CSHB 106(FIN): "An Act establishing the Alaska education technology program; and providing for an effective date."
00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 106(FIN) 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska education technology program; and providing for 02 an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) The legislature finds that 05 (1) 75 percent of the labor force in the state is unprepared to deal with rapidly 06 changing technology; 07 (2) the education system and publicly funded libraries can help in creating a 08 trained and productive labor force; 09 (3) education technology has the potential to improve the academic 10 performance of students, to prepare students for work in a technological society, and to assist 11 with education reform; 12 (4) schools and publicly funded libraries lack adequate hardware, software, and 13 training for students, patrons, and educators in education technology; 14 (5) in order to implement effective education technology programs, teacher
01 training and active participation is essential; 02 (6) an equitable distribution of education technology is necessary to ensure that 03 all public school students in the state receive comparable educational opportunities; 04 (7) equal access to information in libraries is important to all citizens of the 05 state. 06 (b) It is the purpose of this Act to establish the Alaska education technology program, 07 to provide teachers, library staff, and other instructional personnel with training in how to 08 apply education technology in meeting instructional objectives, and to provide the necessary 09 equipment and materials to effectively utilize education technology within the adopted 10 curricula throughout the rural and urban schools and in publicly funded libraries of this state. 11 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.120(e) is amended to read: 12 (e) A district shall, by October 31 of each year, provide to the state board, and 13 make available to the public, a report on the performance of each public school and 14 public school students in the district. The report must be entitled "School District 15 Report Card To The Public" and must be prepared on a form prescribed by the 16 department. The report must include 17 (1) the percent of district students in the top and bottom quarter of 18 standardized national achievement examinations; results under this paragraph shall be 19 disclosed in a manner that does not reveal the individual identities of students; 20 (2) the percent of students who are not promoted to the next grade; 21 (3) student, parent, and community member comments on the school's 22 performance; 23 (4) the annual percent change in enrollment and the percent of 24 enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the district; 25 (5) attendance, retention, and graduation rates; 26 (6) the ways in which meaningful parent involvement in school 27 performance was achieved; 28 (7) a summary and evaluation of the environmental education 29 curriculum described in AS 14.30.380; 30 (8) uses of education technology by classroom teachers that have 31 improved student performance and the results of periodic evaluations of education
01 technology acquired under AS 14.30.810; 02 (9) other indicators of school performance required by the state board; 03 and 04 (10) [(9)] other indicators of school performance selected by the 05 district. 06 * Sec. 3. AS 14.30 is amended by adding new sections to read: 07 ARTICLE 12. ALASKA EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY. 08 Sec. 14.30.800. ALASKA EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. (a) 09 The Alaska education technology program is established in the department. The 10 program must include 11 (1) technical assistance to a district, a public school, or a publicly 12 funded library for the purpose of planning for, purchasing, using, and evaluating results 13 of education technology; 14 (2) training for employees of a district, public school, or publicly 15 funded library in the use of education technology in the classroom or library; and 16 (3) a plan for coordinating and expanding existing networks and 17 investigating the development of new networks for educational uses, including the 18 University of Alaska computer network, Star Schools, Livenet, public television, rural 19 Alaska television, and library networks sharing systems; the plan required under this 20 paragraph shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Administration 21 and must be consistent with AS 44.21.315(c). 22 (b) In administering the program required under this section, the department 23 may pool grant money or other money available from each district or publicly funded 24 library in order to make a bulk purchase of education technology or to provide 25 necessary training. 26 Sec. 14.30.810. ALASKA EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY FUND 27 ESTABLISHED. (a) The Alaska education technology fund is established in the 28 department. The purpose of the fund is to (1) enhance the quality and equity of 29 education at public elementary and secondary schools by providing a percentage of the 30 project or grant money needed to purchase, install, and maintain education technology 31 in classrooms; (2) provide training in the use of education technology to help students
01 achieve student performance standards; (3) provide access to networks for public 02 schools and publicly funded libraries through the University of Alaska computer 03 network, the Department of Administration computer network, or other means 04 consistent with the program developed under AS 14.30.800 and AS 44.21.315(c); and 05 (4) provide a percentage of the cost of education technology, including computer and 06 resource sharing systems, to publicly funded libraries. Money in the fund may be used 07 to provide grants or may be expended by the department for projects that further the 08 purposes described in this subsection. The fund consists of legislative appropriations 09 to the fund and public or private donations made for the purpose of the fund. 10 (b) A project or grant application may be submitted to the department by a 11 school district on behalf of a public school, or by a publicly funded library. The 12 department shall fund projects approved by the committee or award grants from the 13 fund to a school district for a public school, or to a publicly funded library selected 14 by the committee. Money in the fund that consists of proceeds from the sale of 15 general obligation bonds may not be awarded to a school district, a public school, or 16 a publicly funded library as a grant. 17 (c) As a condition of funding a project or awarding a grant, the department 18 shall require the school district or publicly funded library to pay that percentage of the 19 cost of the project or grant required under AS 14.30.820. 20 (d) A project or grant application submitted by a school district under (b) of 21 this section must include 22 (1) educational goals and objectives; 23 (2) the sum of money to be provided by the department and by the 24 school district; 25 (3) a comprehensive plan for using the education technology selected 26 to achieve the educational goals and objectives; 27 (4) a description of the relationship between the application and the 28 district's goals for student performance outlined in the report submitted under 29 AS 14.03.120; 30 (5) required initial and ongoing training for teachers to effectively use 31 the education technology in the classroom;
01 (6) a description of the education technology proposed to be purchased; 02 (7) a proposed budget; 03 (8) a description of local efforts or resources that will be contributed; 04 (9) provisions for site preparation, equipment security, and required 05 technical and maintenance support; 06 (10) criteria and methods that will be used to periodically evaluate and 07 document progress in achieving the educational goals and objectives; 08 (11) a description of local partnerships that are or will be involved in 09 the planning, implementation, or evaluation of the project; and 10 (12) documentation of the process used by the public school to develop 11 the plan. 12 (e) A project or grant application submitted by a publicly funded library under 13 (b) of this section must include 14 (1) library goals and objectives, including how the education technology 15 will improve services of the library or access to resource sharing; 16 (2) the sum of money to be provided by the department and by the 17 publicly funded library; 18 (3) a comprehensive plan for using the education technology selected 19 to achieve library goals and objectives; 20 (4) required initial and ongoing training for library personnel to 21 effectively use the education technology; 22 (5) a description of the education technology proposed to be purchased; 23 (6) a proposed budget; 24 (7) a description of local efforts or resources that will be contributed; 25 (8) provisions for site preparation, equipment security, and required 26 technical and maintenance support; and 27 (9) whether the library participates in a resource sharing system; 28 (10) documentation of the process used by the library to develop the 29 plan. 30 (f) The board shall adopt regulations that allow a school district, a public 31 school, or a publicly funded library to obtain education technology under a permit or
01 lease with the department, for a project approved under AS 14.30.840(b). 02 (g) The department shall administer grants awarded under this section and shall 03 include a report on the projects receiving funds as part of the department's annual 04 report. 05 Sec. 14.30.820. REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN GRANT PROGRAM. (a) 06 In order to receive a grant or have a project funded under this chapter, a district or 07 publicly funded library must provide a percentage share of the project cost, as 08 determined under (b) of this section. 09 (b) The required participating share for a district or a publicly funded library 10 is based on the district's full value per ADM, which is calculated by dividing the full 11 and true value of the taxable real and personal property in the district, calculated as 12 described in AS 14.17.025(a)(1), by the district average daily membership, for the 13 same fiscal year for which the valuation was made. The district's full value per ADM 14 determines the district's or publicly funded library's required participating share, as 15 follows: 16 Full Value Per ADM Participating Share 17 $0 - $100,000 5 percent 18 100,001 - 300,000 30 percent 19 300,001 - 600,000 40 percent 20 over 600,000 50 percent. 21 (c) The required participating share for a regional educational attendance area 22 or publicly funded library in a regional educational attendance area may be satisfied 23 by federal or local money, locally contributed labor, material, or equipment, or money 24 from other sources. If a regional educational attendance area or publicly funded 25 library can demonstrate in writing that it is unable to provide the required participating 26 share, or that the requirement to provide a participating share will jeopardize receipt 27 of federal assistance, the commissioner may waive all or a portion of the required 28 participating share. 29 (d) State funds provided under AS 14.11 may not be used as a source of the 30 required participating share under (b) or (c) of this section. 31 Sec. 14.30.830. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
01 REVENUE. The commissioner of revenue is the treasurer of the fund and has the 02 following powers and duties under this section: 03 (1) to act as official custodian of the cash and investments belonging 04 to the fund by securing adequate and safe custodial facilities; 05 (2) to collect the principal and income from investments owned or 06 acquired by the state treasury and deposit the amounts in separate principal and income 07 accounts for the fund; 08 (3) to invest and reinvest the assets of the fund as provided in this 09 section and as provided for the investment of funds under AS 14.25.071; 10 (4) to exercise the powers of an owner with respect to the assets of the 11 fund; 12 (5) to do all acts, whether or not expressly authorized, that the 13 commissioner of revenue considers necessary or proper in administering the assets of 14 the fund; 15 (6) to maintain accounting records of the fund in accordance with 16 investment accounting principles and with distinction between the principal and income 17 accounts of the fund; 18 (7) to engage an independent firm of certified public accountants to 19 annually audit the financial condition of the fund's investments and investment 20 transactions; 21 (8) to enter into and enforce contracts or agreements considered 22 necessary for the investment purposes of the fund; 23 (9) to report to the department the condition and investment 24 performance of the fund. 25 Sec. 14.30.840. EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE. (a) The 26 Education Technology Committee is composed of the director of the division of 27 libraries, archives, and museums and seven members appointed by the governor. The 28 governor shall appoint 29 (1) four members who are educators with demonstrated education 30 technology experience; 31 (A) one from a district with 15,000 or more students;
01 (B) one from a district with at least 6,000 but less than 15,000 02 students; 03 (C) one from a district with at least 1,000 but less than 6,000 04 students; and 05 (D) one from a district with less than 1,000 students; 06 (2) one member with demonstrated education technology experience 07 who is employed by the University of Alaska; 08 (3) one member with demonstrated education technology experience 09 who is employed by the department; and 10 (4) one member with expertise in telecommunications employed by the 11 Department of Administration. 12 (b) The committee shall review project and grant applications and approve 13 project funding or award grants to a school district or a publicly funded library from 14 the fund. In reviewing project or grant applications the committee shall consider the 15 completeness and consistency of the application in meeting the requirements of 16 AS 14.30.810(d) and (e). In funding projects or awarding grants to a district or 17 library, the committee shall incorporate the applicant's plan for utilizing education 18 technology. In funding projects or awarding grants, the committee shall develop 19 appropriate guidelines to ensure an equitable distribution of project and grant funds 20 over a five-year period. The committee shall recommend to the department the best 21 method for providing statewide teacher training and training to other instructional 22 personnel on the application and implementation of education technology as a part of 23 the classroom curriculum or library use. 24 (c) Members of the committee serve without compensation but are entitled to 25 receive per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under 26 AS 39.20.180. 27 Sec. 14.30.900. DEFINITIONS. In AS 14.30.800 - 14.30.900, 28 (1) "average daily membership" has the meaning given in 29 AS 14.17.250; 30 (2) "committee" means the Education Technology Committee; 31 (3) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.250;
01 (4) "education technology" means instructional equipment and materials 02 that are used to enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning, and to 03 enhance access to information in libraries, including hardware, software, and 04 telecommunications; 05 (5) "fund" means the Alaska education technology fund; 06 (6) "publicly funded library" means a library eligible for a grant under 07 AS 14.56.310. 08 * Sec. 4. Before accepting project or grant applications under AS 14.30.810(b), enacted in 09 sec. 3 of this Act, the Department of Education shall conduct 10 (1) a survey of education technology resources in public schools and publicly 11 funded libraries in the state; and 12 (2) statewide education technology planning and grant writing seminars, 13 available to all public schools, school districts, and publicly funded libraries. 14 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.120(e)(8); AS 14.30.810, 14.30.820, 14.30.830, 14.30.840, and 15 14.30.900 are repealed June 30, 2000. 16 * Sec. 6. This Act takes effect July 1, 1994.