BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to education technology in schools; amending RCW 28A.650.030 and 28A.650.015; adding new sections to chapter 28A.650 RCW; repealing 1994 c 245 s 3 and 1993 c 336 s 704 (uncodified); and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. In a society increasingly dependent on information, a critical component of K‑12 education is equitable and universal access to technology, media, and information resources. Technology and telecommunications are key to improving student learning in ways that enable students to keep pace with societal changes, changes in the workplace, and an increasingly competitive international economy.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The K‑12 learning technologies grant program is created. The purposes of the grant program are to enable Washington school districts to use technology and telecommunications to ensure student attainment of the new state learning goals, to ensure the future economic viability of students and youth, and to increase the efficiency of the K‑12 school systems.

(2) Funds under this grant program may be used for technology‑related investments as well as for planning, staff development, and other purposes consistent with the stated purposes of the grant program. For purposes of this section and as defined in WAC 392‑140‑545, "technology-related investments" means the purchase or upgrade of electronic and optical equipment that helps students to learn, including computers, CD ROM players, video disc players, electronic microscopes, CAD hardware, and associated wiring, cabling, servers, routers, modems, software, networks, and other peripherals. Also included are expenditures incidental to the integration of technology-related investments into the student learning process.

(a) Up to eighteen percent of the funds provided by the legislature for the K‑12 learning technologies grant program may be allocated to school districts by the superintendent of public instruction for planning, prototypes, and staff development directly related to improving student learning through technology and telecommunications.

(b)(i) Up to eighty‑two percent of the funds provided by the legislature for the K‑12 learning technologies grant program may be allocated to school districts on a full-time equivalent student basis. To be eligible for funds under this subsection, school districts shall submit a grant application and school district technology plan that meets the benchmarks in the Washington state technology plan for K‑12 developed under RCW 28A.650.015.

(ii) The superintendent of public instruction shall, with the assistance of a technology review panel, determine whether each district technology plan application warrants funding based on the required benchmarks. As needed for the purposes of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall appoint a technology review panel consisting of but not limited to: District technology coordinators, parents, library media specialists, community representatives, school administrators, educational technology support center directors, and curriculum specialists. The superintendent and the educational technology support centers in the educational service districts shall provide technical assistance to districts submitting technology plans that are not approved with the intent of assisting the district in improving the plan and resubmitting a successful application with a technology plan that meets the benchmarks. This approval process shall occur quarterly until December 1996.

(c) The amount of funds granted to school districts with approved applications shall be determined by the superintendent of public instruction based on a formula as follows: The available funds shall be allocated on the number of full‑time equivalent students enrolled in the district, the number of full‑time equivalent students in all of the approved districts, and the funds available for the grant program. Districts shall match state‑allocated funds in this program on a ratio based on the relative per-student property valuation of school districts in the state. Such matches may be in‑kind contributions. The minimum grant to an eligible school district shall be ten thousand dollars.

(d) Funds within this program not granted to school districts by January 1, 1997, under this section may be redirected by the superintendent of public instruction for purposes consistent with the purpose of this grant program.

(e) The superintendent of public instruction may use up to forty thousand dollars of the funds appropriated for the K‑12 learning technologies grant program for assisting school districts in developing technology plans, providing technical assistance to school districts, and managing and evaluating the grant program. The superintendent may delegate any of these responsibilities to educational service districts.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.650.030 and 1993 c 336 s 707 are each amended to read as follows:

The superintendent of public instruction, to the extent funds are appropriated, shall distribute funds to the Washington school information processing cooperative, educational service districts, other service providers, and to school districts on a grant basis, from moneys appropriated for the purposes of this section, for equipment, networking, planning, operations, and software to expand the current K-12 education state-wide network and increase the quantity and quality of student and educator access to on-line resources, experts, and communication avenues.

Sec. 4. RCW 28A.650.015 and 1994 c 245 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction, to the extent funds are appropriated, shall ((~~develop and~~)) implement a Washington state K-12 education technology plan. The technology plan((~~, which shall be completed by September 1, 1994, and~~)) developed under section 704, chapter 336, Laws of 1993, shall be updated on at least a biennial basis((~~, shall be developed~~)) to coordinate and expand the use of education technology in the common schools of the state. The plan shall be consistent with applicable provisions of chapter 43.105 RCW. Each revision of the plan, at a minimum, shall address:

(a) The provision of technical assistance to schools and school districts for the planning, implementation, and training of staff in the use of technology in curricular and administrative functions;

(b) The continued development of a network to connect school districts, institutions of higher learning, and other sources of on-line information; and

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall ((~~appoint~~)) continue to facilitate an educational technology advisory committee to assist in the ((~~development and~~)) implementation and biennial review and revision of the technology plan in subsection (1) of this section. The committee shall include, but is not limited to, persons representing: The state board of education, the commission on student learning, the department of information services, educational service districts, school directors, school administrators, school principals, teachers, classified staff, higher education faculty, parents, students, business, labor, scientists and mathematicians, the higher education coordinating board, the work force training and education coordinating board, and the state library.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. 1994 c 245 s 3 & 1993 c 336 s 704 (uncodified) are each repealed.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1, 2, and 6 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.650 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) The sum of twenty-six million three hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.

(2) Of these funds:

(a) Twenty-four million two hundred forty thousand dollars is appropriated for the K‑12 learning technologies grant program established in section 2 of this act; and

(b) Two million sixty thousand dollars is appropriated to expand the current K‑12 education state‑wide network and its use by educators and students as outlined in section 3 of this act.