Authorizes the commissioner of education to award grants to local school districts for the use of computer technology to teach reading and writing skills to students in kindergarten and grade 1; provides a preference for schools which need assistance; appropriates $5,000,000 therefor.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1032
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 9, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GIBSON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HOOPER
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to grants for use of
computer technology by students in kindergarten and grade one and
making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 319. Grants for promoting use of technology; kindergarten and grade
4 one. 1. The commissioner shall award grants from funds available there-
5 for to local school districts for the use of computer technology to
6 teach reading and writing skills to students in kindergarten and grade
7 one based on plans to use technology submitted to him or her in a format
8 prescribed by his or her guidelines.
9 2. School districts wishing to receive such grants must demonstrate
10 that fifty percent of the total cost of their program is supported by
11 local revenues. The commissioner shall give preference to schools in
12 need of assistance and to schools whose plans include making the tech-
13 nology available for all kindergarten and first grade classes within
14 designated buildings. Such plans shall not be approved for funding
15 unless they include documentation which shows that the proposed system
16 has been evaluated and data is available which supports claims of effec-
17 tiveness with target pupils. Priority shall be given to those school
18 buildings which (1) have been selected by the commissioner as being in
19 need of assistance and (2) indicate that all kindergarten and grade one
20 classes within the building will be included in the project. Such plan
21 to use the technology must include a detailed evaluation design which
22 will result in evaluative data being submitted to the commissioner in
23 accordance with the schedule he or she prescribes and include the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01937-01-3
A. 1032 2
1 specific inservice training program which will ensure that teachers and
2 administrators within the building and district are adequately trained
3 to use the technology to its fullest potential.
4 § 2. The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000), or so much thereof
5 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the education department
6 from any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit
7 of the local assistance account not otherwise appropriated for school
8 district grants for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this
9 act. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the state
10 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of
11 education, or his or her duly designated representative in the manner
12 provided by law. No expenditure shall be made from this appropriation
13 until a certificate of approval of availability shall have been issued
14 by the director of the budget and filed with the state comptroller and a
15 copy filed with the chairperson of the senate finance committee and the
16 chairperson of the assembly ways and means committee. Such certificate
17 may be amended from time to time by the director of the budget and a
18 copy of each such amendment shall be filed with the state comptroller,
19 the chairperson of the senate finance committee and the chairperson of
20 the assembly ways and means committee.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
