BILL NUMBER: AB 836 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 15, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Torlakson
FEBRUARY 26, 2009
An act to add Article 15.1 (commencing with Section 51875) to
Chapter 5 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
relating to education technology.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 836, as amended, Torlakson. Task force for education
technology.
Existing law establishes various programs to enhance education
technology, including the California Technology Assistance Project,
which is composed of regional consortia that 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, as specified.
This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction
to establish a task force for education technology, funded by private
donations, for the purpose of making preliminary recommendations on
digital technology literacy model
standards and developing recommendations for a comprehensive
statewide plan to increase and enhance the level of technology used
to deliver instruction in California public schools. The bill would
require the task force to consist of no more than 15 education
technology experts, including, but not necessarily limited
to, parents, current credentialed teachers,
administrators, school board members, researchers, and industry
representatives.
This bill would require the task force to make preliminary
recommendations to the Superintendent on digital
technology literacy model standards on or before May 30,
2010, require the Superintendent to recommend digital
technology literacy model standards to the state
board on or before June 20, 2010, and require the state board to
adopt digital technology literacy model
content standards, pursuant to the recommendations of the
Superintendent, on or before July 30, 2010.
The bill also would require the recommendations for a
comprehensive statewide plan to be made by the task force to the
state board on or before September 1, 2011. The bill would require
the task force to address specified issues as part of the
comprehensive statewide plan to increase and enhance the level of
technology used to deliver instruction in California public schools.
This bill would require the state board to adopt a comprehensive
statewide plan to increase and enhance the level of technology used
to deliver instruction in California public schools, pursuant to the
recommendations of the task force, on or before January 1, 2012.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Article 15.1 (commencing with Section 51875) is added
to Chapter 5 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education
Code, to read:
Article 15.1. Education Technology Task Force
51875. (a) The Superintendent shall establish and convene a task
force for education technology. The task force shall develop
recommendations for a comprehensive statewide plan to increase and
enhance the level of technology used to deliver instruction in
California public schools, and shall make preliminary recommendations
on digital technology literacy model
standards. The operations of the task force shall be funded by
private donations.
(b) The membership of the task force shall consist of no more than
15 education technology experts, including, but not limited
to, parents, necessarily limited to, parents, current
credentialed teachers, administrators, school board members,
researchers, and industry representatives. Current credentialed
teachers shall comprise a majority of the task force. The task force
shall include at least one member from a large sc hool
district, at least one member from a medium-sized school district,
and at least one member from a small school district. The members
representing these various sizes of school districts may be any
combination of parents, teachers, administrators, or school board
members.
(c) As used in this article, "technology literacy" means the
understanding of what technology is, how it is created, and how it
shapes, and is shaped by, society.
51875.1. (a) The task force shall make preliminary
recommendations to the Superintendent on digital
technology literacy model standards on or before May 30,
2010. The Superintendent shall recommend digital
technology literacy model standards to the state board on
or before June 20, 2010. The state board shall adopt digital
technology literacy model content standards,
pursuant to the recommendations of the Superintendent, on or before
July 30, 2010.
(b) The task force shall address all of the following as part of
its recommendations, to be presented to the state board on or before
September 1, 2011, for a comprehensive statewide plan to increase and
enhance the level of technology used to deliver instruction in
California public schools:
(1) Professional development, based on a study of existing
industry models for professional development in technology and
existing school professional development programs. The task force
shall provide recommendations for the improvement of school
technology in professional development.
(2) Electronic learning resources and instructional materials,
based on a study of trends in long-term compatibility of resources
and hardware and best practices in the use of electronic
resources . The task force also shall develop plans for
long-term compatibility of resources and hardware.
(3) Hardware, with an emphasis on long-term compatibility between
hardware and software systems and intersystem compatibility. The task
force also shall address extended life cycle plans to preclude the
premature obsolescence of equipment.
(4) Telecommunications infrastructure, based on a study of
industry standards for wireless interoperability. The task force also
shall recommend adoption of a standard for telecommunications
infrastructure for schools.
(5) Funding, based on an assessment of various funding models. The
task force also shall make recommendations on methods of providing
reasonable levels of funding for technology in schools on a
continuing basis.
51875.2. The state board shall adopt a comprehensive statewide
plan to increase and enhance the level of technology used to deliver
instruction in California public schools, pursuant to the
recommendations of the task force, on or before January 1, 2012.
51875.3. The state department is authorized to accept private
donations to support the expenses incurred in operating the task
force pursuant to this article.