Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1264
By Senator Legg
17-01068A-15 20151264__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to digital classrooms; creating s.
3 282.0052, F.S.; establishing requirements for digital
4 classrooms technology infrastructure planning by the
5 Agency for State Technology or a contracted
6 organization; requiring the agency or contracted
7 organization to annually submit a report to the
8 Governor and the Legislature; prescribing report
9 requirements; requiring the agency to annually update
10 the Commissioner of Education on the status of
11 technology infrastructure; amending s. 1001.20, F.S.;
12 requiring the Office of Technology and Information
13 Services of the Department of Education to consult
14 with the Agency for State Technology in developing the
15 5-year strategic plan for Florida digital classrooms;
16 removing an obsolete date; revising requirements for
17 the 5-year strategic plan; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.;
18 revising the date by which district school boards must
19 annually submit a digital classrooms plan to the
20 Department of Education; requiring a charter school to
21 submit the school’s digital classrooms plan to the
22 applicable school district; specifying required format
23 for the plan; specifying conditions for a school
24 district to maintain eligibility for Florida digital
25 classrooms allocation funds; requiring the
26 Commissioner of Education to implement an online
27 portal for electronic submission of digital classrooms
28 plans by a specified date; requiring a charter school
29 to annually report to the department regarding the use
30 of specified funds; revising requirements for the
31 commissioner’s annual report to the Governor and the
32 Legislature regarding the digital classrooms plan;
33 providing an effective date.
34
35 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37 Section 1. Section 282.0052, Florida Statutes, is created
38 to read:
39 282.0052 Digital classrooms technology infrastructure
40 planning.—
41 (1) The Agency for State Technology, or an independent
42 third-party professional organization that the agency contracts
43 with, shall:
44 (a) Consult with the Department of Education to identify
45 technology infrastructure standards and targets for the
46 successful implementation of digital classrooms, pursuant to s.
47 1011.62(12), in public schools within the state beginning in the
48 2016-2017 school year.
49 (b) Perform retrospective analyses of the state 5-year
50 strategic plan developed pursuant to s. 1001.20 and the school
51 district and charter school digital classrooms plans adopted
52 pursuant to s. 1011.62(12) for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016
53 school years to determine the status of technology
54 infrastructure relative to the standards and targets identified
55 under paragraph (a).
56 (c) Provide prospective planning guidance and technical
57 assistance to the Department of Education, school districts, and
58 public schools regarding identified gaps in technology
59 infrastructure and recommended improvements to meet the
60 standards and targets identified under paragraph (a).
61 (d) Summarize and report, by October 1 of each year, to the
62 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
63 House of Representatives:
64 1. The status of technology infrastructure of school
65 districts and public schools within the state.
66 2. Recommendations for improving cost efficiencies and
67 maximizing investments in technology by the state and school
68 districts to establish digital classrooms.
69 (2) The Agency for State Technology must provide the status
70 of technology infrastructure information to the Commissioner of
71 Education by September 1 of each year.
72 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
73 1001.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
74 1001.20 Department under direction of state board.—
75 (4) The Department of Education shall establish the
76 following offices within the Office of the Commissioner of
77 Education which shall coordinate their activities with all other
78 divisions and offices:
79 (a) Office of Technology and Information Services.—
80 1. Responsible for developing a 5-year strategic plan, in
81 consultation with the Agency for State Technology, to establish
82 technology infrastructure standards and targets for the
83 successful implementation of digital classrooms to improve
84 student performance outcomes under s. 1011.62(12) for
85 establishing Florida digital classrooms by October 1, 2014, and
86 annually updating the plan by January 1 each year thereafter.
87 The Florida digital classrooms plan shall be provided to each
88 school district and published on the department’s website. The
89 plan must:
90 a. Describe how technology will be integrated into
91 classroom teaching and learning to assist the state in improving
92 student performance outcomes and enable all students in Florida
93 to be digital learners with access to digital tools and
94 resources.
95 b. Identify minimum technology infrastructure requirements,
96 which that include specifications for hardware, software,
97 devices, networking, security, and bandwidth capacity and
98 guidelines for the ratio of students per device. The Office of
99 Technology and Information Services shall consult with the
100 Agency for State Technology in identifying minimum technology
101 infrastructure requirements.
102 c. Establish minimum requirements for professional
103 development opportunities and training to assist district
104 instructional personnel and staff with the integration of
105 technology into classroom teaching.
106 d. Identify the types of digital tools and resources that
107 can assist district instructional personnel and staff in the
108 management, assessment, and monitoring of student learning and
109 performance.
110 2. Responsible for making budget recommendations to the
111 commissioner, providing data collection and management for the
112 system, assisting school districts in securing Internet access
113 and telecommunications services, including those eligible for
114 funding under the Schools and Libraries Program of the federal
115 Universal Service Fund, and coordinating services with other
116 state, local, and private agencies.
117 3. Responsible for coordinating with the Agency for State
118 Technology to facilitate school districts’ access to statewide
119 procurement service agreements.
120 Section 3. Paragraphs (b) through (e) of subsection (12) of
121 section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
122 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
123 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
124 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
125 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
126 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
127 follows:
128 (12) FLORIDA DIGITAL CLASSROOMS ALLOCATION.—
129 (b) Each district school board shall adopt a district
130 digital classrooms plan that meets the unique needs of students,
131 schools, and personnel and submit the plan for approval to the
132 Department of Education. In addition, each district school board
133 must, at a minimum, seek input from the district’s
134 instructional, curriculum, and information technology staff to
135 develop the district digital classrooms plan. The district’s
136 plan must be within the general parameters established in the
137 Florida digital classrooms plan pursuant to s. 1001.20. In
138 addition, if the district participates in federal technology
139 initiatives and grant programs, the district digital classrooms
140 plan must include a plan for meeting requirements of such
141 initiatives and grant programs. Funds allocated under this
142 subsection must be used to support implementation of district
143 digital classrooms plans. By September October 1, 2014, and by
144 March 1 of each year thereafter, on a date determined by the
145 department, each district school board shall submit to the
146 department, in a format prescribed by the department, a digital
147 classrooms plan. At a minimum, such plan must include, and be
148 annually updated to reflect, the following:
149 1. Measurable student performance outcomes. Outcomes
150 related to student performance, including outcomes for students
151 with disabilities, must be tied to the efforts and strategies to
152 improve outcomes related to student performance by integrating
153 technology in classroom teaching and learning. Results of the
154 outcomes shall be reported at least annually for the current
155 school year and subsequent 3 years and be accompanied by an
156 independent evaluation and validation of the reported results.
157 2. Digital learning and technology infrastructure purchases
158 and operational activities. Such purchases and activities must
159 be tied to the measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1.,
160 including, but not limited to, connectivity, broadband access,
161 wireless capacity, Internet speed, and data security, all of
162 which must meet or exceed minimum requirements and protocols
163 established by the department. For each year that the district
164 uses funds for infrastructure, a third-party, independent
165 evaluation of the district’s technology inventory and
166 infrastructure needs must accompany the district’s plan.
167 3. Professional development purchases and operational
168 activities. Such purchases and activities must be tied to the
169 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
170 limited to, using technology in the classroom and improving
171 digital literacy and competency.
172 4. Digital tool purchases and operational activities. Such
173 purchases and activities must be tied to the measurable outcomes
174 under subparagraph 1., including, but not limited to,
175 competency-based credentials that measure and demonstrate
176 digital competency and certifications; third-party assessments
177 that demonstrate acquired knowledge and use of digital
178 applications; and devices that meet or exceed minimum
179 requirements and protocols established by the department.
180 5. Online assessment-related purchases and operational
181 activities. Such purchases and activities must be tied to the
182 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
183 limited to, expanding the capacity to administer assessments and
184 compatibility with minimum assessment protocols and requirements
185 established by the department.
186 (c) The Legislature shall annually provide in the General
187 Appropriations Act the FEFP allocation for implementation of the
188 Florida digital classrooms plan to be calculated in an amount up
189 to 1 percent of the base student allocation multiplied by the
190 total K-12 full-time equivalent student enrollment included in
191 the FEFP calculations for the legislative appropriation or as
192 provided in the General Appropriations Act. Each school district
193 shall be provided a minimum of $250,000, with the remaining
194 balance of the allocation to be distributed based on each
195 district’s proportion of the total K-12 full-time equivalent
196 student enrollment. Distribution of funds for the Florida
197 digital classrooms allocation shall begin following submittal of
198 each district’s digital classrooms plan, which must include
199 formal verification of the superintendent’s approval of the
200 digital classrooms plan of each charter school in the district,
201 and approval of the plan by the department. A charter school
202 shall submit the school’s digital classrooms plan, in a
203 streamlined format prescribed by the department, to the
204 applicable school district. Prior to the distribution of the
205 Florida digital classrooms allocation funds, each district
206 school superintendent shall certify to the Commissioner of
207 Education that the district school board has approved a
208 comprehensive district digital classrooms plan that supports the
209 fidelity of implementation of the Florida digital classrooms
210 allocation. District allocations shall be recalculated during
211 the fiscal year consistent with the periodic recalculation of
212 the FEFP. School districts shall provide a proportionate share
213 of the digital classrooms allocation to each charter school in
214 the district, as required for categorical programs in s.
215 1002.33(17)(b). A school district may use a competitive process
216 to distribute funds for the Florida digital classrooms
217 allocation to the schools within the school district. Beginning
218 in the 2016-2017 school year, to be eligible to receive Florida
219 digital classrooms allocation funds, a school district must
220 undergo retrospective and prospective analyses pursuant to s.
221 282.0052 and an annual independent verification of its use of
222 Florida digital classrooms allocation funds pursuant to
223 paragraph (e).
224 (d) To facilitate the implementation of the district
225 digital classrooms plans and charter school digital classrooms
226 plans, the commissioner shall support statewide, coordinated
227 partnerships and efforts of this state’s education practitioners
228 in the field, including, but not limited to, superintendents,
229 principals, and teachers, to identify and share best practices,
230 corrective actions, and other identified needs. By August 1,
231 2016, the commissioner shall implement an online, web-based
232 portal for school districts and charter schools to submit their
233 digital classrooms plan.
234 (e) Beginning in the 2015-2016 fiscal year and each year
235 thereafter, each district school board and charter school shall
236 report to the department its use of funds provided through the
237 Florida digital classrooms allocation and student performance
238 outcomes in accordance with the district’s digital classrooms
239 plan. The department may contract with an independent third
240 party entity to conduct an annual independent verification of
241 the district’s use of Florida digital classrooms allocation
242 funds in accordance with the district’s digital classrooms plan.
243 In the event an independent third-party verification is not
244 conducted, the Auditor General shall, during scheduled
245 operational audits of the school districts, verify compliance of
246 the use of Florida digital classrooms allocation funds in
247 accordance with the district’s digital classrooms plan. No later
248 than October 1 of each year, beginning in the 2015-2016 fiscal
249 year, the commissioner shall provide to the Governor, the
250 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
251 Representatives a summary of each district’s student performance
252 goals and outcomes, use of funds, in support of such student
253 performance goals and outcomes, and progress toward meeting
254 statutory requirements and timelines.
255 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.