SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2002 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 87
Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to recommend a state funding formula for educational technology and technology support personnel.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 12, 2002
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 5, 2002

WHEREAS, studies have been reported in recent years that indicate that technology improves academic achievement and decreases student discipline problems and school dropouts; and

WHEREAS, the Standards of Quality require that technological proficiency be emphasized in the instructional program and the Standards of Learning (SOL) require that students demonstrate technological competency; and

WHEREAS, the imposition of state mandates has not been followed by the provision of state funding to support such mandates in recent years; and

WHEREAS, localities are funding the majority of the costs for implementation of the Standards of Learning and numerous mandates that have been added to the Standards of Quality, other state law, or the Board of Education's regulations for accreditation of schools; and

WHEREAS, a formula for the funding of technology initiatives should be developed and integrated as a component of the basic aid funding formula for the public schools; and

WHEREAS, this technology funding formula should subsume the funding and implementation of the technology replacement program that was approved by the General Assembly in 1998 but not funded; and

WHEREAS, in addition, state assistance should be provided for required teacher training, particularly in view of the Standards of Learning technology initiative to automate SOL testing online; and

WHEREAS, with the completion of the study of education funding in Virginia, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is in a unique position of understanding and knowledge and has the considerable expertise necessary to develop an educational technology funding formula; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to recommend a state funding formula for educational technology and technology support personnel. In conducting this study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall (i) seek to place few restrictions on local school divisions except that they adhere to their locally developed technology plans; (ii) examine the possibility of expanding the high school technology resource assistant initiative to include elementary, middle, and adult education schools, (iii) recognize the state share of the costs of support staff required to maintain equipment in schools that is necessary to meet the requirements of the Standards of Quality, other state law, or the Board of Education's regulations; (iv) evaluate the feasibility of support for teacher training, including the development of an online instructional and testing program to facilitate the achievement of technological competencies and assess such proficiencies; and (v) examine the integration of the technology replacement program into such formula. In addition, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is requested to study ways to enhance the use of federal assistance for educational technology, such as continuation of the E-rate program and the implementation of state tax credits for businesses that contribute technology resources to schools. The Department of Education and all school divisions of the Commonwealth shall provide technical assistance to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission for this study, upon request.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall complete its work by November 30, 2003, and shall submit its written findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2004 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.