BILL NUMBER: SB 1254 CHAPTERED 09/10/04 CHAPTER 482 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 25, 2004 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 23, 2004 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 17, 2004 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 10, 2004 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2004 INTRODUCED BY Senator Soto FEBRUARY 12, 2004 An act to amend Sections 51871, 51872, 51873, and 51874 of the Education Code, relating to education technology. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1254, Soto. California Technology Assistance Project. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to administer the California Technology Assistance Project, composed of regional consortia that administer, with 3-year grant funding awarded by the State Board of Education, a regionalized network of technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology and work collaboratively with school districts and county offices of education to meet locally defined technology-based needs. Existing law requires the department to provide statewide coordination and evaluation of technology programs and resources and to advance the use of technology in the curriculum and in the administration of elementary and secondary schools. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to award grants, based on certain criteria, to fund a school district or county office of education in each region of the California Technology Assistance Project to act as the lead agency to administer the service of that region. Existing law authorizes school districts, county offices of education, and state special schools to apply to the State Board of Education to participate in grant programs related to education technology. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2005. This bill would make certain findings and declarations relating to the California Technology Assistance Project, add certain educational needs that can be addressed with the use of technology, require a school district or county office of education to provide a plan containing certain criteria to be considered as a lead agency, and provide specific educational technology services to be supported by the California Technology Assistance Project. This bill would extend the operation of the California Technology Assistance Project until January 1, 2009. This bill would also make various technical, nonsubstantive changes to existing law. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) The California Technology Assistance Project and the statewide educational technology services are making a significant impact on the extent to which educators make effective use of technology to support teaching and learning. (b) Recent surveys of teachers and administrators who used California Technology Assistance Project and statewide educational technology services found these programs to be a major source of professional development and assistance for: (1) using electronic learning resources to help implement state content standards, (2) developing technology plans required for eligibility for federal and state technology funding, (3) selecting software and Web resources to support learning, (4) developing instructional plans to make optimal use of technology, and (5) promoting collaboration and coordination of technology initiatives across educational programs. (c) Another study of the programs showed that significant support was provided that enabled schools across the state to increase their own capacity to plan and implement the extensive requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that included identification of research-based materials, developing effective technology plans needed as a condition to receive federal funding, using technology to support management and use of student assessment data, improving teacher quality, and enabling the delivery of professional development over high-speed telecommunications networks. (d) It has been objectively documented that some technology services are more efficiently and effectively delivered at a statewide level. Examples of services proven to forward the integration of technology in schools include statewide services that assist educators in locating online standards-aligned learning resources, technology resources for school administrators, and technical support resources. SEC. 2. Section 51871 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51871. (a) The California Technology Assistance Project shall be administered by the State Department of Education to provide a regionalized network of technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology as set forth in policies of the State Board of Education. The California Technology Assistance Project shall be composed of regional consortia that will work collaboratively with school districts and county offices of education to meet locally defined educational needs that can be effectively addressed with the use of technology, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following areas: (1) Professional development. (2) Electronic learning resources. (3) Hardware. (4) Telecommunications infrastructure. (5) Technical assistance to school districts in developing a support system to operate and maintain an education technology infrastructure, including improving pupil recordkeeping and tracking related to pupil instruction. (6) Coordination with and support for the funding and implementation of federal, state, and local programs. (7) Funding. (8) Technical assistance and information to support access, planning, and the use of high-speed telecommunications networks. (9) Technology planning and implementation assistance to rural and technologically underserved school districts and county offices of education. (b) The State Board of Education shall authorize grants to fund a school district or county office of education in each region of the California Technology Assistance Project to act as the lead agency to administer the services of that region. The term of a grant awarded pursuant to this section may not exceed three years. Grant funding may be awarded and received for subsequent terms of three years as provided in this section. The lead agency shall be chosen based on the extent to which it provides a plan that clearly documents or describes all of the following: (1) Knowledge of technology to improve teaching and learning. (2) Technology planning and technical assistance. (3) Proven success in providing professional development in technology and curriculum integration. (4) An ability to work collaboratively with school districts, county offices of education, and businesses in the region. (5) The ability to deliver services specified in this article to all school districts and county offices of education in its region. (6) The support of school districts and county offices of education for the regional lead agency application in the region. (7) The capacity to assist schools to utilize high-speed telecommunications networks. (8) Specific strategies for documenting and addressing the needs of rural schools and technologically underserved school districts and county offices of education. (9) A plan for evaluating the implementation of, access to, use of, and local impact of, the services provided by the region. (c) Funding to support the regional education technology services provided by the California Technology Assistance Project shall be provided through the annual Budget Act. To receive funding for the second and subsequent years of a grant awarded pursuant to subdivision (b), the lead agency shall submit an annual report to the State Board of Education for approval that describes the services provided, the persons served, and the funds expended for those services in the prior year. School districts and county offices of education within the California Technology Assistance Project region shall have an opportunity to comment on the report. SEC. 3. Section 51872 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51872. (a) The State Department of Education shall administer this article. The duties of the State Department of Education shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: (1) Assisting the State Board of Education on education technology plans, policies, programs, and activities. (2) Providing for the statewide coordination, planning, and evaluation of education technology programs and resources. (3) Advancing the use of technology in the curriculum and in the administration of elementary and secondary schools. (b) Funding shall be provided through the annual Budget Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide centralized statewide educational technology services that address locally defined needs and are more efficiently and effectively provided on a statewide basis. The statewide educational technology services to be supported by this statute shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) Review of electronic learning resources including, but not limited to, software, online resources, and video, for alignment with the content standards adopted by the state board. (2) Professional development focused on digital school leadership for educational administrators in the areas of data-driven decisionmaking, integrating technology into standards-based curriculum, technology planning, professional development needs of staff, financial planning for technology, and operations and maintenance. (3) Access for schools to training, support, and other resources for technical professionals in California. (c) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall report annually, in writing, to the State Board of Education and the Legislature on the services provided, persons served, and the funds expended for those purposes in the prior year. SEC. 4. Section 51873 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51873. School districts, county offices of education, and state special schools may apply to the State Board of Education to participate in grant programs related to education technology, including, but not limited to, professional development, research and development, and evaluation and dissemination of education technology resources. SEC. 5. Section 51874 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51874. Sections 51871, 51872, 51873, this section, and the heading of this article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2009, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2009, deletes or extends that date.