The procedural version of the plan deals with the letter of the requirements. This version will be submitted to state grant officials and will meet all of the detailed procedural requirements of the legislation. The essence of the plan should be at the core of what is submitted to the state in the procedural plan. By working on two levels, the committee may concentrate on the essence of the plan and avoid getting sidetracked by the procedural requirements of the legislation. There is more to spending than buying a bunch of hardware.
Effective results demand continuous staff development, technology support and appropriate software.
The next 20 percent should go for software purchases linked to subject matter in each department, such as chemistry simulation, and overall grant objectives, such as writing-process software to support writing across the curriculum. That leaves 50 percent for hardware. That is not enough, but it is an intelligent start. The legislation has been approved for four years, but appropriations for the program are annual. It is possible ongoing funding could stop before the four years it will take to provide an opportunity for every high school in California to receive funding.