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1998 SESSION

982164128
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 176
House Amendments in [ ] -- February 10, 1998
Requesting the [ Board Department ] of Education to assess the technology needs of local school divisions and to develop guidelines for technology connectivity for the public schools.
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Patrons-- Puller, Bennett, Christian, Councill, Crittenden, Darner, Hull, Rhodes, Van Landingham and Van Yahres; Senators: Couric, Edwards, Howell, Lucas, Quayle, Saslaw and Woods
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Referred to Committee on Science and Technology
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WHEREAS, recognizing that "educational technology is one of the most important components, along with highly skilled teachers, in ensuring the delivery of quality public school education throughout the Commonwealth" and that "education technology can only be successful if teachers and administrators are provided adequate training and assistance," the General Assembly established a variety of initiatives to support educational technology in the public schools in 1995, pursuant to § 22.1-199.1 of the Code of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, these initiatives addressed funding for educational technology and set priorities to support technology resource assistants, automate library media centers, provide network capabilities in Virginia's public schools, ensure access to the statewide library and other information networks, and address the retrofitting and upgrading of existing school buildings to efficiently use educational technology; and

WHEREAS, supporting this commitment to educational technology is Standard 5 of the Standards of Quality, which directs the Board of Education to assist local school boards in ensuring that instructional personnel are "proficient in the use of educational technology" consistent with this Plan pursuant to the Standards of Quality; and

WHEREAS, these educational technology initiatives will enhance classroom learning capabilities through distance learning opportunities that are critical to smaller and more remote school divisions; and

WHEREAS, the recently revised Standards of Learning for mathematics, English, social studies, and science incorporate curriculum standards for computer skills and technology and state that "the teaching of these skills should be the shared responsibility of teachers of all disciplines"; and

WHEREAS, acknowledging that the "efficient use of state resources dedicated to the acquisition of technology to provide access to the electronic classroom throughout the Commonwealth requires a comprehensive examination of the state's educational technology infrastructure," the General Assembly created the Commission on Educational Infrastructure pursuant to House Joint Resolution No. 135 (1996) to "develop and recommend, in collaboration with the Select Committee on School Construction and the Select Committee on Educational Technology, an educational technology master plan which incorporates current networking and funding initiatives and provides a vision for meeting future school construction and educational technology needs as Virginia embarks upon the 21st century"; and

WHEREAS, to provide an educational program of the highest quality for all students, it is essential to build upon the efforts of these special studies and to continue to support the Commonwealth's commitment to improving educational technology in the public schools; and

WHEREAS, while some school divisions have updated local technology plans to establish connectivity with Net.Work.Virginia, the Commonwealth's precedent-setting high-speed network, a technology needs assessment and appropriate guidelines for connectivity will promote uniformity and expanded access to educational technology throughout Virginia's public schools; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the [ Board Department ] of Education be requested to assess the technology needs of local school divisions and to develop guidelines for technology connectivity for the public schools. Such guidelines shall include school local area networks, architectural models, definitions for local and shared services, and leveraging volume purchase agreements, and shall be designed to help ensure that the Commonwealth is connected through a network infrastructure to support K-12 school initiatives for the 21st century, provide access for voice, video, and data telecommunications, and enhance the educational quality and experience for students across the Commonwealth. In developing such guidelines, the [ Board Department ] shall collaborate with the Center for Innovative Technology [ , the Council on Information Management, ] and high-technology companies in the Commonwealth, and shall consider the work of the Commission on Infrastructure and such other issues as it deems appropriate.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the [ Board Department ] , upon request.

The [ Board Department ] shall complete its work in time to report its findings and recommendations to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance by December 1998 and shall submit such findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1999 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.