House Bill 0975c1
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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:
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 CS/HB 975
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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:
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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
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 CS/HB 975
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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:
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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.
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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
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 CS/HB 975
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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.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 CS/HB 975
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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.
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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.
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