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February 1998
News of U.S. Educational Technology Policy and Legislation
provided by the
International Society for Technology in Education.
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Compiled, written, and edited by
Phil Ugelow,
Leslie Harris, and
Adeena
Colbert.
Copyright ISTE, 1998.
If you use excerpts, credit ISTE. |
Contents
School and Library Web Site Ready to Receive Applications
After much anticipation and delay, the School and Library Corporation
Web site
(www.slcfund.org) is up and ready to accept applications as of January
30th,
1998. The web site which had been in pre-testing for the past few
weeks, will
make it possible for applicants to fill out forms on line as for the
School
and Library Corporation to post bids for review by vendors. Under the
"window"
established by the FCC, all applications received ( both form 470,
services
requested and form 471( services ordered) during the first 75 days
after the
web site is up will be given equal priority for funding. Once the
seventy five
day window closes, subsequent applicants will be funded on a first
come first
serve basis. The web site will also post new information ,
interpretations and
clarifications about the program. At present, there is heavy traffic
on the
website creating delays and technical difficulties. The SLC recommends
that
if you experience unreasonable delay, send a hard copy the application
in to
the web site and they will input the data.
FCC's Fourth Order Provides Answers to Many Unresolved Issues on
Universal Service
On December 30th, the Federal Communications Commission released its
Fourth
Order on Reconsideration which addressed a number of important
outstanding issues
regarding universal service for schools and libraries. The entire
order can
be downloaded at the FCC Web-site (www.fcc.gov).The order number is
fcc97420.
Among other things, the order: confirmed that independent schools and
other
eligible entities whose states are unable or unwilling to review
technology
plans may apply directly to the School and Library Corporation for
review and
certification; held that State Telecommunication Networks that procure
supported
telecommunications and make them available to schools and libraries
constitute
consortia that will be permitted to secure discounts on such services
on behalf
of members but that a state network itself does not qualify for
discounts and
are not eligible to receive direct reimbursement for discounts from
the Universal
Service Fund for Telecommunications Services but may receive direct
reimbursement
for providing Internet Access and internal connections; found that the
cost
of purchasing Wide Area Networks will not be eligible for universal
service
discounts although leased WANs are eligible; clarified the calculation
of the
discount rate for services shared through out a consortia as well as
those that
will only be used by an individual school within a school district or
consortium
limited eligibility for internal connections to the instructional
buildings
and those that are "essential to providing connections within
instructional
buildings." unless connections in non-institutional buildings are
"essential
for the effective transport of information within instructional
buildings;"redefined
existing contract to include a contract of any duration signed on or
before
July 10, 1997; and. held that service provided under a state master
contract
will qualify as an existing contract if signed before July 10, 1997. A
full
summary of the order can be found at the ISTE web site ( iste.org). In
addition,
the School and Library Corporation has information about the order on
its web
site.
School and Library Corporation Issues Clarification on Eligble
Technologies
On January 31st, the SLC issued a list clarifying with more
precision the
technologies that are eligible for discounts from the Universal
Service Fund
as well as those which are not. The eligibility list covers a wide
rang of technologies
and services and should be consulted before an application is filed. A
number
of technologies are still under review including direct broadcast
satellite,
satellite dishes and channel service units (CSU) and data service
units (DSU).
Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee Proposes Curb on Students
Access to
Indecent Material
Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ) , Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee
and a
long time critic of the universal service program has announced plans
for legislation
" to make sure that schools receiving federally- established Internet
subsidies
limit students access to indecent material in the classroom." No
specifics about
the legislation have been introduced, but many believe that the bill
will require
schools and libraries to use blocking and filtering software. McCain
has also
said that he legislate to assure that the school wiring subsidy is
distributed
on a '"priority basis" to the schools in most need and that needy
schools can
partner with more advanced ones to implement advanced learning
technologies.
He has not said how the current structure of the program fails to meet
these
goals. A hearing has been called for February 10,1998 on Internet
indecency
and the universal service program and another in early March, on the
universal
service program overall.
President Clinton Submits Budget to Congress-Educational Technology
Gets Big
Increase
President Clinton submitted his FY 1999 budget to Congress on
February 2d.
It includes substantial increases in funding for education technology
-- for
both existing programs and new initiatives. President Clinton's Budget
includes
two new education technology programs. One is a Teacher Training in
Technology
Program to help ensure that all new teachers are prepared to use
technology
effectively in the classroom. Clinton requests $75 million for the
program for
next year. The other new proposal is for Community-based Technology
Centers.
This proposal envisions the establishment of computer learning centers
in low-income
communities to provide disadvantaged students and adults who are
unable to purchase
computers access to technology. Clinton requests $10 million for this
program
for next year.
For already existing programs Clinton's budget includes: level
funding for
the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants; level funding for the
Regional Technology
in Education Consortia; an increase of $50 million, to $475 million
for the
Technology Literacy Challenge Fund; and an increase of $10 million,
from $491
million to $501 million, for Goals 2000. Overall, Clinton's budget
includes
a 3,035 percent increase in funding for education technology programs
since
1993 -- from $23 million in 1993 to $721 million in 1999.
Generally, the President's budget is as starting point for Congress'
own budget
process. The next step is for Congress to debate and pass a budget
which will
become the blueprint for the upcoming appropriations process.
Copyright Legislation for the 21st Century Picks up Speed
With less than 100 legislative days in this Congressional session,
the House
and Senate sponsors of the digital copyright legislation -- Rep. Rick
Boucher
(D-VA) and Tom Campbell (R- CA) , the Digital Era Copyright
Enhancement Act
of 1997 (H.R. 3048), and Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO) , the Digital
Copyright
Clarification and Technology Education Act of 1997 (S.1146) -- are
looking for
opportunities for Congress to quickly consider their bills. The bills,
both
of which update the U.S. Copyright Act for the electronic networked
environment,
would make clear that the needs of both information proprietors and
consumers
must be protected. Significantly, both bills clarify the application
of "fair
use" protections for educators and extend distance learning
protections to digital
information. A coalition of educators, libraries, consumers, and
commercial
trade associations representing consumer electronics, computer,
network access
and telecommunications, are working hard to educate grassroots groups
on this
importance of this legislation and urge members of Congress to
co-sponsor the
bills. For more information concerning this legislation and the
coalition of
groups working on it, including ISTE, contact http://www.ari.net/dfc/.
Professional Development Captures Congressional Attention
It seems that everyone in Congress has a different proposal for how
to help
teachers, new and old, use technology and integrate it into their
curriculum.
Part of the fervor on Capitol Hill for teacher training in technology
comes
from the need to reauthorize Title V of the Higher Education Act which
provides
funds for training new teachers along with a widespread interest among
members
in the use of educational technology. There are approximately 50 bills
introduced
in this Congress that address the issue of teacher training in
technology. America's
Teacher Preparation Improvement Act (S.1201/H.R. 2698) introduced by
Senator
Frist (R-TN) and Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), would fund
state education
agencies for improving teacher education. One of the allowable uses of
these
funds would be to train new teachers to use technology and incorporate
it into
their curriculum. Another bill, The Teacher Excellence in America
Challenge
Act of 1997, (S. 1169) introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-NH) would
create a
new competitive grant program from the Department of Education to
improve teacher
education. Those competing for the funding would be required to create
partnerships
with colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools and a
local
education agency. Funding would be used in part to enhance
professional development
opportunities to ensure that veteran teachers have updated knowledge
of new
teaching techniques and technology If you want to review the full
range of bills
pending this Congress, go to http//:thomas.loc/gov. and search
educational technology
and teacher training.
Congressional Budget Office Reports on Universal Service
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report on universal
service
which estimates far less demand for participation in the program that
has been
predicted by other studies. The CBO report estimates that universal
service
for schools, libraries and rural health care will only cost $ 560
million in
fiscal 1998 and a $1.2 billion in 1999. Significantly, the CBO
predicted that
the School and Library universal service program will not reach its
annual cap
of $ 2.25 billion until after 2005. The report can be reviewed at
http://www.cbo.gov.
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