BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 678
AUTHOR: Hall
AMENDED: May 6, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 15, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Education Technology Plans
SUMMARY
This bill adds cyberbullying, content control software, and
the responsible use of mobile communication technology to
the components that are required to be included in existing
guidelines and criteria for the purpose of developing
school district-level education technology plans.
BACKGROUND
Current law:
1) Requires a school district to have a three- to
five-year education technology plan as a precondition
to receiving any technology grant administered by the
California Department of Education (CDE).
2) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to develop guidelines and criteria to be
included in the education technology plans submitted
by schools, and requires the guidelines and criteria
to include a component to educate pupils and teachers
on:
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
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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.
3) Prohibits, pursuant to the federal Children's Internet
Protection Act (CIPA), a school from using certain
federal funds to purchase computers for an elementary
or secondary school to use for Internet access, or to
pay for direct costs associated with Internet access
at that school, unless the school or school district
has in place an Internet safety policy and technology
protection measures.
The following funding sources are available to schools for
education technology related needs, including:
1) Enhancing Education Through Technology, pursuant to
the federal No Child Left Behind Act, providing
competitive and formula grants to help schools in
using technology to enhance teaching and learning (for
grades four through eight).
2) E-rate and the California Teleconnect Fund, providing
discounts on approved telecommunications, Internet
access and internal connections.
ANALYSIS
This bill adds cyberbullying, content control software, and
the responsible use of mobile communication technology to
the components that are required to be included in existing
guidelines and criteria for the purpose of developing
school district-level education technology plans.
Specifically, this bill:
1) Adds the following components to the existing
guidelines and criteria developed by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), to be
included in education technology plans developed by
school districts:
a) The negative impacts to pupils from
cyberbullying.
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b) The active use of content control software.
c) Responsible use by pupils of mobile
communication technology.
2) Encourages a school district to partner with
information technology companies and non-profit
organizations to develop tools to supplement the
existing Internet safety curriculum that addresses the
educational component of the guidelines and criteria.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) What's the problem ? Current law includes bullying and
bullying committed by means of an electronic act in
the list of reasons for which a pupil may be suspended
or recommended for expulsion. However, school
districts are not currently required to include a
component about cyberbullying in their education
technology plans. This bill updates the required
components of district-level education technology
plans to include information about cyberbullying, the
responsible use of mobile communication technology,
and content control software.
2) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee analysis, this bill would
impose minor, absorbable General Fund administrative
costs to the California Department of Education to
update the guidelines and criteria.
Minor, absorbable General Fund (Prop 98) costs to
school districts to update their education technology
plans for information specified in this measure. This
measure ensures that districts include this
information in their technology plan during the normal
course of updating the plan.
SUPPORT
Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
TechAmerica
OPPOSITION
AB 678
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None received.