

- Quarterly Implementation Memo (Q4):

progress, technical assistance, and challenges

- Quarterly Ecosystem Recap Memo (Q4) from JPEF representative

- Documentation of monthly KHA coordination meeting and monthly meetings with CIS and BGCNF (sign-in sheets/screenshot of virtual attendance, agenda, notes)

- Book vending machine annual usage data report received from PAL

- Produce a final book vending machine community impact spotlight highlighting usage data, families reached, and community response

- Identify opportunities for sustainability or expansion of the initiative beyond the contract year

- Contribute to citywide collective action planning informed by LEAP findings

- Produce end-of-year summary of JPEF contributions across all workstreams for KHA reporting