BILL NUMBER: AB 678	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 6, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 14, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hall
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Lieu   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to amend Section 51871.5 of the Education Code, relating to
education technology.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 678, as amended, Hall. Education technology.
   Existing law requires a school district to have a current 3- to
5-year education technology plan as a precondition to receiving a
technology grant administered by the State Department of Education.
    The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to develop
guidelines and criteria to be included in the education technology
plan. The guidelines and criteria are required to include a component
to educate pupils and teachers on the appropriate and ethical use of
information technology in the classroom, Internet safety, the manner
in which to avoid committing plagiarism, the concept, purpose, and
significance of a copyright so that pupils are equipped with the
skills necessary to distinguish lawful from unlawful online
downloading, and the implications of illegal peer-to-peer network
file sharing.
    The Superintendent is required to ensure that each school
district has access to technical assistance and an approved online
technology plan builder that the department determines is in
compliance with state and federal requirements. The Superintendent is
required to maintain a record of school districts that have a 3- to
5-year education technology plan and to make that information
available to interested public agencies.
    This bill would require the component of the guidelines and
criteria that educates pupils and teachers on the topics listed above
to include the negative impacts to pupils from cyberbullying, the
active use of  parental   content  control
software, and the responsible use by pupils of mobile communication
technology. The bill would encourage school districts to partner with
information technology companies and nonprofit organizations to
develop tools to supplement the existing Internet safety curriculum
that addresses the educational component of the guidelines and
criteria and would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these
provisions.
   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.  Section 51871.5 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   51871.5.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that education
technology planning be accomplished in the most comprehensive manner
possible. To that end, the practice of developing education
technology plans for each funding program was replaced with a
comprehensive local planning process that enables school districts to
apply for grants on an ongoing basis and assists in utilizing
available education technology programs.
   (b) As a precondition to receiving a technology grant administered
by the department, a school district shall have a current three- to
five-year education technology plan. The state board may waive this
requirement if it determines that the applicant school district made
a good faith effort to develop a plan, but for reasons beyond its
control, the school district cannot develop the plan before receipt
of the technology grant.
   (c) (1) The Superintendent shall develop guidelines and criteria
to be included in the education technology plan required pursuant to
subdivision (b). The guidelines and criteria shall include, but are
not limited to, a component to educate pupils and teachers on all of
the following:
   (A) The appropriate and ethical use of information technology in
the classroom.
   (B) Internet safety.
   (C) The manner in which to avoid committing plagiarism.
   (D) The concept, purpose, and significance of a copyright so that
pupils are equipped with the skills necessary to distinguish lawful
from unlawful online downloading.
   (E) The implications of illegal peer-to-peer network file sharing.

   (F) The negative impacts to pupils from cyberbullying.
   (G) The active use of  parental   content
 control software.
   (H) Responsible use by pupils of mobile communication technology.
   (2) A school district is encouraged to partner with information
technology companies and nonprofit organizations to develop tools to
supplement the existing Internet safety curriculum that addresses the
educational component of the guidelines and criteria developed
pursuant to this subdivision.
   (3) A school district that, on July 1,  2008 
 2011  , has a current three- to five-year education
technology plan that complies with subdivision (b) is not required to
comply with this subdivision until after its plan expires or is
voluntarily replaced.
   (d) The Superintendent shall ensure that each school district has
access to technical assistance and an approved online technology plan
builder that the department determines is in compliance with state
and federal requirements.
   (e) The department shall maintain a record of school districts
that have a three- to five-year education technology plan and shall
make that information available to interested public agencies.