The Texas Legislature meets every two years for 140 days. It’s a whirlwind of activity, even in the midst of a pandemic. The 87th Legislature ended their regular session on May 31, 2021. I have highlighted below some of the legislation that passed that affects educational technology, as well as a brief update on the Texas State Board of Education and its actions.
宽带
自2013年以来,TCEA一直在制定宽带政策。我们很高兴我们在本届会议上颁布了许多我们倡导的事情。
HB 5是一项综合法案,解决了围绕宽带访问的几个不平等现象。
- One key element of the bill established a broadband office that will be housed in the State Comptroller’s office.
- The office will be a resource for information regarding the expansion and adoption of broadband service in the state. It will also engage in outreach to help expand broadband service in areas that are currently underserved and unserved.
- The office will also create a broadband development program to provide grants, low-interest loans, and other financial incentives to expand broadband across the state.
- HB 5还创建了一个宽带开发帐户,该帐户将用于管理法案中概述的步骤。
- In addition, the bill included provisions that will assist in providing more accurate broadband maps.
HB 3853allows electric utility companies to sell middle mile wholesale broadband to providers that would sell broadband directly to the customer.
SB 507directs TxDOT to adopt rules to allow broadband-only providers to use state highway right-of-ways in the same manner that other utilities currently enjoy. This puts broadband-only providers on par with other utilities that access state highway right-of-ways., thus removing a barrier to the efficient deployment of broadband.
HB 1505创建一个杆更换计划和资金,以帮助支付宽带安装的成本。
Online Assessment
HB 3261puts into place the needed support for districts to administer online assessments. The state will administer almost all assessments online beginning in the 2022-23 school year.
使用Tima管理在线评估
Below are the provisions in HB 3261 that pertain to the Technology and Instructional Materials Allotment:
- Requires the Commissioner to estimate how much money school districts need in the TIMA for technology.
- Requires the SBOE to take into consideration how much districts need for technology (as reported by the Commissioner), as well as how much they need for instructional materials.
- 删除了法律中要求地区购买教学材料的语言,然后才能将Tima花在技术上。
- Requires the SBOE to limit the size of the proclamation to 75% of the TIMA.
- 为Tima资金增加了四个允许支出。
- 宽带服务(目前允许在TEA规则中)
- 宽带equipment (currently allowed in TEA rules)
- Technology infrastructure that is necessary to ensure adequate internet connectivity
- Personnel to train teachers in the administration of online assessment instruments
授予资助宽带基础设施
- HB 3261creates a grant that will help districts that do not have adequate infrastructure to support the necessary bandwidth required for online assessments.
Online Assessment Provisions
- 该法案还规定,不超过75%the available points on the assessment can be multiple-choice questions.
- 它还允许地区在一周的第一个教学日进行测试。
- HB 3261防止茶需要学区为设备提供用于在线评估的键盘。这一决定取决于该地区。
- 过渡计划将于2021年9月1日开始。
蒂玛
什么时候HB 1525passed the last day of the legislative session, it enacted a budget rider that had been written in the waning days of the session. Riders convey specific instructions on how agency funds can be collected or spent. Riders may also express legislative intent and be used to provide funds for administrative functions. The HB 1525 rider reduced the amount of the TIMA by $620,690,923. This means that the legislature appropriated only $429,290,923 for the TIMA for the 2022-2023 biennium. This is the lowest amount that has been appropriated for the TIMA since its inception.
在6月的SBOE会议上,专员向Tima Funds致辞。他指出,本双年展的宣告的费用是光明的(1.2亿美元),这意味着该地区仍有资金可以用于技术和蒂玛(4.3亿美元)的技术和员工(4.3亿美元)。他还指出,在2020-2021学年的技术年度,该州最多使用了8亿美元的联邦护理法案资金。他进一步建议,HB 1525中有资金可用于技术。他最终提醒SBOE,得克萨斯州学区最近获得了150亿美元的联邦资金,这是一项允许的支出。
Tea的网站表明,他们将在6月或7月的某个时候将新的Tima分配给EMAT。
蒂玛可用于会议费
有一些与技术和教学分配有关的好消息。茶将再次允许地区使用蒂玛(Tima)进行专业学习费,包括向会议的注册费。这是他们多年来允许的事情,然后更改了禁止将蒂玛资金用于会议费的政策。我们一直在请他们更改这一规则,因为法律明确规定,分配可以用于培训人员如何使用技术和教学材料。我们本周收到了一封电子邮件,表明他们已经恢复了他们的原始政策,即允许地区使用Tima进行会议费,但不支付参加会议或专业学习经验的旅行费用。
虚拟学习
HB 1468,a bill that would have allowed districts to offer virtual learning for students living within their boundary, was a casualty of the session ending before midnight on May 30. We had hoped that this issue would have been added to the list of issues that could have been discussed in a special session, but so far it has not been added. Senator Taylor, the Senate sponsor for 1468, has indicated a desire to pass this type of legislation during a special session.
Student Data Privacy
HB 363by Representative Van Deaver was amended intoHB 1525. It requires that a company that has been approved or adopted by TEA and possesses personally identifiable student information must use the unique identifier established by the德克萨斯学生数据系统(TSD)对于任何帐户创建,数据上传,数据传输,分析或报告以掩盖所有个人身份学生信息。公司还必须遵守包括既定唯一标识符标准的国家要求的学生数据共享协议。
TCEA was able to amend the bill to give districts more flexibility. The language that was changed allows districts to add to the list of data that a company can collect on a student. They also have the ability to negotiate with the company to adjust the data sharing agreement. Both of these changes were meant to help meet the district’s specific needs.
Cybersecurity Training
There were two bills that passed that dealt with cyber security training.HB 1118requires that any employee who uses a computer for 25% of their duties or more is required to participate in the cybersecurity training.SB 1267仅要求网络安全协调员接受培训,然后将其放到该地区,以确定谁也可以参加培训。我听说总督签署的最后一份法案优先于两个矛盾的法案。SB 1267在HB 1118之后由州长签署,因此SB 1267应该是必须在该地区进行培训的人。在DIR网站上,他们建议您的地区寻求有关遵循哪些法案的法律建议。他们还解决了这两个法案FAQs.
SBOE新闻
Technology Applications
The SBOE is currently reviewing the K-8 Technology Applications standards. Below is a timeline of the process.
预期的时间表
- Summer 2021 – Work groups revise and review the TEKS.
- Fall 2021 – SBOE discusses and receives initial feedback.
- 2022年春季 - 举行了公开听证会,并在第一读和提交授权授权下进行投票。这触发了30天的公众意见期。
- Summer 2022 – SBOE adopts the revised Technology Applications standards.
- 学年2024-2025 - 需要教经过修订的K-8技术应用。
Additional Resources
Additional information and updates will be provided throughout the review process on theT回教应用Teks评论,幼儿园级8网页.
The当前的K-8技术应用Teks可用在茶网站上。
This地点provides more detailed information about the legislation that passed in the 87th legislature that affects educational technology.
德克萨斯州国会大厦的照片Dale HoneycuttonUnplash
Photo of Jar of Money was taken by迈克尔·朗米尔(Michael Longmire)onUnplash
女孩在家庭图书馆的照片安妮·斯普拉特(Annie Spratt)onUnplash