House Bill 0975c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.







    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

        By the Committees on Education Appropriations, Education
    Innovation and Representative Melvin





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to educational technology;

  3         creating s. 229.604, F.S.; defining the term

  4         "educational technology"; requiring school

  5         improvement plans to include strategies for

  6         implementing educational technology; providing

  7         requirements for the educational technology

  8         component of such plans; requiring the

  9         development, submission, and annual revision of

10         a district educational technology plan;

11         requiring the Department of Education, in

12         consultation with the Educational Technology

13         Advisory Group, to develop and annually update

14         a state educational technology plan; providing

15         requirements for such plan; requiring the

16         development of technology capability

17         thresholds; requiring the department to

18         establish the Technology Services and Products

19         Bank; requiring the Technology Services and

20         Products Bank to perform certain functions;

21         providing requirements for the distribution and

22         use of technology funding; requiring an annual

23         report; providing requirements for the contents

24         of the report; establishing the Educational

25         Technology Advisory Group; providing duties,

26         membership, reimbursement of per diem and

27         travel expenses, and meeting procedures;

28         providing an effective date.

29

30  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1         Section 1.  Section 229.604, Florida Statutes, is

  2  created to read:

  3         229.604  Educational Technology Program.--There is

  4  created the Educational Technology Program.

  5         (1)  DEFINITION.--As used in this section, the term

  6  "educational technology" includes all technology and

  7  technology-related processes used directly or indirectly for

  8  instructional purposes, including:

  9         (a)  The use of hardware, software, networks, distance

10  learning equipment, and related devices that support teaching

11  and learning.

12         (b)  Resources that allow students and teachers to

13  exchange information with others, or permit them to access,

14  retrieve, manipulate, and display information available on the

15  Internet and elsewhere.

16         (c)  Hardware, software, and processes that facilitate

17  the teaching and learning process, such as those resources

18  that support grade reporting, class scheduling, attendance

19  accounting, assessment, and similar functions.

20         (d)  Endeavors relating to supporting the use of

21  technology in the classroom, such as providing technical

22  support.

23         (2)  SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each school,

24  including schools operating for the purpose of providing

25  education services to youth in juvenile justice commitment and

26  detention facilities, must address strategies for implementing

27  educational technology in the school improvement plan which

28  has been approved by the district school board, pursuant to s.

29  230.23(16)(a). The portion of the school improvement plan

30  addressing technology must address:

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1         (a)  The achievement of technology capability

  2  thresholds established by the Department of Education

  3  according to this section.

  4         (b)  Safe access to the school media center or computer

  5  center outside of the regular school day.

  6         (c)  Technical assistance for daily operations.

  7         (3)  DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each

  8  district school board must submit to the Department of

  9  Education, and annually update, a strategic district

10  educational technology plan as part of the district system of

11  planning and budgeting, pursuant to s. 229.555(1)(b). The

12  district educational technology plan shall be developed using

13  information from the technology plans of schools in the

14  district and the technology capability thresholds established

15  by the Department of Education. The plan shall be for a period

16  of at least 3 years, but no more than 5 years, and the initial

17  district plan shall be submitted to the department by August

18  1, 2001. A new plan shall be submitted by August 1 in the

19  final year of the prior plan, and an update must be submitted

20  by August 1 of each of the interim years for the duration of

21  the plan. The plan shall include essential elements as

22  required by the department.

23         (4)  STATE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN.--The Department

24  of Education shall develop and annually update a state

25  educational technology plan, in consultation with the

26  Educational Technology Advisory Group. The state educational

27  technology plan shall:

28         (a)  Include technology capability thresholds that

29  represent reasonable levels of technological capability to

30  fully integrate technology into a school in order for the

31  school to effectively utilize grade level appropriate

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1  educational technology in teaching and learning. When

  2  developing and updating the technology capability thresholds,

  3  the department and the Educational Technology Advisory Group

  4  shall take into consideration technology currently available,

  5  as well as forecasted innovations in technology. The

  6  technology capability thresholds shall be designed to build

  7  the skills that students will need to meet the demands of

  8  Florida businesses and industry. The department shall develop

  9  the technology capability thresholds by January 1, 2001. By

10  January 1 each year thereafter, the capability thresholds must

11  be reviewed and updated, as appropriate.

12         (b)  Address student access to technology to support

13  students' educational progress in the community, at work, at

14  school, and at home. The plan shall encourage districts and

15  schools to furnish safe access to school media centers or

16  computer centers outside of the regular school day, and to

17  consider the design of entrances to media centers or computer

18  centers which are safely and readily accessible to the

19  community and to students for use before and after school

20  hours when planning for new construction or remodeling

21  projects.

22         (c)  Address technology infrastructure, communication

23  updates, and upgrades for new and existing schools. The plan

24  shall encourage designs to accommodate future updating and

25  upgrading needs, to provide multiple technological access

26  points, and to facilitate teacher access to telephones and

27  telephone message systems.

28         (5)  TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AND PRODUCTS BANK.--The

29  Department of Education shall establish a Technology Services

30  and Products Bank, which shall:

31

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1         (a)  Collect, and disseminate through an Internet site,

  2  information regarding hardware, software, and technology

  3  services available within the state, including, but not

  4  limited to, educational applications.

  5         (b)  Identify outdated technology; rapid changes in

  6  technology; lowest prices for hardware, software, and

  7  technology services; sources of hardware, software, and

  8  technology services; and fluctuations in prices of hardware,

  9  software, and technology services.

10         (c)  Serve as a clearinghouse of information regarding

11  software research and development project proposals. Work

12  products produced as a result of publicly funded research and

13  development projects shall be reported to the Technology

14  Services and Products Bank for inclusion in the information

15  clearinghouse.

16

17  The Technology Services and Products Bank may not prohibit a

18  school or district school board from selecting specific

19  technology services or products or from independently

20  obtaining the lowest price. A school or a district school

21  board may select the technology solution that most closely

22  aligns with its educational technology plan, the educational

23  philosophy of the school or district school board, and the

24  technology capability thresholds established by the Department

25  of Education.

26         (6)  TECHNOLOGY FUNDING.--Beginning with the 2001-2002

27  school year, district school boards shall distribute to

28  schools the funds received for public school technology on the

29  basis of the educational technology component of the school

30  improvement plan pursuant to s. 230.23(16) and this section.

31  To receive funding, a proposed project must be in a school

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1  that has achieved the appropriate technology capability

  2  threshold for the proposed project, and the proposed project

  3  must be consistent with both the district educational

  4  technology plan and the state educational technology plan. In

  5  addition, the proposal must describe how the project will

  6  assist in improving student performance. Preference for

  7  funding shall be given to schools that are designated as

  8  performance grade category "D" or "F," pursuant to s. 229.57.

  9  Preference may be given to a school that has matched the

10  request with other funds and private sector contributions to

11  the maximum extent possible.

12         (7)  REPORTS.--Beginning January 1, 2001, the

13  Commissioner of Education shall make an annual report to the

14  Legislature within 60 days prior to the beginning of the

15  regular legislative session. The report shall include:

16         (a)  A summary of the status of the Educational

17  Technology Program, including a description of the technology

18  capability thresholds developed according to this section, and

19  the status of school achievement of the capability thresholds.

20         (b)  Recommendations to improve the efficiency and

21  promote the utilization of educational technology.

22         (8)  EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY GROUP.--There is

23  created the Educational Technology Advisory Group which shall

24  advise the Department of Education in developing and annually

25  updating the state educational technology plan according to

26  this section. The advisory group shall consist of the

27  following 10 members, who shall not be elected officials:

28         (a)  Three members appointed by the Governor, one of

29  whom shall serve as chair of the study group, and one of whom

30  shall be a principal from a school that is active in the area

31  of technology.

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000              CS/HB 975

    609-166-00






  1         (b)  Three members appointed by the Commissioner of

  2  Education, one of whom shall be a teacher who is actively

  3  engaged in integrating educational technology into daily

  4  teaching and learning.

  5         (c)  Two members appointed by the President of the

  6  Senate.

  7         (d)  Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House

  8  of Representatives.

  9

10  Each member must possess knowledge, skills, or experience

11  relating to technology. The Governor, the Commissioner of

12  Education, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

13  House of Representatives must each appoint one member who has

14  substantial business experience in the private sector relating

15  to the technology industry. Each appointed member of the

16  advisory group shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing

17  official. Members of the advisory group shall serve without

18  compensation, but shall be reimbursed for per diem and travel

19  in accordance with s. 112.061. A student selected by the

20  superintendent of schools of the district in which the

21  advisory group is meeting may be invited to attend and observe

22  the meeting. The advisory group shall meet at the call of the

23  commissioner. The location of each meeting of the advisory

24  group may vary and shall be determined by the commissioner.

25         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

26  law.

27

28

29

30

31

                                  7