51870-51874
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 51870-51874
51870. For the purposes of this article, "technology" means technology-based materials, equipment, systems, and networks. 51871. (a) The California Technology Assistance Project shall be administered by the State Department of Education to provide a regionalized network of technical assistance to schools and school districts on the implementation of education technology as set forth in policies of the State Board of Education. The California Technology Assistance Project shall be composed of regional consortia that will work collaboratively with school districts and county offices of education to meet locally defined educational needs that can be effectively addressed with the use of technology, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following areas: (1) Professional development. (2) Electronic learning resources. (3) Hardware. (4) Telecommunications infrastructure. (5) 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. (6) Coordination with and support for the funding and implementation of federal, state, and local programs. (7) Funding. (8) Technical assistance and information to support access, planning, and the use of high-speed telecommunications networks. (9) Technology planning and implementation assistance to rural and technologically underserved school districts and county offices of education. (b) The State Board of Education shall authorize grants to fund a school district or county office of education in each region of the California Technology Assistance Project to act as the lead agency to administer the services of that region. The term of a grant awarded pursuant to this section may not exceed three years. Grant funding may be awarded and received for subsequent terms of three years as provided in this section. The lead agency shall be chosen based on the extent to which it provides a plan that clearly documents or describes all of the following: (1) Knowledge of technology to improve teaching and learning. (2) Technology planning and technical assistance. (3) Proven success in providing professional development in technology and curriculum integration. (4) An ability to work collaboratively with school districts, county offices of education, and businesses in the region. (5) The ability to deliver services specified in this article to all school districts and county offices of education in its region. (6) The support of school districts and county offices of education for the regional lead agency application in the region. (7) The capacity to assist schools to utilize high-speed telecommunications networks. (8) Specific strategies for documenting and addressing the needs of rural schools and technologically underserved school districts and county offices of education. (9) A plan for evaluating the implementation of, access to, use of, and local impact of, the services provided by the region. (c) Funding to support the regional education technology services provided by the California Technology Assistance Project shall be provided through the annual Budget Act. To receive funding for the second and subsequent years of a grant awarded pursuant to subdivision (b), the lead agency shall submit an annual report to the State Board of Education for approval that describes the services provided, the persons served, and the funds expended for those services in the prior year. School districts and county offices of education within the California Technology Assistance Project region shall have an opportunity to comment on the report. 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 current practice of developing education technology plans for each funding program should be replaced with a comprehensive local planning process that will enable school districts to apply for grants on an ongoing basis and assist in utilizing available education technology programs. (b) On or after January 1, 2005, 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 district cannot develop the plan before receipt of the technology grant. (c) On or before July 1, 2007, the Superintendent shall develop guidelines and criteria for inclusion in the education technology plan required pursuant to subdivision (b). The guidelines and criteria shall 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. A school district that, on July 1, 2008, 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) On or after January 1, 2005, 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. 51872. (a) The State Department of Education shall administer this article. The duties of the State Department of Education shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: (1) Assisting the State Board of Education on education technology plans, policies, programs, and activities. (2) Providing for the statewide coordination, planning, and evaluation of education technology programs and resources. (3) Advancing the use of technology in the curriculum and in the administration of elementary and secondary schools. (b) Funding shall be provided through the annual Budget Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide centralized statewide educational technology services that address locally defined needs and are more efficiently and effectively provided on a statewide basis. The statewide educational technology services to be supported by this statute shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) Review of electronic learning resources including, but not limited to, software, online resources, and video, for alignment with the content standards adopted by the state board. (2) Professional development focused on digital school leadership for educational administrators in the areas of data-driven decisionmaking, integrating technology into standards-based curriculum, technology planning, professional development needs of staff, financial planning for technology, and operations and maintenance. (3) Access for schools to training, support, and other resources for technical professionals in California. (c) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall report annually, in writing, to the State Board of Education and the Legislature on the services provided, persons served, and the funds expended for those purposes in the prior year. 51873. School districts, county offices of education, and state special schools may apply to the State Board of Education to participate in grant programs related to education technology, including, but not limited to, professional development, research and development, and evaluation and dissemination of education technology resources. 51874. Sections 51871, 51872, 51873, this section, and the heading of this article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2014, and as of that date are repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date.