BILL NUMBER: AB 2882 CHAPTERED 07/05/00 CHAPTER 78 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 5, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JULY 5, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JUNE 22, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 15, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 15, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 25, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Reyes (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Aroner, Bates, Battin, Briggs, Calderon, Campbell, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Cunneen, Davis, Dutra, Gallegos, Granlund, Hertzberg, Honda, Jackson, Longville, Lowenthal, Maddox, Margett, Mazzoni, Nakano, Robert Pacheco, Romero, Scott, Shelley, Steinberg, Strom-Martin, Torlakson, Villaraigosa, Vincent, Washington, Wiggins, Wildman, and Zettel) (Coauthors: Senators Alarcon, Bowen, Chesbro, Costa, Dunn, Figueroa, McPherson, Murray, O'Connell, Perata, Polanco, Rainey, Sher, and Soto) MARCH 6, 2000 An act to add Chapter 8.6 (commencing with Section 52270) to Part 28 of the Education Code, relating to education technology, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2882, Reyes. Education technology and professional development grants. Existing law, the Digital High School Education Technology Grant Act of 1997, provides one-time installation grants and ongoing technology support and staff training grants to school districts and county offices of education that operate high schools. Existing law requires school districts and county offices of education receiving grants to provide matching resources. Existing law requires staff training to include training for the use of computers, networks, software, and other equipment, integration of technology into the curriculum, and methods to instruct pupils in the use of computers, networks, software, and other equipment. This bill would establish the Education Technology Grant Program to provide one-time grants to school districts and charter schools to acquire or lease computers for instructional purposes. The Office of the Secretary for Education would be required to administer the application process for the award of grants. The first priority for the funds would be to ensure that high school pupils in schools offering 3 or fewer advanced placement courses have access to advanced placement courses online. The bill would also establish the Education Technology Professional Development Program to provide teacher training on the use of technology in the classroom. The bill would require the California State University to administer the training and would require the Secretary for Education to select a contractor to conduct an independent evaluation of the program and to report to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2002. The bill would authorize school districts to purchase or lease computers, related equipment and materials, and other goods and services using any statewide or cooperative contracts, schedules, or other agreements established by the Department of General Services. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: CHAPTER 8.6. EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS 52270. The Education Technology Grant Program is hereby established to provide one-time grants to school districts and charter schools for purposes of acquiring computers for instructional purposes at public schools. The Office of the Secretary for Education shall administer the application process for the award of grants. (a) The first priority for the use of the funds is to ensure that high school pupils in schools offering three or fewer advanced placement courses have access to advanced placement courses online. Grants awarded for the first priority may be expended to purchase or lease computers and related equipment and for wiring or infrastructure necessary to achieve connectivity to on-line advanced placement courses. (b) The second priority for the use of the funds is to increase the number of computers available to all other public schools that offer instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Grants awarded for the purposes of the second priority shall be awarded at the school district level and shall be based on a ratio of pupils per computer, as determined by the Office of the Secretary for Education. A school district that receives a grant shall award the funds to its schools that have the highest number of pupils per computer. Each education technology grant awarded based on the second priority shall only be used for the purchase or lease of computers including system configuration, software, and instructional material. The grant amount awarded to each school district or charter school for the second priority shall be determined by the Office of the Secretary for Education. (c) All funds awarded pursuant to this section shall be used solely to purchase or lease equipment and related materials for instructional purposes and limited to classroom, library, or technology and media centers in order to provide access to on-line advanced placement courses for pupil and increase the number of computers per pupil. These grant funds are to supplement, not supplant, existing local, state, and federal education technology funds, including Digital High School funds. (d) To receive a grant pursuant to this section, school districts and charter schools shall have developed an education technology plan or shall develop a plan with the assistance of the California Technology Assistance Project specifically for the use of the funds available pursuant to this section within 90 days after submission of the application for a grant pursuant to this chapter. The plan shall address the use of these and other technology funds to ensure they are used effectively and in a manner consistent with other education technology available at the schoolsite. School districts and charter schools that choose to lease equipment shall include in their technology plan a payment schedule and shall identify the funding source or sources for lease payments over the life of the lease, including, but not limited to, establishing a technology leasing account and amortizing the available state funding over the term of the lease, if appropriate. In addition, the term of the lease shall be no longer than four years unless authorized at local discretion, in which case the lease or purchase shall be funded at local expense. A school district or charter school with an existing certified or approved education technology plan developed pursuant to other provisions of law may utilize the existing plan for the purposes of this program but shall, if necessary, amend that plan to meet the requirements of this subdivision if the school district or charter school chooses to lease the computers. (e) School districts and charter schools may purchase or lease computers, related equipment and materials, and other goods and services using any statewide or cooperative contracts, schedules, or other agreements, established by the Department of General Services. (f) Funding for the purposes of this section is contingent on an appropriation made in the annual Budget Act or other legislation, or both. (g) Funds appropriated to carry out this section in the 2000-01 fiscal year shall only be available to high schools, or charter schools, that serve any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive. 52272. (a) The Education Technology Professional Development Program is hereby established to provide teacher training on the use of technology in the classroom. The professional development training shall provide teachers with knowledge and skills on how best to integrate the use of technology into the classroom and curriculum. (b) The California State University shall administer the professional development training component of the program and shall collaborate with the California Technology Assistance Project, county offices of education, and other appropriate public and private organizations in developing and providing this training. (c) The Secretary for Education, in collaboration with the Chancellor of the California State University, shall select a contractor to conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the Education Technology Professional Development Program. Upon completion, the report shall be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 2002. (d) Funding for the purposes of this section is contingent on an appropriation made for those purposes in the annual Budget Act. SEC. 2. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to implement the Budget Act of 2000 with respect to the public schools and higher education, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.