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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 622
BY SENATOR APPEL
SCHOOLS. Requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a statewide
educational technology plan for public elementary and secondary schools. (8/1/14)
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 17:3921.2, relative to educational technology; to require the state Department2
of Education to develop and implement a statewide educational technology plan; to3
provide for plan components; to provide for the duties and responsibilities of the4
Department of Education, the state superintendent of education, public schools and5
school systems, and the Board of Regents; to provide for evaluations, assessments,6
and reporting; and to provide for related matters.7
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:8
Section 1. R.S. 17:3921.2 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 9
ยง3921.2. Statewide Educational Technology Plan10
A. The Department of Education shall develop and implement a11
statewide educational technology plan that ensures that every public elementary12
and secondary school and classroom has the infrastructure and capacity13
necessary to provide a high quality, digital instructional environment that14
maximizes the integration of technology into the classroom and enhances and15
improves student engagement and learning.16
B. The plan shall do all of the following:17 SB NO. 622
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
(1) Establish recommended standards for devices, Internet bandwidth,1
software applications, and local network capacity.2
(2) Establish clear short-term and long-term goals and standards for3
school technology readiness and develop a realistic strategy, timeline, and cost4
estimates to meet both minimum and optimal standards.5
(3) Ensure that every classroom has reliable, high speed, wireless,6
broadband Internet access and connectivity for computers, white boards, smart7
boards, and other interactive devices.8
(4) Consider the technology needs of high poverty and rural areas.9
(5) Identify and utilize all available Internet bandwidth assets, including10
the Board of Regents' Louisiana Optical Network Initiative.11
(6) Provide for the development and implementation of a strategy to12
provide training and ongoing professional development to ensure that teachers13
and other school level staff have the skills necessary to effectively and efficiently14
utilize the technology infrastructure, software, data management, and online15
resources.16
(7) Require every school and school system to develop and implement17
an Internet safety policy that protects students from harmful materials and18
prevents unauthorized access to content and resources. The policy shall comply19
with all state and federal student laws, including the Family Educational Rights20
Privacy Act of 1974 and the Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000.21
C. In developing the plan, the department shall do both of the following:22
(1) Conduct a technology needs assessment of all schools and school23
systems, including an inventory of existing hardware and software, internal and24
external networks, servers, workstations, and operating systems.25
(2) Evaluate the current technology readiness status of every public26
elementary and secondary school, including hardware, software, and27
broadband capacity.28
D. The state Superintendent of Education shall do all of the following:29 SB NO. 622
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(1) Identify the costs for upgrading existing software and equipment,1
acquiring new software and equipment, ongoing maintenance, and technical2
support and develop a funding strategy, including state contracts to provide for3
cost savings wherever possible.4
(2) Identify and develop funding mechanisms to support implementation5
of the plan.6
(3) Inform schools and school districts of available technology funding7
sources and applicable timelines and deadlines and encourage local schools and8
school systems to maximize the use of existing local, state, and federal funding9
sources for technology purposes.10
(4) Conduct and publish a technology readiness assessment of each11
public school twice a year including a review of devices, Internet bandwidth,12
school and school system expenditures on technology, and use of state13
technology contracts.14
(5) Provide ongoing guidance and technical assistance to schools and15
school systems.16
(6) Evaluate the statewide school technology plan and update as often17
as necessary, but not less than once per year, to keep current with technological18
advances.19
E. The Board of Regents shall collaborate and cooperate with the20
Department of Education to develop policies and procedures to allow public21
elementary and secondary schools access to the Louisiana Optical Network22
Initiative.23
F. The Department of Education shall submit a written report to the24
Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education, not25
later than January fifteenth of each year, regarding implementation of the26
statewide education technology plan and the status of technology readiness of27
each public school and school system.28 SB NO. 622
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Appel (SB 622)
Proposed law requires the Dept. of Education (DOE) to develop and implement a statewide
educational technology plan for public elementary and secondary schools to ensure that
every classroom has sufficient infrastructure and capacity to provide a high quality, digital
instructional environment.
Proposed law provides that the technology plan shall do all of the following:
(1)Establish recommended standards for devices, Internet bandwidth, software
applications, and local network capacity.
(2)Establish clear short-term and long-term goals and standards for school technology
readiness and develop a realistic strategy, timeline, and cost estimates to meet both
minimum and optimal standards.
(3)Ensure that every classroom has reliable, high speed, wireless, broadband Internet
access and connectivity for computers, white boards, smart boards, and other
interactive devices.
(4)Consider the technology needs of high poverty and rural areas.
(5)Identify and utilize all available Internet bandwidth assets, including the Board of
Regents' Louisiana Optical Network Initiative.
(6)Provide for ongoing professional development for teachers and other school level
staff.
(7)Require every school and school system to develop and implement an Internet safety
policy that protects students from harmful materials, prevents unauthorized access
to content and resources, and complies with all state and federal student laws,
including the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974 and the Children's
Internet Protection Act of 2000.
Proposed law requires DOE, in developing the plan, to do both of the following:
(1)Conduct a technology needs assessment of all schools and school systems, including
an inventory of existing hardware and software, internal and external networks,
servers, workstations, and operating systems.
(2)Evaluate the current technology readiness status of every public elementary and
secondary school, including hardware, software, and broadband capacity.
Proposed law requires the state superintendent of education to:
(1)Identify the costs for upgrading existing software and equipment, acquiring new
software and equipment, ongoing maintenance, and technical support and develop
a funding strategy, including state contracts to provide for cost savings wherever
possible.
(2)Identify and develop funding mechanisms to support implementation of the plan.
(3)Inform schools and school districts of available technology funding sources and SB NO. 622
SLS 14RS-137 REENGROSSED
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
applicable timelines and deadlines and encourage local schools and school systems
to maximize the use of existing local, state, and federal funding sources for
technology purposes.
(4)Conduct and publish a technology readiness assessment of each public school twice
a year including a review of devices, Internet bandwidth, school and school system
expenditures on technology, and use of state technology contracts.
(5)Provide ongoing guidance and technical assistance to schools and school systems.
(6)Evaluate the statewide school technology plan and update as often as necessary, but
not less than once per year, to keep current with technological advances.
Proposed law requires the Board of Regents to collaborate and cooperate with DOE to
develop policies and procedures to allow public elementary and secondary schools access
to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI).
Proposed law requires DOE to submit a written report to the Senate and House education
committees by January fifteenth of each year regarding implementation of the statewide
education technology plan and the status of technology readiness of each public school and
school system.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Adds R.S. 17:3921.2)