15-901.04. Instructional technology systems pilot program; grant application; criteria; program termination

A. The state board of education, in collaboration with the department of education, shall establish an instructional technology systems pilot program.

B. A school in a school district or a charter school may apply to the department of education for participation in the pilot program. The department of education shall recommend the format of the applications and recommend application procedures and criteria. The state board of education shall approve the application format and selection criteria.

C. The department of education shall select one school that provides instruction in any combination of kindergarten programs and grades one through eight to participate in the pilot program, after review and approval by the state board of education. The department of education shall select a school that has an effective plan that demonstrates commitment to instructional change required to achieve significant performance gains through participation in the pilot program and that demonstrates a financial commitment by submitting a budget that shows the amount of funding that the school will contribute to the pilot program. The department of education shall distribute monies appropriated for this purpose to the selected school.

D. The school that is selected to participate in the pilot program shall use the monies distributed pursuant to this section for the following purposes to significantly increase academic performance:

1. To upgrade instructional technology systems in the classroom by addressing all system aspects, including a digital curriculum, software, computer hardware, technical support, data and local area networks with file servers and broadband internet connectivity.

2. To ensure access to one networked computer with broadband internet access, according to standards established by the government information technology agency, for every pupil in every academic classroom.

3. To provide training to teachers on classroom application and instructional technology.

E. The department of education shall submit an annual update beginning on January 1, 2008 that summarizes the results of the pilot program to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the joint legislative budget committee. The department of education shall provide a copy of this annual update to the secretary of state and the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records. The annual update shall include a summary of the pilot program's impact on the school's budget, including any impact on hard and soft capital spending, expenditures delineated by administration and classroom spending, expenditures delineated by maintenance and operations and capital spending and the impact of the pilot program on accountability measures, including any academic gains made by pupils as a result of the pilot program.

F. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2010.

15-901.04. Instructional technology systems pilot program; grant application; criteria; program termination

A. The state board of education, in collaboration with the department of education, shall establish an instructional technology systems pilot program.

B. A school in a school district or a charter school may apply to the department of education for participation in the pilot program. The department of education shall recommend the format of the applications and recommend application procedures and criteria. The state board of education shall approve the application format and selection criteria.

C. The department of education shall select one school that provides instruction in any combination of kindergarten programs and grades one through eight to participate in the pilot program, after review and approval by the state board of education. The department of education shall select a school that has an effective plan that demonstrates commitment to instructional change required to achieve significant performance gains through participation in the pilot program and that demonstrates a financial commitment by submitting a budget that shows the amount of funding that the school will contribute to the pilot program. The department of education shall distribute monies appropriated for this purpose to the selected school.

D. The school that is selected to participate in the pilot program shall use the monies distributed pursuant to this section for the following purposes to significantly increase academic performance:

1. To upgrade instructional technology systems in the classroom by addressing all system aspects, including a digital curriculum, software, computer hardware, technical support, data and local area networks with file servers and broadband internet connectivity.

2. To ensure access to one networked computer with broadband internet access, according to standards established by the government information technology agency, for every pupil in every academic classroom.

3. To provide training to teachers on classroom application and instructional technology.

E. The department of education shall submit an annual update beginning on January 1, 2008 that summarizes the results of the pilot program to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the joint legislative budget committee. The department of education shall provide a copy of this annual update to the secretary of state and the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records. The annual update shall include a summary of the pilot program's impact on the school's budget, including any impact on hard and soft capital spending, expenditures delineated by administration and classroom spending, expenditures delineated by maintenance and operations and capital spending and the impact of the pilot program on accountability measures, including any academic gains made by pupils as a result of the pilot program.

F. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2010.