CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
                                   .
                                   .
 1                                 .
                                   .
 2                                 .
                                   .
 3                                 .
                                   .
 4                                                                

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

10                                                                

11  Senator Cowin moved the following amendment:

12

13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 1, between lines 25 and 26,

15

16  insert:

17         Section 2.  Section 229.603, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         229.603  Instructional Technology Grant Program.--There

20  is created the Instructional Technology Grant Program.

21         (1)  SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each school, including

22  schools operating for the purpose of providing education

23  services to youth in juvenile justice commitment and detention

24  facilities,  must address proposals for implementing

25  instructional technology in either the school improvement plan

26  or a school technology plan which has been approved by the

27  district school board, pursuant to s. 230.23(16)(a).  The

28  technology plan or the portion of the school improvement plan

29  addressing technology must:

30         (a)  Address the achievement of technology capability

31  thresholds established by the Department of Education

                                  1
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1  according to this section; and

 2         (b)  Address safe access to the school media center

 3  outside of the regular school day.

 4         (2)  DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY PLANS.--Each district must

 5  submit a district technology plan to the Department of

 6  Education that is a strategic, long-range plan that has been

 7  developed using information from the technology plans of

 8  schools in the district and the technology capability

 9  thresholds established by the Department of Education. The

10  plan shall be for a period of at least 3 years but no more

11  than 5 years and the initial district plan shall be submitted

12  to the department by November 1, 2000. A new plan shall be

13  submitted by November 1 in the final year of the prior plan

14  and an update must be submitted by November 1 of each of the

15  interim years for the duration of the plan. The plan shall

16  include the following essential elements:

17         (a)  A mission statement including, but not limited to,

18  how the district will incorporate technology into the

19  educational program to promote the effective use of technology

20  to implement the state academic standards to improve student

21  performance.

22         (b)  A background component that includes, but is not

23  limited to:

24         1.  Relevant district, economic, geographic, and

25  demographic factors affecting the implementation of

26  technology.

27         2.  The planning process used to develop the plan,

28  which must include input from community, business, and

29  industry.

30         (c)  A needs assessment including, but not limited to,

31  the following goals:

                                  2
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1         1.  Identification of technology infrastructure,

 2  equipment, assistive technology, programming (educational

 3  materials, software, and media), replacement, training, and

 4  support needs.

 5         2.  Short-term goals to be achieved within 1 year and

 6  long-term goals to be achieved within 3 to 5 years. Both

 7  short-term and long-term goals shall be listed in a ranked

 8  priority order and shall be established considering the

 9  individual school technology plans and the technology

10  capability thresholds established by the department.

11         (d)  A funding plan linked to the technology capability

12  thresholds.

13         (e)  A technology acquisition plan that addresses:

14         1.  Program development.

15         2.  Procurement.

16         3.  Achievement of the technology capability

17  thresholds.

18         (f)  An access plan that addresses:

19         1.  Shared use.

20         2.  Equitable access, including appropriate access to

21  external instructional services and programming providers such

22  as public libraries, charter schools, remote teaching sites,

23  home school connections, and online products and services.

24         3.  Security.

25         (g)  A user support plan.

26         (h)  A staff training plan which includes, but is not

27  limited to, provisions for increasing use of technology in the

28  classroom and media center according to the technology

29  capability thresholds.

30         (i)  A program evaluation which includes, but is not

31  limited to, a description of how the technology acquired is

                                  3
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1  being integrated into the school curriculum and affecting

 2  student achievement and progress toward meeting the

 3  educational goals of the state academic standards.

 4         (3)  TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITY THRESHOLDS.--The Department

 5  of Education shall, in consultation with high technology

 6  business and industry partners, develop technology capability

 7  thresholds that describe levels of reasonable standards of

 8  technological capability to be consecutively achieved in a

 9  school for the school to effectively utilize instructional

10  technology. The technology capability thresholds shall be

11  designed to ensure that Florida's students have skills that

12  meet the needs of Florida businesses and industry and shall be

13  updated annually. The department shall develop the technology

14  capability thresholds by January 1, 2000. By January 1 each

15  year thereafter, the thresholds must be updated.

16         (4)(1)  TECHNOLOGY GRANT FUNDING.--Beginning with the

17  2000-2001 school year, districts shall distribute to schools

18  the funds received for public school technology on the basis

19  of technology issues addressed by the school in the school

20  improvement plan pursuant to s. 230.23(16) or in a school plan

21  for implementing instructional technology submitted to and

22  approved by the district school board. To receive funding, a

23  proposed project must be in a school that has achieved the

24  appropriate technology capability threshold for the proposed

25  project and the proposed project must be consistent with the

26  district's technology plan. Preference for funding shall be

27  given to schools which meet one or more of the following

28  criteria:

29         (a)  The school has matched the request with other

30  funds and private sector contributions to the maximum extent

31  possible, as determined by the school board.

                                  4
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1         (b)  The project is to be implemented in a critically

 2  low-performing school in order for that school to achieve the

 3  appropriate technology capability threshold.

 4         (a)  Eighty percent of the funds appropriated for this

 5  program shall be distributed by the Commissioner of Education

 6  to the state's school districts on the basis of proposals

 7  submitted for implementing instructional technology.  These

 8  funds may be used to replicate existing instructional

 9  technology programs.  At least 10 percent of these funds shall

10  be used for teacher and other related training.

11         (b)  At least 10 percent of the funds appropriated for

12  this program shall be used to fund research and development

13  and codevelopment of new instructional technologies and their

14  implementation in the classroom.

15         (c)  Up to 10 percent of the funds appropriated for

16  this program shall be used to fund new or innovative use of

17  instructional technology or use of new instructional

18  technology.

19         (2)  GRANT ADMINISTRATION.--

20         (a)  Project proposals must include the following:

21         1.  An outline of the proposed project activities and

22  project budget.

23         2.  A description of how the proposed project will

24  integrate instructional technology with regular classroom

25  teaching.

26         3.  A description of how the project incorporates

27  state-of-the-art instructional technology which utilizes

28  advanced integrated learning systems technology and other

29  newly developed systems geared to hands-on learning and to

30  developing higher order thinking skills, including

31  problem-solving skills, understanding of abstract concepts,

                                  5
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1  and high-level critical thinking and applied learning skills.

 2         4.  A description of how the project will affect and be

 3  incorporated into the overall implementation of instructional

 4  technology in the school district over the next 5 years.

 5         5.  A description of the anticipated project results

 6  and procedures for assessing the success of the project.

 7         (b)  During fiscal year 1990-1991, preference for grant

 8  approval shall be given to projects which are dedicated to

 9  elementary school implementation and which utilize advanced

10  technology to incorporate self-paced learning.

11         (c)  Preference for grant approval shall be given to

12  districts which maximize their match of the grant request with

13  district funds and private sector contributions.

14         (d)  The Department of Education shall adopt forms for

15  proposal applications.

16         (e)  Proposals shall be recommended to the commissioner

17  by a nine-member grant review panel appointed by the

18  commissioner. The panel shall consist of two teachers, two

19  district administrators, two business people, a school

20  administrator, and two additional members selected at the

21  commissioner's discretion.

22         (f)  A portion of the grant funds utilized by the

23  commissioner under paragraph (1)(c) may be utilized to:

24         1.  Administer the program.

25         2.  Fund development and codevelopment activities.

26         3.  Establish a clearinghouse to identify, evaluate,

27  and disseminate information regarding developments in the

28  private and public sectors of instructional technology,

29  including both software and hardware.

30         4.  Disseminate information regarding successful

31  state-of-the-art systems, including an annual catalog of

                                  6
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1  exemplary projects and products.

 2         (g)  The department shall assist grant recipients in

 3  using state central-purchasing resources to maximize cost

 4  advantages and shall, where necessary, provide districts with

 5  technical assistance for needs assessment and grant

 6  preparation.

 7         (5)(3)  REPORTS.--Beginning January 1, 2000 1991, the

 8  commissioner shall make an annual report to the Legislature

 9  within 60 days prior to the beginning of the regular

10  legislative session. The report shall include:

11         (a)  A summary of the status of the Instructional

12  Technology Grant Program, including a description of the

13  technology capability thresholds developed by the department

14  according to this section, and the status of school

15  achievement of the thresholds.

16         (b)  Recommendations to improve the efficiency and

17  promote the utilization of instructional technology.

18         Section 3.  Section 229.604, Florida Statutes, is

19  created to read:

20         229.604  Access to technology tools.--The Department of

21  Education shall develop a plan to provide access for students

22  to technology to support students' educational progress in the

23  community, at work, at school, and at home. The plan shall

24  encourage districts and schools to furnish safe access to

25  school media centers outside of the regular school day, and to

26  consider the construction of entrances which may be accessed

27  from the outer perimeter of the school campus when planning

28  for new construction or remodeling projects.

29         Section 4.  Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of

30  section 229.8041, Florida Statutes, to read:

31         229.8041  Educational computing.--

                                  7
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1         (2)  IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY.--The department is

 2  authorized and encouraged to assist school districts,

 3  community colleges, and state universities to make appropriate

 4  use of computing.  Department actions for this purpose may

 5  include, but need not be limited to:

 6         (e)  Conducting evaluations of the status of school and

 7  district use of technology to determine if technology

 8  capability thresholds, as established by the department, are

 9  appropriate and effective.

10

11  (Redesignate subsequent sections.)

12

13

14  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

15  And the title is amended as follows:

16         On page 1, line 6, after the semicolon,

17

18  insert:

19         amending s. 229.603, F.S.; providing

20         requirements for school technology plans;

21         requiring district technology plans; requiring

22         the Department of Education to develop

23         technology capability thresholds; revising

24         requirements relating to the distribution and

25         use of technology funding; eliminating

26         provisions relating to technology grants and

27         grant administration; revising the content of

28         an annual report; creating s. 229.604, F.S.,

29         relating to access to technology tools;

30         requiring the Department of Education to

31         develop a plan to increase student access to

                                  8
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202




                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 309

    Amendment No.    





 1         technology; amending s. 229.8041, F.S.;

 2         revising Department of Education actions

 3         regarding educational computing to include

 4         conducting evaluations regarding the

 5         achievement of technology thresholds;

 6

 7

 8

 9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  9
    12:09 PM   04/29/99                             h0309c1c-11202