II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 451 

To award grants to encourage State educational agencies, local educational 

agencies, and schools to utilize technology to improve student achievement and college and career readiness, the skills of teachers and school 

leaders, and the efficiency and productivity of education systems at 

all levels. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2015 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. KING) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To award grants to encourage State educational agencies, 

local educational agencies, and schools to utilize technology to improve student achievement and college and 

career readiness, the skills of teachers and school leaders, 

and the efficiency and productivity of education systems 

at all levels. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing Education 

5 Through Technology Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND INNO2 VATION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part D of title II of the Elemen4 tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

5 6751 et seq.) is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘PART D—ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH 

7 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 

8 ‘‘SEC. 2401. PURPOSES. 

9 ‘‘The purposes of this part are— 

10 ‘‘(1) to improve the achievement, academic 

11 growth, and college and career readiness of students 

12 who have developed the ability to think critically, 

13 apply knowledge to solve complex problems, work 

14 collaboratively, communicate effectively, be self-di15 rected, and be responsible digital citizens; 

16 ‘‘(2) to ensure all students have access to per17 sonalized, rigorous, and engaging digital learning ex18 periences; 

19 ‘‘(3) to ensure that educators have the knowl20 edge and skills needed to develop and implement dig21 ital content and authentic learning experiences, use 

22 technology effectively in order to personalize and en23 hance learning, strengthen instruction, and effec24 tively deliver and utilize assessments to measure and 

25 analyze student outcomes to support student suc26 cess; 


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1 ‘‘(4) to ensure that administrators have the 

2 leadership, management, knowledge, and skills to de3 sign, develop, implement, and sustain a school or 

4 local educational agencywide digital age learning en5 vironment that promotes a shared vision of purpose6 ful change among stakeholders and maximizes the 

7 use of digital age resources to meet and exceed 

8 learning goals and support effective instructional 

9 practice; 

10 ‘‘(5) to ensure that educators and administra11 tors develop effective media and data literacy skills 

12 so that they can continuously curate, analyze, com13 municate multiple types of data to inform instruc14 tion, and personalize student learning; 

15 ‘‘(6) to ensure that students in rural, remote, 

16 and underserved areas have the resources to take 

17 advantage of high-quality digital learning experi18 ences; 

19 ‘‘(7) to improve the efficiency and productivity 

20 of education through technology; 

21 ‘‘(8) to ensure that students have increased ac22 cess to dual and concurrent enrollment opportuni23 ties, career and technical courses, and programs 

24 leading to an industry recognized credential; and 


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1 ‘‘(9) to ensure that State educational agencies, 

2 local educational agencies, elementary schools, and 

3 secondary schools have the technological capacity, 

4 infrastructure, and technical support necessary to 

5 meet purposes described in paragraphs (1) through 

6 (7). 

7 ‘‘SEC. 2402. E-RATE RESTRICTION. 

8 ‘‘Funds awarded under this part to a State may be 

9 used to address the networking needs of an entity that 

10 is eligible to receive support under the E-rate program, 

11 except that such funds may not be duplicative of support 

12 received by the entity under the E-rate program. 

13 ‘‘SEC. 2403. DEFINITIONS. 

14 ‘‘In this part: 

15 ‘‘(1) DIGITAL LEARNING.—The term ‘digital 

16 learning’ means any instructional practice that effec17 tively uses technology to strengthen a student’s 

18 learning experience and encompasses a wide spec19 trum of tools and practices, including— 

20 ‘‘(A) interactive learning resources that en21 gage students in academic content; 

22 ‘‘(B) access to online databases and other 

23 primary source documents; 


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1 ‘‘(C) the use of data, data analytics, and 

2 information to personalize learning and provide 

3 targeted supplementary instruction; 

4 ‘‘(D) student collaboration with content ex5 perts and peers; 

6 ‘‘(E) online and computer-based assess7 ments; 

8 ‘‘(F) digital content, adaptive, and simula9 tion software or courseware; 

10 ‘‘(G) online courses, online instruction, or 

11 digital learning platforms; 

12 ‘‘(H) mobile and wireless technologies for 

13 learning in school and at home; 

14 ‘‘(I) learning environments that allow for 

15 rich collaboration and communication; 

16 ‘‘(J) authentic audiences for learning in a 

17 relevant, real world experience; 

18 ‘‘(K) teacher participation in virtual pro19 fessional communities of practice; 

20 ‘‘(L) hybrid or blended learning, which oc21 curs under direct instructor supervision at a 

22 school or other location away from home and, 

23 at least in part, through online delivery of in24 struction with some element of student control 

25 over time, place, path, or pace; and 


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1 ‘‘(M) access to online course opportunities 

2 for students in rural or remote areas. 

3 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE TECHNOLOGY.—The term ‘eligi4 ble technology’ means modern information, com5 puter, and communication technology hardware, 

6 software, services, or tools, including computer or 

7 mobile hardware devices and other computer and 

8 communications hardware, software applications, 

9 systems and platforms, and digital and online con10 tent, courseware, and online instruction and other 

11 online services and supports. 

12 ‘‘(3) E-RATE PROGRAM.—The term ‘E-rate pro13 gram’ means the Schools and Libraries Universal 

14 Service Support Mechanism established under sec15 tion 254(h)(1)(B) of the Communications Act of 

16 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(1)(B)). 

17 ‘‘(4) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.—The term 

18 ‘professional learning’ is a process of continuous im19 provement for teachers and school leaders that im20 proves educator knowledge, skills, and practice to21 ward the goal of increased student achievement 

22 and— 

23 ‘‘(A) is intensive, ongoing, connected to 

24 practice, and virtual or on-site where allowable; 


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1 ‘‘(B) is focused on student learning and 

2 addresses the teaching of specific curriculum 

3 content; 

4 ‘‘(C) is aligned with school improvement 

5 priorities, goals of the school and local edu6 cational agency, and the individual needs of the 

7 educator; 

8 ‘‘(D) is designed to help school leaders pro9 vide and promote leadership in the use of edu10 cational technology to ensure a digital age 

11 learning environment; and 

12 ‘‘(E) builds strong working relationships 

13 among teachers and school leaders that— 

14 ‘‘(i) may be built around active pro15 fessional communities of learning; 

16 ‘‘(ii) may contain on-demand compo17 nents, such as instructional videos, train18 ing documents, or learning modules; and 

19 ‘‘(iii) may involve the use of in-service 

20 technology coaches. 

21 ‘‘(5) SCHOOL LEADER.—The term ‘school lead22 er’ means a principal, assistant principal, or other 

23 individual who is— 

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1 cational agency, or other entity operating the 

2 elementary school or secondary school; and 

3 ‘‘(B) responsible for the daily instructional 

4 leadership and managerial operations in the 

5 building of the elementary school or secondary 

6 school. 

7 ‘‘(6) STUDENT DIGITAL LITERACY.—The term 

8 ‘student digital literacy’ means student knowledge 

9 and skills in using contemporary information, com10 munication, and learning technologies in a manner 

11 necessary for successful employment, lifelong learn12 ing, and citizenship in the knowledge-based, digital, 

13 and global 21st century, including, at a minimum, 

14 the ability to— 

15 ‘‘(A) effectively communicate and collabo16 rate; 

17 ‘‘(B) analyze and solve problems; 

18 ‘‘(C) access, evaluate, manage, and create 

19 information and otherwise gain information lit20 eracy; 

21 ‘‘(D) demonstrate creative thinking, con22 struct knowledge, and develop innovative prod23 ucts and processes; 


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1 ‘‘(E) understand and use technology sys2 tems, including applications, and troubleshoot 

3 systems and applications; and 

4 ‘‘(F) carry out the activities described in 

5 subparagraphs (A) through (D) in a safe and 

6 ethical manner. 

7 ‘‘(7) TECHNOLOGY READINESS SURVEY.—The 

8 term ‘technology readiness survey’ means a survey 

9 completed by a local educational agency that pro10 vides standardized information comparable to the in11 formation collected through the survey administered 

12 under the Race to the Top Assessment program 

13 under section 14006 of division A of the American 

14 Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public 

15 Law 111–5) on the quantity and types of technology 

16 infrastructure and access available to the students 

17 served by the local educational agency, including 

18 computer devices, Internet connectivity, operating 

19 systems, related network infrastructure, data sys20 tems, and— 

21 ‘‘(A) requiring— 

22 ‘‘(i) an internal review of the degree 

23 to which instruction, additional student 

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1 forms and is available to students and edu2 cators at any time; 

3 ‘‘(ii) an internal review of the ability 

4 of educators to use assessments and other 

5 student data to personalize and strengthen 

6 instruction and identify professional learn7 ing needs and priorities; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) any other information required 

9 by the State educational agency serving 

10 the local educational agency; 

11 ‘‘(B) may include an assessment of local 

12 community needs to ensure students have ade13 quate online access and access to devices for 

14 school-related work during out-of-school time; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(C) may include a security assessment to 

17 ensure that necessary security controls are inte18 grated into the design, management, and over19 sight of the State or local education agency’s 

20 computer network, with proper documentation 

21 and gap analysis between policy, procedures, 

22 and current practice. 

23 ‘‘(8) UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING.—The 

24 term ‘universal design for learning’ has the meaning 


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1 given the term in section 103 of the Higher Edu2 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003). 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2404. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts appropriated 

5 under section 2409, the Secretary shall award State 

6 grants for technology readiness and access (in this part 

7 referred to as ‘grants’) to State educational agencies to 

8 strengthen State and local technological infrastructure 

9 and professional learning that supports digital learning 

10 through State activities under section 2406(c) and local 

11 activities under section 2407(c). 

12 ‘‘(b) GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.— 

13 ‘‘(1) RESERVATIONS.—From the amounts ap14 propriated under section 2409 for any fiscal year, 

15 the Secretary shall reserve— 

16 ‘‘(A) three-fourths of 1 percent for the 

17 Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance 

18 under this part for schools operated or funded 

19 by the Bureau of Indian Education; and 

20 ‘‘(B) 1 percent to provide assistance under 

21 this part to the outlying areas. 

22 ‘‘(2) GRANT ALLOTMENTS.—From the amounts 

23 appropriated under section 2409 for any fiscal year 

24 and remaining after the Secretary makes reserva25 tions under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make 


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1 a grant for the fiscal year to each State educational 

2 agency with an approved application under section 

3 2405 in an amount that bears the same relationship 

4 to such remainder as the amount the State edu5 cational agency received under part A of title I for 

6 such year bears to the amount all State educational 

7 agencies with an approved application under section 

8 2405 received under such part for such year. 

9 ‘‘(c) MINIMUM.—The amount of a grant to a State 

10 educational agency under subsection (b)(2) for a fiscal 

11 year shall not be less than one-half of 1 percent of the 

12 total amount made available for grants to all State edu13 cational agencies under such subsection for such year. 

14 ‘‘(d) REALLOTMENT OF UNUSED FUNDS.—If any 

15 State educational agency does not apply for a grant under 

16 section 2405 for a fiscal year, or does not use the State 

17 educational agency’s entire grant allotment under sub18 section (b)(2) for such year, the Secretary shall reallot the 

19 amount of the State educational agency’s grant, or the un20 used portion of the grant allotment, to the remaining 

21 State educational agencies that use their entire grant 

22 amounts under subsection (b)(2) for such year. 

23 ‘‘(e) MATCHING FUNDS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 

25 that receives a grant under subsection (b)(2) shall 


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1 provide matching funds, from non-Federal sources, 

2 in an amount equal to 10 percent of the amount of 

3 grant funds provided to the State educational agency 

4 to carry out the activities supported by the grant. 

5 Such matching funds may be provided in cash or in6 kind, except that any such in-kind contributions 

7 shall be provided for the purpose of supporting the 

8 State educational agency’s activities under section 

9 2406(c). 

10 ‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the 

11 matching requirement under paragraph (1) for a 

12 State educational agency that demonstrates that 

13 such requirement imposes an undue financial hard14 ship on the State educational agency. 

15 ‘‘SEC. 2405. STATE APPLICATIONS. 

16 ‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under section 

17 2404(b)(2), a State educational agency shall submit to the 

18 Secretary an application at such time and in such manner 

19 as the Secretary may require and containing the informa20 tion described in subsection (b). 

21 ‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted under 

22 subsection (a) shall include the following: 

23 ‘‘(1) A description of how the State educational 

24 agency will meet the following goals: 


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1 ‘‘(A) Use technology to ensure all students 

2 achieve college and career readiness and stu3 dent digital literacy, including by providing 

4 high-quality education opportunities to economi5 cally or geographically isolated student popu6 lations. 

7 ‘‘(B) Provide educators with the profes8 sional learning, tools, devices, content, and re9 sources to— 

10 ‘‘(i) personalize learning to increase 

11 student digital literacy; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) develop and use high-quality as13 sessments consistent with the principles of 

14 universal design for learning. 

15 ‘‘(C) Ensure administrators and school 

16 leaders have the flexibility and capacity to de17 velop and manage systems to carry out activi18 ties described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 

19 ‘‘(D) Enable local educational agencies to 

20 build the technological capacity and infrastruc21 ture (including through local purchasing of eli22 gible technology), necessary for the full imple23 mentation of online assessments for all students 

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1 abilities and children who are limited English 

2 proficient). 

3 ‘‘(2) A description of the technology readiness 

4 in the State, as determined by local educational 

5 agency responses to the technology readiness survey. 

6 ‘‘(3) A description of the plan for the State 

7 educational agency to support each local educational 

8 agency in meeting the goals described in section 

9 2407(b)(1) not later than 3 years after the local 

10 educational agency completes the technology readi11 ness survey by addressing the readiness gaps identi12 fied in such survey. 

13 ‘‘(4) A description of the State’s process for the 

14 vetting, adoption, acquisition, distribution, and use 

15 of content. 

16 ‘‘(5) A description of how the State educational 

17 agency will ensure that the State educational agen18 cy’s data systems and eligible technology are inter19 operable. 

20 ‘‘(6) An assurance that the State educational 

21 agency will consider making content widely available 

22 through open educational resources when making 

23 purchasing decisions with funds received under this 

24 part. 


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1 ‘‘(7) A description of the State’s student digital 

2 literacy standards and the technology standards for 

3 teachers and administrators, and an assurance that 

4 the State’s student digital literacy standards meet 

5 the requirements of section 2403(5). 

6 ‘‘(8) An assurance that subgrant awards under 

7 section 2407 will be carried out by the State edu8 cational agency staff with responsibility for leader9 ship, coordination, and implementation of instruc10 tional and other classroom technologies. 

11 ‘‘(9) A description of how the State educational 

12 agency will award subgrants to local educational 

13 agencies under section 2407. 

14 ‘‘(10) A description of the process, activities, 

15 and performance measures that the State edu16 cational agency will use to evaluate the impact and 

17 effectiveness of the grant and subgrant funds award18 ed under this part across the State and in each local 

19 educational agency. 

20 ‘‘(11) A description of how the State edu21 cational agency will, in providing technical and other 

22 assistance to local educational agencies, give priority 

23 to the local educational agencies proposing to target 

24 services to— 


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1 ‘‘(A) students in schools in need of im2 provement and persistently low-achieving 

3 schools; 

4 ‘‘(B) schools with a high percentage of stu5 dents who are eligible for a free or reduced 

6 price lunch under the Richard B. Russell Na7 tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et 

8 seq.); and 

9 ‘‘(C) schools that meet the census defini10 tion of rural. 

11 ‘‘(12) A description of how the State edu12 cational agency consulted with local educational 

13 agencies in the development of the State educational 

14 agency’s application under this subsection. 

15 ‘‘(13) An assurance that the State educational 

16 agency will provide matching funds as required 

17 under section 2404(e). 

18 ‘‘(14) A description of how the State edu19 cational agency will ensure that funds received under 

20 this part do not duplicate support received under the 

21 E-rate program. 

22 ‘‘(15) An assurance that the State educational 

23 agency will protect the privacy and safety of stu24 dents and teachers, consistent with requirements of 

25 section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act 


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1 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (commonly known as the ‘Family 

2 Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’), the 

3 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 

4 (15 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.), and section 445 of the 

5 General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 

6 1232h). 

7 ‘‘SEC. 2406. STATE USE OF GRANT FUNDS. 

8 ‘‘(a) RESERVATION FOR SUBGRANTS TO SUPPORT

9 TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.—Each State edu10 cational agency that receives a grant under section 

11 2404(b)(2) shall expend not less than 90 percent of the 

12 grant amount for each fiscal year to award subgrants to 

13 local educational agencies in accordance with section 

14 2407. 

15 ‘‘(b) RESERVATION FOR STATE ACTIVITIES.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 

17 shall reserve not more than 10 percent of the grant 

18 received under section 2404(b)(2) for the State ac19 tivities described in subsection (c). 

20 ‘‘(2) GRANT ADMINISTRATION.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara22 graph (B), of the amount reserved by a State 

23 educational agency under paragraph (1), the 

24 State educational agency may reserve for the 


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1 administration of the grant under this part not 

2 more than— 

3 ‘‘(i) 1 percent in the case of a State 

4 educational agency awarding subgrants 

5 under section 2407(a)(1); or 

6 ‘‘(ii) 3 percent in the case of a State 

7 educational agency awarding subgrants 

8 under section 2407(a)(2). 

9 ‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE.—Notwithstanding 

10 subparagraph (A), a State educational agency 

11 that forms a State purchasing consortium 

12 under subsection (d)— 

13 ‘‘(i) may reserve an additional 1 per14 cent to carry out the activities described in 

15 subsection (d)(1); and 

16 ‘‘(ii) may reserve amounts in addition 

17 to the percentage described in clause (i) if 

18 the State purchasing consortium receives 

19 direct approval from the local educational 

20 agencies receiving subgrants under section 

21 2407(a) from the State educational agency 

22 prior to reserving more than the additional 

23 percentage authorized under clause (i). 


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1 ‘‘(c) STATE ACTIVITIES.—A State educational agency 

2 shall use funds described in subsection (b) to carry out 

3 each of the following: 

4 ‘‘(1) Except for the awarding of subgrants in 

5 accordance with section 2407, activities described in 

6 the State educational agency’s application under sec7 tion 2405(b). 

8 ‘‘(2) Providing technical assistance to local edu9 cational agencies to— 

10 ‘‘(A) identify and address technology readi11 ness needs; 

12 ‘‘(B) redesign curriculum and instruction, 

13 improve educational productivity, and deliver 

14 computer-based and online assessment; 

15 ‘‘(C) use technology, consistent with the 

16 principles of universal design for learning, to 

17 support the learning needs of all students, in18 cluding students who are children with disabil19 ities and children who are limited English pro20 ficient; 

21 ‘‘(D) build capacity for principals and local 

22 educational agency administrators to support 

23 teachers with data literacy and in infusing dig24 ital tools to empower teaching and personalize 

25 learning; 


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1 ‘‘(E) promote data literacy and trans2 parency in the collection, analysis, and utiliza3 tion of student data; and 

4 ‘‘(F) identify expectations and standards 

5 for third party vendors that have access to, 

6 store, or provide analytics on student data. 

7 ‘‘(3) Developing or utilizing research-based or 

8 innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized or 

9 rigorous academic courses and curricula through the 

10 use of technology, including digital learning tech11 nologies and assistive technology. 

12 ‘‘(4) Integrating and coordinating activities 

13 under this part with other educational resources and 

14 programs across the State. 

15 ‘‘(5) Disseminating information, including mak16 ing publicly available on the website of the State 

17 educational agency, promising practices to improve 

18 technology instruction, and acquiring and imple19 menting technology tools and applications. 

20 ‘‘(6) Ensuring that teachers, paraprofessionals, 

21 library and media personnel, specialized instructional 

22 support personnel, and administrators possess the 

23 knowledge and skills to use technology to meet the 

24 goals described in section 2405(b)(1). 


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1 ‘‘(7) Coordinating with teacher, principal, and 

2 school leader preparation programs to ensure that 

3 preservice teachers, principals, and school leaders 

4 have the skills to implement digital learning pro5 grams effectively. 

6 ‘‘(8) Supporting schools that meet the census 

7 definition of rural to bring high-quality digital learn8 ing opportunities to rural and remote areas. 

9 ‘‘(d) PURCHASING CONSORTIA.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 

11 receiving a grant under section 2404(b)(2) may— 

12 ‘‘(A) form a State purchasing consortium 

13 with 1 or more State educational agencies re14 ceiving such a grant to carry out the State ac15 tivities described in subsection (c), including 

16 purchasing eligible technology; 

17 ‘‘(B) encourage local educational agencies 

18 to form local purchasing consortia under section 

19 2407(c)(4); and 

20 ‘‘(C) promote pricing opportunities to local 

21 educational agencies for the purchase of eligible 

22 technology that are— 

23 ‘‘(i) negotiated by the State edu24 cational agency or the State purchasing 


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1 consortium of the State educational agen2 cy; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) available to such local edu4 cational agencies. 

5 ‘‘(2) RESTRICTIONS.—A State educational 

6 agency receiving a grant under section 2404(b)(2) 

7 shall not— 

8 ‘‘(A) except for promoting the pricing op9 portunities described in paragraph (1)(C), make 

10 recommendations to local educational agencies 

11 for, or require, use of any specific commercial 

12 products and services by local educational agen13 cies; 

14 ‘‘(B) require local educational agencies to 

15 participate in a State purchasing consortia or 

16 local purchasing consortia; or 

17 ‘‘(C) use more than the amount reserved 

18 under subsection (b) to carry out the activities 

19 described in paragraph (1), unless the State 

20 educational agency receives approval in accord21 ance with subsection (b)(2)(B). 

22 ‘‘SEC. 2407. LOCAL SUBGRANTS. 

23 ‘‘(a) SUBGRANTS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN25 CIES.—From the grant funds provided under section 


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1 2404(b)(2) to a State educational agency that are 

2 remaining after the State educational agency makes 

3 reservations under section 2406(b) for any fiscal 

4 year and subject to paragraph (2), the State edu5 cational agency shall award subgrants for the fiscal 

6 year to local educational agencies served by the 

7 State educational agency and with an approved ap8 plication under subsection (b) by allotting to each 

9 such local educational agency an amount that bears 

10 the same relationship to the remainder as the 

11 amount received by the local educational agency 

12 under part A of title I for such year bears to the 

13 amount received by all such local educational agen14 cies under such part for such year, except that no 

15 local educational agency may receive less than 

16 $3,000 for a year. 

17 ‘‘(2) COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO LOCAL EDU18 CATIONAL AGENCIES.—If the amount of funds ap19 propriated under section 2404 is less than 

20 $300,000,000 for any fiscal year, a State edu21 cational agency— 

22 ‘‘(A) shall not award subgrants under 

23 paragraph (1); and 

24 ‘‘(B) shall— 


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1 ‘‘(i) award subgrants, on a competi2 tive basis, to local educational agencies 

3 based on the quality of applications sub4 mitted under subsection (b), including— 

5 ‘‘(I) the level of technology readi6 ness, as determined by the technology 

7 readiness surveys completed by local 

8 educational agencies submitting such 

9 applications; and 

10 ‘‘(II) the technology plans de11 scribed in subsection (b)(4) and how 

12 the local educational agencies with 

13 such plans will carry out the align14 ment and coordination described in 

15 such subsection; 

16 ‘‘(ii) ensure that such subgrants are 

17 of sufficient size and scope to carry out the 

18 local activities described in subsection (c); 

19 ‘‘(iii) give priority to local educational 

20 agencies that have demonstrated substan21 tial need for assistance in acquiring and 

22 using technology, based on the agency’s 

23 technology readiness survey; and 


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1 ‘‘(iv) give priority to local educational 

2 agencies that meet the census definition of 

3 rural. 

4 ‘‘(3) DEFINITION OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL

5 AGENCY FOR CERTAIN FISCAL YEARS.—For pur6 poses of awarding subgrants under paragraph (2), 

7 the term ‘local educational agency’ means— 

8 ‘‘(A) a local educational agency; 

9 ‘‘(B) an educational service agency; or 

10 ‘‘(C) a local educational agency and an 

11 educational service agency. 

12 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency that 

13 desires to receive a subgrant under subsection (a) shall 

14 submit an application to the State at such time, in such 

15 manner, and accompanied by such information as the 

16 State educational agency may require, including— 

17 ‘‘(1) a description of how the local educational 

18 agency will carry out the goals described in subpara19 graphs (A) through (D) of section 2405(b)(1); 

20 ‘‘(2) a description of the results of the tech21 nology readiness survey completed by the local edu22 cational agency and a description of the plan for the 

23 local educational agency to meet the goals described 

24 in paragraph (1) within 3 years of completing the 

25 survey; 


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1 ‘‘(3) an assurance that the local educational 

2 agency’s student digital literacy standards meet the 

3 requirements of section 2403(5); 

4 ‘‘(4) a description of the local educational agen5 cy’s technology plan to carry out paragraphs (1) and 

6 (3) and how the agency will align and coordinate the 

7 activities under this section with other activities 

8 across the local educational agency; 

9 ‘‘(5) a description of the team of educators who 

10 will coordinate and carry out the activities under 

11 this section, including individuals with responsibility 

12 and expertise in instructional technology, teachers 

13 that specialize in supporting students who are chil14 dren with disabilities and children who are limited 

15 English proficient, school leaders, technology offi16 cers, and staff responsible for assessments and data; 

17 ‘‘(6) a description of how the local educational 

18 agency will build capacity for principals and local 

19 educational agency administrators to support teach20 ers in developing data literacy skills and in imple21 menting digital tools to support teaching and learn22 ing; 

23 ‘‘(7) a description of— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the local educational agency’s pro2 curement process and process for the creation, 

3 acquisition, distribution, and use of content; 

4 ‘‘(B) how the local educational agency will 

5 ensure integrity of such processes; 

6 ‘‘(C) how such processes support the goals 

7 described in paragraph (1) or how a local edu8 cational agency will change such processes to 

9 support such goals; and 

10 ‘‘(D) how the local educational agency will 

11 ensure content quality; 

12 ‘‘(8) a description of how the local educational 

13 agency will carry out activities under subsection (c); 

14 ‘‘(9) a description of how the subgrant funds 

15 received under subsection (a) will be coordinated 

16 with and supported by other Federal, State, and 

17 local funds to support activities under this part; 

18 ‘‘(10) a description of how the local educational 

19 agency will ensure that the subgrant received under 

20 subsection (a) is not duplicative of support received 

21 under the E-rate program; and 

22 ‘‘(11) an assurance that the local educational 

23 agency will protect the privacy and safety of stu24 dents and teachers, consistent with requirements 

25 section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act 


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1 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (commonly known as the ‘Family 

2 Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’). 

3 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

4 ‘‘(1) TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.—Subject 

5 to paragraph (3), a local educational agency receiv6 ing a subgrant under subsection (a) shall use not 

7 less than 40 percent of such funds to support activi8 ties for the acquisition of eligible technology needed 

9 to— 

10 ‘‘(A) except for the activities described in 

11 paragraph (2), carry out activities described in 

12 the application submitted under subsection (b), 

13 including purchasing devices, equipment, and 

14 software applications, and improving 

15 connectivity to and within schools; and 

16 ‘‘(B) address readiness shortfalls identified 

17 under the technology readiness survey com18 pleted by the local educational agency. 

19 ‘‘(2) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR DIGITAL

20 LEARNING.—Subject to paragraph (3), a local edu21 cational agency receiving a subgrant under sub22 section (a) shall use not less than 40 percent of such 

23 funds to carry out digital age professional learning 

24 opportunities for teachers, principals, school leaders, 

25 paraprofessionals, library and media personnel, speVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:13 Feb 18, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S451.IS S451

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1 cialized instructional support personnel, technology 

2 coordinators, and administrators. 

3 ‘‘(3) MODIFICATION OF FUNDING ALLOCA4 TIONS.—A State educational agency may authorize a 

5 local educational agency to modify the percentage of 

6 the local educational agency’s subgrant funds re7 quired to carry out the activities described in para8 graph (1) or (2) if the local educational agency dem9 onstrates that such modification will assist the local 

10 educational agency in more effectively carrying out 

11 such activities. 

12 ‘‘(4) PURCHASING CONSORTIA.—Local edu13 cational agencies receiving subgrants under sub14 section (a) may— 

15 ‘‘(A) form a local purchasing consortia 

16 with other such local educational agencies to 

17 carry out the activities described in this sub18 section, including purchasing eligible tech19 nology; and 

20 ‘‘(B) use such funds for purchasing eligible 

21 technology through a State purchasing con22 sortia under section 2406(d). 

23 ‘‘SEC. 2408. REPORTING. 

24 ‘‘(a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—Each local 

25 educational agency receiving a subgrant under section 


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1 2407 shall submit to the State educational agency that 

2 awarded such subgrant an annual report the meets the 

3 requirements of subsection (c). 

4 ‘‘(b) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—Each State 

5 educational agency receiving a grant under section 

6 2404(b)(2) shall submit to the Secretary an annual report 

7 that meets the requirements of subsection (c). 

8 ‘‘(c) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—A report submitted 

9 under subsection (a) or (b) shall include, at a minimum, 

10 a description of— 

11 ‘‘(1) the status of the State educational agen12 cy’s plan described in section 2405(b)(3) or the local 

13 education agency’s technology plan under section 

14 2407(b)(4), as applicable; 

15 ‘‘(2) the categories of eligible technology ac16 quired with funds under this part and how such 

17 technology is being used; 

18 ‘‘(3) the professional learning activities funded 

19 under this part, including types of activities and en20 tities involved in providing such professional learning 

21 to classroom teachers and other staff, such as school 

22 librarians; 

23 ‘‘(4) the instruction, strategies, activities, and 

24 curricula used in the programs funded under this 

25 part; and 


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1 ‘‘(5) the types of programs funded under this 

2 part. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2409. AUTHORIZATION. 

4 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

5 this part $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2016 and such 

6 sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 

7 fiscal years.’’. 

8 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents in 

9 section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

10 of 1965 is amended by striking the items relating to part 

11 D of title II and inserting the following: 

‘‘PART D—ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

‘‘Sec. 2401. Purposes. 

‘‘Sec. 2402. E-rate restriction. 

‘‘Sec. 2403. Definitions. 

‘‘Sec. 2404. Technology grants program authorized. 

‘‘Sec. 2405. State applications. 

‘‘Sec. 2406. State use of grant funds. 

‘‘Sec. 2407. Local subgrants. 

‘‘Sec. 2408. Reporting. 

‘‘Sec. 2409. Authorization.’’. 

Æ 


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