BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to education technology; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes the ongoing necessity for public schools to use up-to-date tools for learning to meet goals for education. To participate successfully in the contemporary workplace, students must be knowledgeable in the use of state of the art technologies and be able to access efficiently information electronically. Workplace technology requirements will continue to change and schools must mirror these changes.

Furthermore, the legislature finds that the Washington systemic initiative (WSI) is a broad-based effort to promote widespread public literacy in mathematics, science, and technology. A critical component of the systemic initiative is the universal electronic access to information by students. It is the intent of the legislature that components of sections 2 through 6 of this act will support the state-wide systemic reform effort in mathematics, science, and technology as envisioned by the Washington systemic initiative.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 2 through 6 of this act.

(1) "Education technology" means the effective use of electronic tools and electronic pathways in meeting goals established for education.

(2) "Network" means integrated linking of education technology systems in schools for transmission of voice, data, video, or imaging, or a combination of these.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The superintendent of public instruction may establish an educational technology section, and through that section develop and implement a Washington state technology initiative. The initiative shall include:

(a) A state-wide support infrastructure to assist school districts in planning for, implementing, and educating staff in the use of technology in curricular and administrative functions;

(b) Grants to school districts that enable them to integrate technology into the learning process and to connect to the state-wide network for curricular purposes, for example, access to Internet, a national information network;

(c) Development of on-line information services specific to Washington state, with gateways or links to other services such as Internet. These links shall provide avenues of communication between all levels of education;

(d) Support for moderators to conduct on-line curricular projects involving students across the network; and

(e) Expansion of the existing state-wide network (Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, WSIPC) including an educational video teleconferencing system.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute to educational service districts on a grant basis, from moneys appropriated for the purposes of this section, funds for:

(a) Establishing regional educational technology support centers for the purpose of providing ongoing educator training, school district cost-benefit analysis, long-range planning, network planning, distance learning access support, and other technical and programmatic support. Each educational service district shall establish a representative advisory council to advise the educational service district in their expenditure of these grant moneys; and

(b) Establishing each educational service district as a videoconferencing site on the network.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute to school districts on a grant basis, from moneys appropriated for the purposes of this section, funds for:

(a) Support for school district personnel to become Internet trainers;

(b) Incentive grants to encourage school districts to plan for, implement, and evaluate the effective use of technology in the school curriculum; and

(c) Access grants to enable schools to connect into the state-wide network for curricular purposes. The criteria for selection of schools to receive grants shall be based on readiness to use network services and economic need.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute to the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, WSIPC, on a grant basis, from moneys appropriated for the purposes of this section, funds for equipment to expand the current state-wide network and to establish a videoconferencing system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules as necessary under chapter 34.05 RCW governing the operation and scope of sections 2 through 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint an educational technology advisory committee. That committee shall include, but is not limited to, persons representing: The state board of education, the commission on student learning, educational service districts, school directors, school administrators, school principals, teachers, higher education faculty, parents, students, business, labor, scientists and mathematicians, the higher education coordinating board, the work force training and education coordinating board, the state library, and the department of information services.

The committee shall advise the superintendent of public instruction on matters pertaining to the implementation of sections 2 through 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The superintendent of public instruction may receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the superintendent of public instruction and expend the same or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.

(2) The education technology fund is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer. The superintendent of public instruction shall deposit in the fund all moneys received from gifts, grants, or endowments for education technology. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for education technology. Disbursements from the fund shall be on authorization of the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee. The fund is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 2 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.300 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The sum of ten million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.