BILL NUMBER: AB 678AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hall ( Coauthor: Assembly Member Lieu ) FEBRUARY 26, 2009 An act to amend Section 51871.5 of the Education Code, relating to education technology. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 678, as amended, Hall. Education technology. Existing law requires a school district to have a current 3- to 5-year education technology plan as a precondition to receiving a technology grant administered by the State Department of Education. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to develop guidelines and criteria to be included in the education technology plan. The guidelines and criteria are required to 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. The Superintendent is required to 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. The Superintendent is required to maintain a record of school districts that have a 3- to 5-year education technology plan and to make that information available to interested public agencies. This bill would require the component of the guidelines and criteria that educates pupils and teachers on the topics listed above to include the negative impacts to pupils from cyberbullying, the active use ofparentalcontent control software, and the responsible use by pupils of mobile communication technology. The bill would encourage school districts to partner with information technology companies and nonprofit organizations to develop tools to supplement the existing Internet safety curriculum that addresses the educational component of the guidelines and criteria and would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 51871.5 of the Education Code is amended to read: 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 practice of developing education technology plans for each funding program was replaced with a comprehensive local planning process that enables school districts to apply for grants on an ongoing basis and assists in utilizing available education technology programs. (b) 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 school district cannot develop the plan before receipt of the technology grant. (c) (1) The Superintendent shall develop guidelines and criteria to be included in the education technology plan required pursuant to subdivision (b). The guidelines and criteria shall include, but are not limited to, a component to educate pupils and teachers on all of the following: (A) The appropriate and ethical use of information technology in the classroom. (B) Internet safety. (C) The manner in which to avoid committing plagiarism. (D) The concept, purpose, and significance of a copyright so that pupils are equipped with the skills necessary to distinguish lawful from unlawful online downloading. (E) The implications of illegal peer-to-peer network file sharing. (F) The negative impacts to pupils from cyberbullying. (G) The active use ofparentalcontent control software. (H) Responsible use by pupils of mobile communication technology. (2) A school district is encouraged to partner with information technology companies and nonprofit organizations to develop tools to supplement the existing Internet safety curriculum that addresses the educational component of the guidelines and criteria developed pursuant to this subdivision. (3) A school district that, on July 1,20082011 , 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) 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.