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
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)