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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 ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 622
BY SENATORS APPEL AND THOMPSON
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 state 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
(1) Establish recommended standards for devices, Internet bandwidth,18
software applications, and local network capacity.19
(2) Establish clear short-term and long-term goals and standards for20
school technology readiness and develop a realistic strategy, timeline, and cost21
estimates to meet both minimum and optimal standards.22
(3) Ensure that every classroom has reliable, high-speed, wireless,23
broadband Internet access and connectivity for computers, white boards, smart24
boards, and other interactive devices.25
(4) Consider the technology needs of high poverty and rural areas.26
(5) Identify and utilize all available Internet bandwidth assets provided27
ACT No. 772 SB NO. 622 ENROLLED
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
through a request for proposal process through which both public and private1
entities shall be considered. 2
(6) Provide for the development and implementation of a strategy to3
provide training and ongoing professional development to ensure that teachers4
and other school level staff have the skills necessary to effectively and efficiently5
utilize the technology infrastructure, software, data management, and online6
resources.7
(7) Require every school and school system to develop and implement8
an Internet safety policy that protects students from harmful materials and9
prevents unauthorized access to content and resources. The policy shall comply10
with all state and federal student laws, including the Family Educational Rights11
Privacy Act of 1974 and the Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000.12
C. In developing the plan, the department shall do both of the following:13
(1) Conduct a technology needs assessment of all schools and school14
systems, including an inventory of existing hardware and software, internal and15
external networks, servers, workstations, and operating systems.16
(2) Evaluate the current technology readiness status of every public17
elementary and secondary school, including hardware, software, and18
broadband capacity.19
D. The state superintendent of education shall do all of the following:20
(1) Identify the costs for upgrading existing software and equipment,21
acquiring new software and equipment, ongoing maintenance, and technical22
support and develop a funding strategy, including state contracts to provide for23
cost savings wherever possible.24
(2) Identify and develop funding mechanisms to support implementation25
of the plan.26
(3) Inform schools and school systems of available technology funding27
sources and applicable timelines and deadlines and encourage local schools and28
school systems to maximize the use of existing local, state, and federal funding29
sources for technology purposes.30 SB NO. 622 ENROLLED
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
(4) Conduct and publish a technology readiness assessment of each1
public school twice a year including a review of devices, Internet bandwidth,2
school and school system expenditures on technology, and use of state3
technology contracts.4
(5) Provide ongoing guidance and technical assistance to schools and5
school systems.6
(6) Evaluate the statewide school technology plan and update as often7
as necessary, but not less than once per year, to keep current with technological8
advances.9
E. The Board of Regents shall collaborate and cooperate with the state10
Department of Education to develop policies and procedures to allow public11
elementary and secondary schools access to all available Internet assets12
provided through a request for proposal process through which both public and13
private entities shall be considered.14
F. The state Department of Education shall submit a written report to15
the Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education,16
not later than January fifteenth of each year, regarding implementation of the17
statewide education technology plan and the status of technology readiness of18
each public school and school system.19
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: