§ 53A-1-709. Smart School Technology Program.

(1) As used in this section, "program" means the Smart School Technology Program.

(2) The Smart School Technology Program is created to encourage the deployment of whole-school one-to-one mobile device technology in public schools.

(3) The Board of Business and Economic Development with input from an independent evaluating committee, shall issue a request for proposals for the development and implementation of a whole-school one-to-one mobile device technology deployment plan for schools.

(4) From recommendations submitted by an independent evaluating committee, the Board of Business and Economic Development shall select a single education technology provider with integrated whole-school technology deployment experience through the request for proposals process.

(5)

(a) An independent evaluating committee shall be established to:

(i) advise the Board of Business and Economic Development in issuing a request for proposals under Subsection (3);

(ii) evaluate proposals submitted through a request for proposals issued under Subsection (3); and

(iii) advise the State Board of Education on selecting schools to participate in the program.

(b) The membership of the independent evaluating committee shall include:

(i) three members of the State Board of Education appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education;

(ii) the state chief information officer;

(iii) two members appointed by the executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development; and

(iv) the governor's education director.

(c) The independent evaluating committee shall evaluate a proposal on:

(i) a provider's experience with integrated whole-school technology deployment; and

(ii) the components of a whole-school technology deployment plan.

(6) An educational technology provider selected under Subsection (4) shall develop a customized whole-school one-to-one mobile device technology deployment plan for each school participating in the program.

(7) The whole-school technology deployment plan shall be based on submitted proposals to the committee and may include the following components:

(a) a personal mobile learning device for each student;

(b) desktop or laptop computers for each classroom;

(c) peripherals and networking equipment, including a wireless network that is not self-interfering;

(d) wireless audio equipment in each classroom;

(e) digital projectors or televisions with wireless device mirroring technology;

(f) on and off campus Internet filtering;

(g) operating software for the technology system, including software that connects personal mobile learning devices among students and a teacher to facilitate classroom interaction;

(h) curriculum and instructional software purchase credits per device to be used toward improving student outcomes with respect to the core curriculum and skill building on the use of technology;

(i) device repair and replacement criteria;

(j) professional development for educators and technology specialists on:

(i) the operation and use of the technology equipment; and

(ii) accessing and using online content; and

(k) ongoing technical support.

(8)

(a) A school within a school district, with the approval of the local school board, or a charter school, may submit an application to the State Board of Education to participate in the program.

(b) With input from the independent evaluating committee established under Subsection (5), the State Board of Education shall select schools to participate in the program.

(c) In selecting schools, the State Board of Education shall seek to include in the program schools:

(i) from different regions of the state;

(ii) from urban and rural areas;

(iii) with a variety of economic and demographic characteristics; and

(iv) with documented technology implementation plans, including a plan for the use of:

(A) instructional software that improves student outcomes with respect to the core curriculum; and

(B) software that provides students with skill building on the use of technology.

(d) The State Board of Education shall make rules:

(i) specifying procedures and criteria to be used for selecting schools that may participate in the program; and

(ii) requiring selected schools to provide matching funds to participate in the program.

(9)

(a) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the education technology provider and the schools participating in the program, shall evaluate the program and submit a report on the evaluation to the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Education Interim Committee by the committee's October meetings in 2013 and 2014.

(b) The State Board of Education may contract with an independent evaluator to conduct the evaluation required in Subsection (9)(a).

(c) The evaluation shall be based on the following criteria:

(i) technology system functionality;

(ii) school level outcomes;

(iii) teacher instruction and outcomes; and

(iv) student engagement and outcomes.

Amended by Chapter 173, 2013 General Session