SB 318, as introduced, Morrell. Education technology and digital resources training pilot program.
(1) Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
This bill would appropriate, for the 2015-16 fiscal year, $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be allocated to specified local educational agencies for the purpose of implementing a pilot program in the County of San Bernardino County to train kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, teachers to more effectively utilize technology and digital resources within their instructional day, while also measuring and teaching the critical 21st century skills pupils need to succeed on California’s next-generation online assessments, as well as to prepare pupils for college and career objectives, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require the Superintendent to develop an application process for the allocation of funds appropriated for the implementation of the pilot program to be limited to local educational agencies servicing the County of San Bernardino. The bill would authorize any local educational agency servicing the County of San Bernardino to apply to the Superintendent for funding to implement the pilot program, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2020.
(2) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the county of San Bernardino.
(3) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 33134 is added to the Education Code,
2to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, for the 2015-16
4fiscal year, one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall be appropriated
5from the General Fund to the Superintendent to be allocated to
6local educational agencies servicing the County of San Bernardino
7who apply for the purpose of implementing a pilot program to train
8kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, teachers to more
9effectively utilize technology and digital resources within their
10instructional day, while also measuring and teaching the critical
1121st century skills pupils need to succeed on California’s
12next-generation online assessments, as well as to prepare pupils
13for college and career objectives.
14(b) (1) The Superintendent shall develop an application process
15for
the allocation of funds appropriated pursuant to subdivision
16(a) limited to local educational agencies servicing the County of
17San Bernardino.
18(2) Any local educational agency servicing the county of San
19Bernardino may apply for funding from the Superintendent to
20implement the pilot program described in subdivision (a), and
21subject to the requirements of subdivision (c).
22(c) (1) The pilot program shall be operated in the County of
23San Bernardino County and focus on teachers working with
24underserved populations.
25(2) The pilot program shall include the ability to measure 21st
26century skills of teachers and pupils using the international
27standards defined by the International Society for Technology in
28Education. The skills to be measured shall include, but not be
29limited to, all of the
following:
P3 1(A) Creativity and innovation.
2(B) Communication and collaboration.
3(C) Research and information fluency.
4(D) Critical thinking and problem solving.
5(E) Digital citizenship.
6(F) Technology operations and concepts.
7(3) The pilot program shall provide professional development
8for teachers to ensure that these skills are met and that assistance
9is provided when these skills are not met.
10(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020,
11and as of that date is
repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
12is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.
The Legislature finds and declares that this act, which
14is applicable only to the County of San Bernardino, is necessary
15because this act will serve as a pilot program for training
16kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, teachers to, among
17other things, more effectively utilize technology and digital
18resources within their instructional day.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
20is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
21within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
22Constitution because of the need to enact this act on a trial basis
23only, applied to one appropriately large and diverse county, before
24extending the act to every county in the state.
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