Education Technology Funding Bill Signed by Governor
SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today applauded the Governor’s signing of SB 1637 by Senator Tom Torlakson. This bill extends the sunset of the regional California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) and the Statewide Educational Technology Services (SETS) program from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2014.
“These programs represent the backbone of education technology in California and significantly have increased and enhanced the use of education technology in the classroom since their creation in 1998,” O’Connell said. “CTAP and SETS both play a critical role in helping California narrow the achievement gap by integrating new and relevant ways to increase academic rigor in the classroom through technology. I applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for signing this bill that will ensure that valuable education resources remain available to those students who need it the most.”
The purpose of CTAP is to increase the knowledge and use of technology to improve teaching and learning by providing professional development to educators on a regional basis, including: selecting and integrating technology into curriculum, planning and using hardware and telecommunications networks, using technology to support school management and data-driven decision-making, and identifying and applying for state and federal funding for instructional uses of technology.
The SETS program is made up of four distinct projects with the goal of providing statewide cost-effective resources to educators throughout California. The four SETS projects are: the California Learning Resource Network, an online resource to locate electronic and Internet-based learning resources aligned with State Content Standards, and technology applications supporting data-driven decision making; Technical Support for Education Technology in Schools, an online resource providing training, support and information to school technology staff; the Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership, an information and staff development resource to support school administrators use of technology in support of school management and data-driven decision making; and EdTechProfile to provide access to online technology proficiency assessments as well as related reports of educator and student proficiency assessment data.
“At a time when educators are working diligently to prepare our students for the challenges of the hyper-competitive global economy, I am pleased that we will be able to continue our efforts to enhance and expand the integration of educational services in the classroom and improve the delivery of technological education to our students,” O’Connell said.