A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT creating the state board of education's business and education technology alliance.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is created the State Board of Education's Business and Education Technology Alliance.
SECTION 2.  The Business and Education Technology Alliance shall be composed of 25 members who have knowledge and interest in ensuring that the effective use of technology is built into the North Carolina School System for the purpose of preparing a globally competitive workforce and citizenry for the 21st Century. These members shall be appointed as follows:
(1)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee;
(2)	One member of the State Board of Education appointed by the State Board of Education
(3)	One parent of a public school child appointed by the State Board of Education after receiving recommendations from the North Carolina State Parent Teacher Association;
(4)	Two members of the Senate, one of who serves on the Joint Select Information Technology Committee appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(5)	Two members of the House of Representatives, one of who serves on the Joint Select Information Technology Committee appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(6)	One member of a local board of education who represents a local education agency (LEA) that has successfully incorporated technology into its schools appointed by the Governor, after receiving recommendations from the North Carolina School Boards Association;
(7)	One member of a local board of education who represents a local education agency (LEA) that has limited access to technology appointed by the Governor, after receiving recommendations from the North Carolina School Boards Association;
(8)	Two at‑large members appointed by the Governor;
(9)	One representative of business and industry appointed by the State Board of Education after receiving recommendations from the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry;
(10)	One local school superintendent who represents a local education agency that is in an area of the state with limited access to technology appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing school administrators;
(11)	One local school superintendent who represents a local education agency that is in an area of the state with high access to the technology and has successfully incorporated the use of technology into its instructional programs appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing school administrators;
(12)	One school principal from a school that has successfully incorporated technology into its instructional program appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing school administrators;
(13)	One school principal from a school that is in an area of the state with limited access to technology appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing school administrators;
(14)	One school teacher who works in a school with limited access to technology appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing teachers;
(15)	One school teacher who has successfully incorporated the use of technology into his or her classroom instruction appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina professional associations representing teachers;
(16)	One Chancellor or his or her designee of institutions of higher education who has demonstrated effective and innovative use of technology for education appointed by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina;
(17)	One President or his or her designee of the Community College System who has demonstrated effective and innovative use of technology for education appointed by the Community College Board of Trustees.
(18)	Two county commissioners, one of which represents a county that has successfully incorporated technology into its schools and community appointed by the State Board of Education, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
(19)	Two representatives of technology businesses who have either successfully developed innovative technology programs for education or has partnered with a local education agency (LEA) to develop a technology based education environment in that LEA appointed by the State Board of Education, after receiving recommendations from North Carolina Electronics and Information Technologies Association and the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry; and
(20)	One representative of the Information Resource Management Commission appointed by the Commission's Chairman.
SECTION 3.  Each of the following organizations or agencies shall select a representative from its organization or agency to serve as a non‑voting member to the Alliance.  These members shall provide information to the Alliance about technology in North Carolina: Rural Internet Access Authority; Information and Technology Services, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Office of State Information Technology Services, Office of the Governor.
SECTION 4.  Members of the Business and Education Technology Alliance shall serve for two‑year terms. All members of the Alliance shall be voting members unless they are designated as ex‑officio members. The officer who made the initial appointment shall fill vacancies in the appointed membership. The Business and Education Technology Alliance shall select a member of the Alliance to serve as chairperson of the Alliance.
SECTION 5.  Members of the Business and Education Technology Alliance shall receive travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 120‑3.1, G.S. 138‑5, and G.S. 138‑6.
SECTION 6.  The Business and Education Technology Alliance shall:
(1)	Advise the State Board of Education on the development of a vision for a technological literate citizen in 2025. This vision should contain the educational standards needed to accomplish that vision, the educational uses of technology to accomplish that vision and a plan for educating the community, educators and business people about the vision and educational uses of technology. Incorporated within the vision and the plan for educating the public about the vision may include:
a.	Various models and frameworks of the high quality and effective use of technology for education purposes including those students who have not learned with traditional approaches. The models may include the Cumberland County Schools Web Academy, the Virtual High School, and Nova Net.
b.	Opportunities for teachers to experience the uses of technology in work and business settings, which is the world for which they are preparing students to work.
c.	Production of multi media presentations such as videos, commercials, and publications that help citizens, students and educators see and understand the current and future power of technology for educating our children and impacting our lives.
(2)	Advise the State Board of Education on the Development of a Technology infrastructure, delivery and support system that provides equity and access to all publics in North Carolina. The infrastructure, delivery and support system may include:
a.	Opportunities for access to high‑speed connectivity to the Internet which impacts on the quality of instruction that can be provided for students at school and in the community.
b.	Technology networks that enable communities to encompass the student and his/her family while maintaining the rights to privacy for all citizens i.e. a social service, health, education, and mental health network. This network will increase collaboration among agencies and provide a coordinated, systemic service approach.
c.	Continue to evaluate the status of current technology systems and structures from the state to local level as it relates to employing technology for improving instruction.
d.	Continue to provide access to technology equipment and infrastructure at home, school and in the community such as extended hours of operation for schools and other community facilities and on loan lap top computers for student and parent use.
e.	Continue to develop surveys that provide information about the types and results of technological tools utilized by teachers, students and others at school, in the community and home.
f.	Sufficient personnel to maintain the operation of information technology systems
g.	Coordination with regional economic development planners to position local education agencies as an integral part of economic development.
(3)	Advise the State Board of Education on the development of Professional Development program for teachers to successfully implement and use technology in public schools for all students. These programs should also develop their leadership skills so that they can use technology as a tool to support the rethinking of the core business of schools ‑ student learning. The professional development program may include:
a.	Models of staff development from the state that are considered state of the art, support the vision for technology, and that could be used by local districts to train their staffs
b.	Designated time for Professional development for using technology as well as skills for using technology as a delivery for curriculum and instructional programs
c.	Collegial planning time so that colleagues can coach and support each other in learning news ways in which to think about instruction.
d.	Teacher and administrator preparation and other programs that ensure the Department of Public Instruction's Technology Foundation Standards for Teachers and Administrators in Higher education are incorporated into classroom instruction.
e.	Training teachers with skill sets to teach technical courses that are in growing demand to function at home and work.
f.	Increase opportunities to sharing best practices in all areas of instruction
g.	Increase opportunities for learning how to use technology to customize instruction for all students
h.	Increase opportunities for learning how to use technology to diagnose student learning
(4)	Advise the State Board of Education on the development of a Funding and Accountability system to ensure statewide access and equity. The Funding and Accountability system may include:
a.	Public‑private partnerships
b.	Identification of resources and the cost of those resources.
c.	Funding to keep hardware/software current
d.	Evaluating progress toward realizing the technology vision
e.	Evaluating the impact of various technology initiatives on alleviating
f.	Some of the state's education and economic development problems
g.	Incentives to encourage risk taking and innovative uses of technology
h.	Funding for only those initiatives that are well planned, demonstrate high commitment, and have a solid evaluation component
(5)	Report annually to the State Board of Education on the progress of the Alliance's recommendations for education technology in the public schools on the first Friday in December. This report may contain a summary of recommendations for changes to any law, rule, and policy that would improve implementing education technology in the public schools.
(6)	Report annually to the Joint Education Oversight Committee in the General Assembly on the recommendations for education technology in the public schools on the first Friday in January. This report may contain a summary of recommendations for changes to any law, rule, and policy that would improve implementing education technology in the public schools.
SECTION 7.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Board of Education the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year to support the work of the Alliance. These funds may be used for staff, consultants, and other services needed to assist the Alliance in carrying out its work.
The State Board of Education is encouraged to use private partnerships to fund this initiative.
SECTION 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2002.