Florida Senate - 2015 SB 7050
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
585-02415-15 20157050__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to digital classrooms; amending s.
3 282.0051, F.S.; requiring the Agency for State
4 Technology to establish and publish information
5 technology architecture standards for purposes of
6 implementing digital classrooms by a specified date;
7 requiring the agency to collaborate with the
8 Department of Education and the Department of
9 Management Services to identify certain state contract
10 procurement options for services that support such
11 standards and to identify certain shared services
12 available through the State Data Center to facilitate
13 the implementation of school district digital
14 classrooms plans; requiring the agency’s annual
15 assessment of the Department of Education to review
16 specified issues with respect to school district
17 digital classrooms plans and to provide planning
18 assistance to address and reduce issues identified by
19 the assessment; authorizing the agency to contract for
20 assistance with the annual assessment if needed;
21 requiring the agency to provide the annual assessment
22 to the Commissioner of Education by a specified date;
23 requiring a school district to take specified action
24 within a certain period if the district is notified by
25 the Department of Education that it is not in
26 compliance with the information technology
27 architecture standards; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.;
28 requiring the Department of Education to contract with
29 an independent, auditing entity if the administration
30 of online assessments after a certain date does not
31 comply with the minimum assessment protocols and
32 requirements established by the department; requiring
33 the auditing entity to perform certain duties;
34 amending s. 282.00515, F.S.; conforming a cross
35 reference; providing an appropriation to the agency;
36 providing an effective date.
37
38 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
39
40 Section 1. Subsections (2), (7), and (10) of section
41 282.0051, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
42 282.0051 Agency for State Technology; powers, duties, and
43 functions.—The Agency for State Technology shall have the
44 following powers, duties, and functions:
45 (2) Establish and publish information technology
46 architecture standards that:
47 (a) to Provide for the most efficient use of the state’s
48 information technology resources and that to ensure
49 compatibility and alignment with the needs of state agencies.
50 The agency shall assist state agencies in complying with the
51 standards.
52 (b) Address for purposes of implementing digital classrooms
53 under s. 1011.62(12) issues that include, but are not limited
54 to, device recommendations, security requirements, connectivity
55 requirements, and browser expectations. Such standards must be
56 published by July 1, 2016.
57 (7)(a) Participate with the Department of Management
58 Services in evaluating, conducting, and negotiating competitive
59 solicitations for state term contracts for information
60 technology commodities, consultant services, or staff
61 augmentation contractual services pursuant to s. 287.0591.
62 (b) Collaborate with the Department of Management Services
63 in information technology resource acquisition planning.
64 (c) Collaborate with the Department of Education and the
65 Department of Management Services to identify:
66 1. State term contract procurement options that are
67 available to school districts which provide information
68 technology commodities, consultant services, or staff
69 augmentation contractual services that support the information
70 technology architecture standards applicable to digital
71 classrooms.
72 2. Shared services available to school districts through
73 the State Data Center to facilitate the implementation of school
74 district digital classrooms plans.
75 (10)(a) Beginning July 1, 2016, and annually thereafter,
76 conduct annual assessments of state agencies to determine
77 compliance with all information technology standards and
78 guidelines developed and published by the agency, and beginning
79 December 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, provide results of
80 the assessments to the Executive Office of the Governor, the
81 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
82 Representatives.
83 (b) Include in the annual assessment of the Department of
84 Education under paragraph (a):
85 1. A review of each school district’s digital classrooms
86 plan submitted to the Department of Education under s.
87 1011.62(12), to determine the school district’s compliance with
88 the information technology architecture standards adopted under
89 paragraph (2)(b) and to ensure the accuracy of the school
90 district’s information technology resources inventory as
91 submitted to the Department of Education’s Technology Resources
92 Inventory System.
93 2. Planning assistance to the Department of Education,
94 school districts, and public schools to address and reduce any
95 issues identified by the annual assessment.
96 (c) Contract, if assistance with the completion of the
97 annual assessment under paragraph (b) is needed, with one or
98 more independent, third-party professional organizations.
99 (d) Provide the annual assessment under paragraph (b) to
100 the Commissioner of Education by December 1, 2016, and annually
101 thereafter. If the Department of Education notifies a school
102 district that the district is not in compliance with the
103 information technology architecture standards adopted under
104 paragraph (2)(b), the district, within 60 days after such
105 notification, must become compliant, obtain an exemption from
106 such compliance from the Department of Education, or procure
107 services through the agency or the Department of Management
108 Services to achieve compliance.
109 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (12) of section
110 1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
111 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
112 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
113 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
114 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
115 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
116 follows:
117 (12) FLORIDA DIGITAL CLASSROOMS ALLOCATION.—
118 (b) Each district school board shall adopt a district
119 digital classrooms plan that meets the unique needs of students,
120 schools, and personnel and submit the plan for approval to the
121 Department of Education. In addition, each district school board
122 must, at a minimum, seek input from the district’s
123 instructional, curriculum, and information technology staff to
124 develop the district digital classrooms plan. The district’s
125 plan must be within the general parameters established in the
126 Florida digital classrooms plan pursuant to s. 1001.20. In
127 addition, if the district participates in federal technology
128 initiatives and grant programs, the district digital classrooms
129 plan must include a plan for meeting requirements of such
130 initiatives and grant programs. Funds allocated under this
131 subsection must be used to support implementation of district
132 digital classrooms plans. By October 1, 2014, and by March 1 of
133 each year thereafter, on a date determined by the department,
134 each district school board shall submit to the department, in a
135 format prescribed by the department, a digital classrooms plan.
136 At a minimum, such plan must include, and be annually updated to
137 reflect, the following:
138 1. Measurable student performance outcomes. Outcomes
139 related to student performance, including outcomes for students
140 with disabilities, must be tied to the efforts and strategies to
141 improve outcomes related to student performance by integrating
142 technology in classroom teaching and learning. Results of the
143 outcomes shall be reported at least annually for the current
144 school year and subsequent 3 years and be accompanied by an
145 independent evaluation and validation of the reported results.
146 2. Digital learning and technology infrastructure purchases
147 and operational activities. Such purchases and activities must
148 be tied to the measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1.,
149 including, but not limited to, connectivity, broadband access,
150 wireless capacity, Internet speed, and data security, all of
151 which must meet or exceed minimum requirements and protocols
152 established by the department. For each year that the district
153 uses funds for infrastructure, a third-party, independent
154 evaluation of the district’s technology inventory and
155 infrastructure needs must accompany the district’s plan.
156 3. Professional development purchases and operational
157 activities. Such purchases and activities must be tied to the
158 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
159 limited to, using technology in the classroom and improving
160 digital literacy and competency.
161 4. Digital tool purchases and operational activities. Such
162 purchases and activities must be tied to the measurable outcomes
163 under subparagraph 1., including, but not limited to,
164 competency-based credentials that measure and demonstrate
165 digital competency and certifications; third-party assessments
166 that demonstrate acquired knowledge and use of digital
167 applications; and devices that meet or exceed minimum
168 requirements and protocols established by the department.
169 5. Online assessment-related purchases and operational
170 activities. Such purchases and activities must be tied to the
171 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
172 limited to, expanding the capacity to administer assessments and
173 compatibility with minimum assessment protocols and requirements
174 established by the department. If the administration of online
175 assessments after January 1, 2015, does not comply with the
176 minimum assessment protocols and requirements established by the
177 department, the department shall contract with an independent,
178 auditing entity that has expertise in the area of the
179 noncompliance to evaluate the extent of the noncompliance and
180 provide recommendations to remediate the noncompliance in future
181 administrations of online assessments.
182 Section 3. Section 282.00515, Florida Statutes, is amended
183 to read:
184 282.00515 Duties of Cabinet agencies.—The Department of
185 Legal Affairs, the Department of Financial Services, and the
186 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall adopt the
187 standards established in s. 282.0051(2)(a), (3), and (8) or
188 adopt alternative standards based on best practices and industry
189 standards, and may contract with the Agency for State Technology
190 to provide or perform any of the services and functions
191 described in s. 282.0051 for the Department of Legal Affairs,
192 the Department of Financial Services, or the Department of
193 Agriculture and Consumer Services.
194 Section 4. For the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the sum of
195 $9,993,566, from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated in the
196 “Special Categories - Contracted Services” appropriation
197 category to the Agency for State Technology to conduct the
198 agency’s duties under s. 282.0051(10)(b) and (c), Florida
199 Statutes.
200 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.