Senate Bill sb0116

    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 116

    By Senator Clary





    4-95-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating the

  3         Harnessing the Power of Education Technology

  4         Advisory Council; providing for membership,

  5         powers, and duties; requiring a report;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7  

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

  9  

10         Section 1.  (1)  The Harnessing the Power of Education

11  Technology Advisory Council is created, for administrative

12  purposes, within the Department of Education.

13         (2)  The purpose of the council is to recommend

14  policies and actions regarding the use of technology in public

15  education, how technology can be leveraged to positively

16  impact student academic achievement, and how school-based

17  deployments can effectively bridge the digital divide.

18         (3)  The council shall be composed of 15 members as

19  follows:

20         (a)  The Commissioner of Education, who shall serve as

21  chair.

22         (b)  Two representatives appointed by the Governor.

23         (c)  Three members of the Senate, including the

24  chairman of the Education Committee, a member of the minority

25  party recommended by the minority leader, and a member chosen

26  by the President of the Senate.

27         (d)  Three members of the House of Representatives,

28  including the chairman of the Education Committee, a member of

29  the minority party recommended by the minority leader, and a

30  member chosen by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 116
    4-95-04




 1         (e)  The President of the Florida Association of

 2  District School Superintendents.

 3         (f)  The President of the Florida Education

 4  Association.

 5         (g)  Two representatives who are education/technology

 6  coordinators for local school districts. One representative

 7  must be from an urban district and one must be from a rural

 8  district.

 9         (h)  The President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

10         (i)  The President of the Florida School Boards

11  Association.

12  

13  Each member may appoint a designee to serve on his or her

14  behalf. However, any designee must be in a position that

15  reports directly to the member.

16         (4)  Members of the council shall be appointed to terms

17  beginning July 1, 2004, and ending December 31, 2005. A member

18  may be removed by the appointing officer for cause or for

19  being absent from three consecutive meetings. Any member

20  appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term

21  of his or her predecessor.

22         (5)  The council shall meet at least quarterly, but may

23  meet upon the call of the chair. All actions taken by the

24  council shall be based upon approval by a simple majority of

25  those members present.

26         (6)  Members of the council shall be reimbursed for per

27  diem and travel expenses as provided in section 112.061,

28  Florida Statutes. Members who are state officers or employees

29  may be reimbursed for such expenses by their respective

30  agencies.

31         (7)  The council shall:

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                   SB 116
    4-95-04




 1         (a)  Examine large-scale, innovative education

 2  technology initiatives, specifically regarding wireless mobile

 3  computing devices, and shall analyze the impact that such

 4  initiatives have on teaching, learning, and student

 5  achievement, including standardized testing.

 6         (b)  Study the impact that the initiatives have had on

 7  bridging the digital divide.

 8         (c)  Develop effective methods of measuring student

 9  achievement and learning using technology.

10         (d)  Recommend a statewide public-private initiative to

11  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of

12  the House of Representatives regarding the effective use of

13  technology to improve student academic achievement.

14         (e)  Create ad hoc issue-oriented workgroups to make

15  recommendations to the council and the Governor. Such

16  workgroups may include representatives of the private sector

17  and of the public sector.

18         (f)  Identify and recommend to the Governor, the

19  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

20  Representatives sources for funding the initiative.

21         Section 2.  The council shall submit a report to the

22  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

23  House of Representatives by October 15, 2005.

24         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

25  

26            *****************************************

27                          SENATE SUMMARY

28    Creates the Harnessing the Power of Education Technology
      Advisory Council. Provides for council membership,
29    powers, and duties. Requires a report to the Governor,
      the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House
30    of Representatives.

31  

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