House Bill 0477e1
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to instructional technology;
3 amending s. 229.603, F.S.; providing
4 requirements for school technology plans;
5 requiring district technology plans; requiring
6 the Department of Education to develop
7 technology capability thresholds; revising
8 requirements relating to the distribution and
9 use of technology funding; eliminating
10 provisions relating to technology grants and
11 grant administration; revising the content of
12 an annual report; creating s. 229.604, F.S.,
13 relating to access to technology tools;
14 requiring the Department of Education to
15 develop a plan to increase student access to
16 technology; amending s. 229.8041, F.S.;
17 revising Department of Education actions
18 regarding educational computing to include
19 conducting evaluations regarding the
20 achievement of technology thresholds; providing
21 an effective date.
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23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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25 Section 1. Section 229.603, Florida Statutes, is
26 amended to read:
27 229.603 Instructional Technology Grant Program.--There
28 is created the Instructional Technology Grant Program.
29 (1) SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each school, including
30 schools operating for the purpose of providing education
31 services to youth in juvenile justice commitment and detention
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 facilities, must address proposals for implementing
2 instructional technology in either the school improvement plan
3 or a school technology plan which has been approved by the
4 district school board, pursuant to s. 230.23(16)(a). The
5 technology plan or the portion of the school improvement plan
6 addressing technology must:
7 (a) Address the achievement of technology capability
8 thresholds established by the Department of Education
9 according to this section; and
10 (b) Address safe access to the school media center
11 outside of the regular school day.
12 (2) DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each district must
13 submit a district technology plan to the Department of
14 Education that is a strategic, long-range plan that has been
15 developed using information from the technology plans of
16 schools in the district and the technology capability
17 thresholds established by the Department of Education. The
18 plan shall be for a period of at least 3 years but no more
19 than 5 years and the initial district plan shall be submitted
20 to the department by November 1, 2000. A new plan shall be
21 submitted by November 1 in the final year of the prior plan
22 and an update must be submitted by November 1 of each of the
23 interim years for the duration of the plan. The plan shall
24 include the following essential elements:
25 (a) A mission statement including, but not limited to,
26 how the district will incorporate technology into the
27 educational program to promote the effective use of technology
28 to implement the state academic standards to improve student
29 performance.
30 (b) A background component that includes, but is not
31 limited to:
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 1. Relevant district, economic, geographic, and
2 demographic factors affecting the implementation of
3 technology.
4 2. The planning process used to develop the plan,
5 which must include input from community, business, and
6 industry.
7 (c) A needs assessment including, but not limited to,
8 the following goals:
9 1. Identification of technology infrastructure,
10 equipment, assistive technology, programming (educational
11 materials, software, and media), replacement, training, and
12 support needs.
13 2. Short-term goals to be achieved within 1 year and
14 long-term goals to be achieved within 3 to 5 years. Both
15 short-term and long-term goals shall be listed in a ranked
16 priority order and shall be established considering the
17 individual school technology plans and the technology
18 capability thresholds established by the department.
19 (d) A funding plan linked to the technology capability
20 thresholds.
21 (e) A technology acquisition plan that addresses:
22 1. Program development.
23 2. Procurement.
24 3. Achievement of the technology capability
25 thresholds.
26 (f) An access plan that addresses:
27 1. Shared use.
28 2. Equitable access, including appropriate access to
29 external instructional services and programming providers such
30 as public libraries, charter schools, remote teaching sites,
31 home school connections, and online products and services.
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 3. Security.
2 (g) A user support plan.
3 (h) A staff training plan which includes, but is not
4 limited to, provisions for increasing use of technology in the
5 classroom and media center according to the technology
6 capability thresholds.
7 (i) A program evaluation which includes, but is not
8 limited to, a description of how the technology acquired is
9 being integrated into the school curriculum and affecting
10 student achievement and progress toward meeting the
11 educational goals of the state academic standards.
12 (3) TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITY THRESHOLDS.--The Department
13 of Education shall, in consultation with high technology
14 business and industry partners, develop technology capability
15 thresholds that describe levels of reasonable standards of
16 technological capability to be consecutively achieved in a
17 school for the school to effectively utilize instructional
18 technology. The technology capability thresholds shall be
19 designed to ensure that Florida's students have skills that
20 meet the needs of Florida businesses and industry and shall be
21 updated annually. The department shall develop the technology
22 capability thresholds by January 1, 2000. By January 1 each
23 year thereafter, the thresholds must be updated.
24 (4)(1) TECHNOLOGY GRANT FUNDING.--Beginning with the
25 2000-2001 school year, districts shall distribute to schools
26 the funds received for public school technology on the basis
27 of technology issues addressed by the school in the school
28 improvement plan pursuant to s. 230.23(16) or in a school plan
29 for implementing instructional technology submitted to and
30 approved by the district school board. To receive funding, a
31 proposed project must be in a school that has achieved the
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 appropriate technology capability threshold for the proposed
2 project and the proposed project must be consistent with the
3 district's technology plan. Preference for funding shall be
4 given to schools which meet one or more of the following
5 criteria:
6 (a) The school has matched the request with other
7 funds and private sector contributions to the maximum extent
8 possible, as determined by the school board.
9 (b) The project is to be implemented in a critically
10 low-performing school in order for that school to achieve the
11 appropriate technology capability threshold.
12 (a) Eighty percent of the funds appropriated for this
13 program shall be distributed by the Commissioner of Education
14 to the state's school districts on the basis of proposals
15 submitted for implementing instructional technology. These
16 funds may be used to replicate existing instructional
17 technology programs. At least 10 percent of these funds shall
18 be used for teacher and other related training.
19 (b) At least 10 percent of the funds appropriated for
20 this program shall be used to fund research and development
21 and codevelopment of new instructional technologies and their
22 implementation in the classroom.
23 (c) Up to 10 percent of the funds appropriated for
24 this program shall be used to fund new or innovative use of
25 instructional technology or use of new instructional
26 technology.
27 (2) GRANT ADMINISTRATION.--
28 (a) Project proposals must include the following:
29 1. An outline of the proposed project activities and
30 project budget.
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 2. A description of how the proposed project will
2 integrate instructional technology with regular classroom
3 teaching.
4 3. A description of how the project incorporates
5 state-of-the-art instructional technology which utilizes
6 advanced integrated learning systems technology and other
7 newly developed systems geared to hands-on learning and to
8 developing higher order thinking skills, including
9 problem-solving skills, understanding of abstract concepts,
10 and high-level critical thinking and applied learning skills.
11 4. A description of how the project will affect and be
12 incorporated into the overall implementation of instructional
13 technology in the school district over the next 5 years.
14 5. A description of the anticipated project results
15 and procedures for assessing the success of the project.
16 (b) During fiscal year 1990-1991, preference for grant
17 approval shall be given to projects which are dedicated to
18 elementary school implementation and which utilize advanced
19 technology to incorporate self-paced learning.
20 (c) Preference for grant approval shall be given to
21 districts which maximize their match of the grant request with
22 district funds and private sector contributions.
23 (d) The Department of Education shall adopt forms for
24 proposal applications.
25 (e) Proposals shall be recommended to the commissioner
26 by a nine-member grant review panel appointed by the
27 commissioner. The panel shall consist of two teachers, two
28 district administrators, two business people, a school
29 administrator, and two additional members selected at the
30 commissioner's discretion.
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 (f) A portion of the grant funds utilized by the
2 commissioner under paragraph (1)(c) may be utilized to:
3 1. Administer the program.
4 2. Fund development and codevelopment activities.
5 3. Establish a clearinghouse to identify, evaluate,
6 and disseminate information regarding developments in the
7 private and public sectors of instructional technology,
8 including both software and hardware.
9 4. Disseminate information regarding successful
10 state-of-the-art systems, including an annual catalog of
11 exemplary projects and products.
12 (g) The department shall assist grant recipients in
13 using state central-purchasing resources to maximize cost
14 advantages and shall, where necessary, provide districts with
15 technical assistance for needs assessment and grant
16 preparation.
17 (5)(3) REPORTS.--Beginning January 1, 2000 1991, the
18 commissioner shall make an annual report to the Legislature
19 within 60 days prior to the beginning of the regular
20 legislative session. The report shall include:
21 (a) A summary of the status of the Instructional
22 Technology Grant Program, including a description of the
23 technology capability thresholds developed by the department
24 according to this section, and the status of school
25 achievement of the thresholds.
26 (b) Recommendations to improve the efficiency and
27 promote the utilization of instructional technology.
28 Section 2. Section 229.604, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 229.604 Access to technology tools.--The Department of
31 Education shall develop a plan to provide access for students
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HB 477, First Engrossed
1 to technology to support students' educational progress in the
2 community, at work, at school, and at home. The plan shall
3 encourage districts and schools to furnish safe access to
4 school media centers outside of the regular school day, and to
5 consider the construction of entrances which may be accessed
6 from the outer perimeter of the school campus when planning
7 for new construction or remodeling projects.
8 Section 3. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
9 section 229.8041, Florida Statutes, to read:
10 229.8041 Educational computing.--
11 (2) IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY.--The department is
12 authorized and encouraged to assist school districts,
13 community colleges, and state universities to make appropriate
14 use of computing. Department actions for this purpose may
15 include, but need not be limited to:
16 (e) Conducting evaluations of the status of school and
17 district use of technology to determine if technology
18 capability thresholds, as established by the department, are
19 appropriate and effective.
20 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
21 law.
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