SECTIONS 52270-52272 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 52270-52272

52270. The Education Technology Grant Program is hereby established
to provide one-time grants to school districts and charter schools
for purposes of acquiring computers for instructional purposes at
public schools. The Office of the Secretary for Education shall
administer the application process for the award of grants.
(a) The first priority for the use of the funds is to ensure that
high school pupils in schools offering three or fewer advanced
placement courses have access to advanced placement courses online.
Grants awarded for the first priority may be expended to purchase or
lease computers and related equipment and for wiring or
infrastructure necessary to achieve connectivity to online advanced
placement courses.
(b) The second priority for the use of the funds is to increase
the number of computers available to all other public schools that
offer instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12,
inclusive. Grants awarded for the purposes of the second priority
shall be awarded at the school district level and shall be based on a
ratio of pupils per computer, as determined by the Office of the
Secretary for Education. A school district that receives a grant
shall award the funds to its schools that have the highest number of
pupils per computer. Each education technology grant awarded based on
the second priority shall only be used for the purchase or lease of
computers including system configuration, software, and instructional
material. The grant amount awarded to each school district or
charter school for the second priority shall be determined by the
Office of the Secretary for Education.
(c) All funds awarded pursuant to this section shall be used
solely to purchase or lease equipment and related materials for
instructional purposes and limited to classroom, library, or
technology and media centers in order to provide access to online
advanced placement courses for pupils and increase the number of
computers per pupil. These grant funds are to supplement, not
supplant, existing local, state, and federal education technology
funds, including Digital High School funds.
(d) To receive a grant pursuant to this section, school districts
and charter schools shall have developed an education technology plan
or shall develop a plan with the assistance of the California
Technology Assistance Project specifically for the use of the funds
available pursuant to this section within 90 days after submission of
the application for a grant pursuant to this chapter. The plan shall
address the use of these and other technology funds to ensure they
are used effectively and in a manner consistent with other education
technology available at the schoolsite. School districts and charter
schools that choose to lease equipment shall include in their
technology plan a payment schedule and shall identify the funding
source or sources for lease payments over the life of the lease,
including, but not limited to, establishing a technology leasing
account and amortizing the available state funding over the term of
the lease, if appropriate. In addition, the term of the lease shall
be no longer than four years unless authorized at local discretion,
in which case the lease or purchase shall be funded at local expense.
A school district or charter school with an existing certified or
approved education technology plan developed pursuant to other
provisions of law may utilize the existing plan for the purposes of
this program but shall, if necessary, amend that plan to meet the
requirements of this subdivision if the school district or charter
school chooses to lease the computers.
(e) School districts and charter schools may purchase or lease
computers, related equipment and materials, and other goods and
services using any statewide or cooperative contracts, schedules, or
other agreements, established by the Department of General Services.
(f) Funding for the purposes of this section is contingent on an
appropriation made in the annual Budget Act or other legislation, or
both.
(g) Funds appropriated to carry out this section in the 2000-01
fiscal year shall only be available to high schools, or charter
schools, that serve any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive.
(h) The Secretary for Education may adopt emergency regulations
governing the method of allocating funds for the Education Technology
Grant Program for the 2000-01 fiscal year.

52272. (a) The Education Technology Professional Development
Program is hereby established to provide teacher training on the use
of technology in the classroom. The professional development training
shall provide teachers with knowledge and skills on how best to
integrate the use of technology into the classroom and curriculum.
(b) The California State University shall administer the
professional development training component of the program and shall
collaborate with the California Technology Assistance Project, county
offices of education, and other appropriate public and private
organizations in developing and providing this training.
(c) The Secretary for Education, in collaboration with the
Chancellor of the California State University, shall select a
contractor to conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness
of the Education Technology Professional Development Program. Upon
completion, the report shall be submitted to the Governor and the
Legislature by January 1, 2002.
(d) Funding for the purposes of this section is contingent on an
appropriation made for those purposes in the annual Budget Act.