BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Kevin de León, Chair SB 505 (Jackson) - Education Technology Amended: May 15, 2013 Policy Vote: Education 9-0 Urgency: No Mandate: Yes Hearing Date: May 23, 2013 Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez SUSPENSE FILE. Bill Summary: SB 505 reassigns specific technical assistance duties that were previously fulfilled by the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) to the county offices of education (COEs). This bill also extends the sunset on the following California Department of Education (CDE) administered programs: the California Learning Resource Network, the Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership, and Technical Support for Education Technology in Schools, referred to collectively as the Support for Education Technology in Schools (SETS) projects, until January 1, 2019. Fiscal Impact: This bill extends the sunsets on three programs that are currently subject to categorical flexibility. The fiscal estimates below represent the annual cost to continue the programs as they were funded in 2008-09, before they were included in categorical flexibility. The CDE has indicated that it would seek additional funding to expand the role of these programs if they are continued. California Learning Resource Network (CLRN): $987,884 General Fund. Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL): $723,517 General Fund. Technical Support for Education Technology in Schools (TechSETS): $577,079 General Fund. SETS contract administration: $125,000 in staffing costs for the CDE. Mandate: Potentially substantial reimbursable mandate on COEs, which this bill requires to undertake activities previously done through consortia that received state grant funds. Background: Existing law authorizes the CTAP to provide a SB 505 (Jackson) Page 1 regionalized network of technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology. CTAP is composed of regional consortia that work collaboratively with school districts and county offices of education to meet locally defined technology based needs. CTAP's functions include providing technical services to support access, planning, and use of high speed telecommunications networks, as well as to provide technology planning and implementation assistance to rural and technologically underserved school districts and COEs. Existing law also authorizes the SETS projects, which consist of the CLRN, TICAL, and TechSETS. The CLRN helps teachers select online materials by conducting a review of electronic learning resources, such as software and video, for alignment with content standards. TICAL provides professional development for education administrators in areas of data-driven decision making, integrating technology into standards-based curriculum, and technology planning, operations, and management. TICAL also maintains a web portal that features resources for administrators to assist with digital school leadership. TechSETS provides resources and support for school technology staff through an online interactive help desk, professional development, and assistance with planning and installing technology infrastructures. The 2012 Budget Act includes $14.1 million in Proposition 98 General Fund for the CTAP and the State SETS projects but these funds are included in Tier III categorical flexibility through 2014-15, and school districts may utilize them for any educational purpose. The CTAP and the SETS projects sunset on January 1, 2014. Proposed Law: SB 505 requires COEs to provide technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology, as specified. This bill also extends the sunset on the SETS projects: CLRN, TICAL, and TechSETS until January 1, 2019. Staff Comments: This bill extends the sunset on the SETS projects in order to continue existing activities related to education technology, and to use the infrastructure to assist in Common Core Standards implementation. As part of implementing Common Core Standards, the state will be moving to a SB 505 (Jackson) Page 2 computer-based assessment system. The CDE had indicated that it will seek increased funding for the SETS projects to support their expanded roles in the state transition to Common Core. The CDE believes a more appropriate budget for each of the projects is: $1.25 million for the CLRN, $825,000 for TICAL, and $625,000 for TechSETS; this represents an increase across projects of approximately $500,000. This bill also requires COEs to provide technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology, including: a) Professional development; b) electronic learning resources; c) hardware; d) telecommunications infrastructure; e) 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; f) coordination with and support for the funding and implementation of federal, state, and local programs; g) funding; h) technical assistance and information to support access, planning, and the use of high-speed telecommunications networks; and, i) technology planning and implementation assistance to rural and technologically underserved school districts. Requiring new responsibilities of COEs, which were previously done by regional consortia receiving state grant funding, will likely constitute a significant reimbursable state mandate for any services a COE provides to a school or school district relative to education technology. Staff notes that as part of the 2013-14 Governor's Budget, the Administration proposes to restructure the existing K-12 finance system and eliminate over 40 existing programs. The Administration proposes to primarily fund LEAs using a new formula known as the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF would consolidate the vast majority of state categorical programs and revenue limit apportionments into a single funding stream and would eliminate the statutory and programmatic requirements for almost all existing categorical programs, including educational technology programs for which this bill seeks to preserve designated funding. Under the Governor's proposal, LEAs could still operate the programs, but would not receive a specific allocation for them. SB 505 (Jackson) Page 3