Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB322 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R2765 EAH-F
2	2	By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 322
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the use of technology by public schools.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 32.005, Education Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 32.005. TECHNOLOGY ALLOTMENT. (a) Each school
12	12	district or open-enrollment charter school is entitled to an
13	13	allotment of $100 [$30] for each student in average daily
14	14	attendance or a greater [different] amount for any year provided by
15	15	appropriation.
16	16	(a-2) Subsection (a) applies beginning with the 2011-2012
17	17	school year. For the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, a school
18	18	district or open-enrollment charter school is entitled to an
19	19	allotment in the following amount, or a greater amount for any year
20	20	provided by appropriation:
21	21	(1) for the 2009-2010 school year, $50; and
22	22	(2) for the 2010-2011 school year, $75.
23	23	(a-3) Subsection (a-2) and this subsection expire September
24	24	1, 2011.
25	25	(b) An allotment under this section may be used only to:
26	26	(1) provide for the purchase by school districts or
27	27	open-enrollment charter schools of electronic textbooks or
28	28	technological equipment that contributes to student learning; and
29	29	(2) pay for training educational personnel directly
30	30	involved in student learning in the appropriate use of electronic
31	31	textbooks and for providing for access to technological equipment
32	32	for instructional use.
33	33	(b-1) A school district's or open-enrollment charter
34	34	school's allotment under this section must be used in accordance
35	35	with the district's or school's long-range technology plan filed
36	36	with the agency. The plan must demonstrate how money from the
37	37	allotment will be used to address specific outcomes at the school,
38	38	classroom, and teacher or student levels, including:
39	39	(1) any effect on the academic progress of students,
40	40	as measured by performance on assessment instruments, including
41	41	assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023;
42	42	(2) any elements that contribute to improved student
43	43	performance on assessment instruments administered under Section
44	44	39.023 or other assessment instruments required by the
45	45	commissioner;
46	46	(3) any cost savings or improved efficiency relating
47	47	to school personnel or the maintenance of school facilities;
48	48	(4) any effect on student attendance or dropout rates;
49	49	(5) any effect on student enrollment in higher
50	50	education;
51	51	(6) any effect on teacher performance or retention;
52	52	(7) any improvement in communications among students,
53	53	parents, teachers, and administrators;
54	54	(8) any improvement in parental involvement in the
55	55	education of the parent's child;
56	56	(9) any effect on community involvement and support
57	57	for the district or school; and
58	58	(10) any increase in student proficiency in technology
59	59	that will help prepare students for becoming members of the
60	60	workforce.
61	61	(b-2) The agency shall evaluate available technological
62	62	solutions to determine whether any of the technological solutions
63	63	evaluated may be used in compliance with Subsections (b) and (b-1).
64	64	The agency shall:
65	65	(1) publish a list of technological solutions
66	66	evaluated that may be used in compliance with Subsections (b) and
67	67	(b-1); and
68	68	(2) update the list each calendar quarter.
69	69	(c) The allotment under this section may be paid from:
70	70	(1) the available school fund; or
71	71	(2) any other fund that may be used for that purpose
72	72	and that is identified in the General Appropriations Act as the
73	73	source of payment of the allotment, to the extent that the amount
74	74	appropriated from the available school fund is not sufficient to
75	75	fully fund the allotment.
76	76	SECTION 2. Sections 32.151 and 32.152, Education Code, are
77	77	amended to read as follows:
78	78	Sec. 32.151. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROJECT. The agency
79	79	may by rule establish the technology immersion pilot project [to
80	80	provide a wireless mobile computing device to each student] in [a]
81	81	participating schools [school and implement the use of software,
82	82	on-line courses, and other appropriate learning technologies that
83	83	have been shown] to improve academic achievement and the progress
84	84	measures listed in Section 32.155(e).
85	85	Sec. 32.152. PILOT PROJECT ADMINISTRATION. The [If the
86	86	agency establishes the pilot project under Section 32.151, the]
87	87	agency shall establish a procedure and develop criteria for the
88	88	administration of the pilot project. In administering the pilot
89	89	project, the agency shall:
90	90	(1) select participating [school districts or]
91	91	schools;
92	92	(2) define the conditions for the distribution and use
93	93	of computer equipment and other technologies;
94	94	(3) purchase and distribute computer equipment and
95	95	other technologies;
96	96	(4) enter into contracts as necessary to implement the
97	97	pilot project;
98	98	(5) monitor local pilot project implementation; and
99	99	(6) conduct a final evaluation of the pilot project.
100	100	SECTION 3. Section 32.153, Education Code, is amended by
101	101	amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read
102	102	as follows:
103	103	(a) To implement the pilot project, the agency may use any
104	104	gift, grant, or donation given for the pilot project. The agency
105	105	may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or donation of any kind from
106	106	any source, including from a foundation, private entity,
107	107	governmental entity, and institution of higher education, for the
108	108	implementation of the pilot project. The agency may use [only
109	109	undedicated and unobligated] money from the general revenue fund
110	110	for purposes of the pilot project.
111	111	(c) Subject to Subsection (d), the [The] agency shall use
112	112	pilot project funds for:
113	113	(1) the purchase of wireless mobile computing devices
114	114	so that each student in a participating classroom has a wireless
115	115	mobile computing device for use at school and at home;
116	116	(2) the purchase of other equipment, including
117	117	additional computer hardware and software;
118	118	(3) the hiring of technical support staff for school
119	119	districts or schools participating in the pilot project; and
120	120	(4) the purchase of technology-based learning
121	121	materials and resources.
122	122	(d) In using the available pilot project funds for schools
123	123	selected under Section 32.154(a-1)(2) to participate in the pilot
124	124	project, the agency:
125	125	(1) shall provide each school with an equal amount of
126	126	funding;
127	127	(2) may permit the funds to be used for any purpose
128	128	authorized by Subsection (c); and
129	129	(3) is not required to provide for the purchase of
130	130	wireless mobile computing devices as provided by Subsection (c)(1).
131	131	SECTION 4. The heading to Section 32.154, Education Code,
132	132	is amended to read as follows:
133	133	Sec. 32.154. [DISTRICT OR] SCHOOL SELECTION.
134	134	SECTION 5. Section 32.154, Education Code, is amended by
135	135	adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b) to read as
136	136	follows:
137	137	(a-1) In addition to school districts and schools selected
138	138	before September 1, 2009, for participation in the technology
139	139	immersion pilot project, the agency shall select for participation
140	140	in the pilot project for the 2009-2010 and subsequent school years:
141	141	(1) each high school to which a district regularly
142	142	assigns students who were enrolled in grade eight during the
143	143	2008-2009 school year at a district school participating in the
144	144	pilot project; and
145	145	(2) one middle or junior high school in each state
146	146	senatorial district in which no school participated in the pilot
147	147	project for the 2008-2009 school year, to the extent funding is
148	148	available for that participation after providing funding to high
149	149	schools described by Subdivision (1).
150	150	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1)(1), the [The]
151	151	agency shall select the participating [districts and] schools for
152	152	the pilot project based on each [district's or] school's need for
153	153	the pilot project. In selecting participants, the agency shall
154	154	consider the following criteria:
155	155	(1) whether the [district or] school has limited
156	156	access to educational resources that could be improved through the
157	157	use of electronic textbooks or technological equipment that
158	158	contributes to student learning [wireless mobile computing devices
159	159	and other technologies];
160	160	(2) whether the [district or] school has the following
161	161	problems and whether those problems can be mitigated through the
162	162	use of electronic textbooks or technological equipment that
163	163	contributes to student learning [wireless mobile computing devices
164	164	and other technologies]:
165	165	(A) documented teacher shortages in critical
166	166	areas;
167	167	(B) limited access to advanced placement
168	168	courses;
169	169	(C) low rates of satisfactory performance on
170	170	assessment instruments under Subchapter B, Chapter 39; and
171	171	(D) high dropout rates;
172	172	(3) the [district's or] school's readiness to
173	173	incorporate technology into its classrooms;
174	174	(4) the possibility of obtaining a trained technology
175	175	support staff and high-speed Internet services for the [district
176	176	or] school; and
177	177	(5) the methods the [district or] school will use to
178	178	measure the progress of the pilot project in the [district or]
179	179	school in accordance with Section 32.155(e).
180	180	SECTION 6. Sections 32.154(a) and (c), Education Code, are
181	181	repealed.
182	182	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
183	183	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
184	184	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
185	185	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
186	186	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.