Background

October 2007

After a summer of meeting with enterprise, education and governance knowledge experts eSATSi has developed a strategy for the 2008 legislative session. The broadbandi access to rural communities and state wide systems design will be addressed by a sister organization Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council and Government Information and Technology Agency.

2008 - Summary of Initial Funding to Launch Critical Elements of eSATS

Strategy: Legislationi with 2008-2009 funding will launch/pilot long range elements of eSATS system design. As new funding for statewide eLearningi adoption becomes available these initial work will support an effective and efficient transformationi of schools and district programs. Oversight of much of this bill will be assigned to Arizona's eLearning Task Force.

BROADBAND RURAL OFF RAMP plus STATEWIDE SURVEY
GITA-ATIC will lead with agency budget funding and funding from stakeholders for this 2 to 3 year project to bring broadband switching service to 35 out of approximately 55 identified underserved communities. The recent implementation with the support of Arizona Department of Commerce in Superior will be a model. A statewide survey of current broadband capability in areas defined by school districts will also be accomplished. eSATS will support but the $ 6.4 million will not be part of this eSATS launch bill (DELETE).

TRANSFORMING AZ K-12 SCHOOL BY SCHOOL Funding with Grants
Transform another 10 of the 1500 traditional and charter schools to 21st Century eLearning centered schools. The applicants can be either new schools built under the auspices of the school facilities board and current schools. Funding is through ADEi under the policy and grant fund in the original form of 2007's HB2742. The Arizona eLearning Task Force will advise on the process and selection. Provide funding for new 21st century schools to assure that four year plan and package of teacher professional development, digital curriculum, technical support, data system and broadband interneti connectivity is supported by 1:1 computing and wiring/wireless networked systems from GITA developed standards.

ADE: Ten eLearning Centered Schools $2100 per student, 900 students/school
2.1% for administration $20 million (DELETE)

21st CENTURY TEACHER TOOLS INCLUDING SURVEY Funding with Grants
A computer, essential software suite including data, administrative and instructional systems, electronic white board and other electronic devices and peripheral devices will be provided or upgraded for all teachers. The survey will determine current situation of teacher tools and in this first year 5000 out of 50,000 teachers will receive the teacher side of the eLearning classroom. Schools will apply and will commit to provide the professional development, data systems, connectivity and technical support.

ADE $2300 per classroom 4.0% for administration $12 million (DELETE)

FUNDING SCHOOLS FOR MASTERY LEARNING
A new section of school funding law is needed for ADE to fund schools for student mastery learning to fully realize the efficiency and effectiveness of eLearning systems where students lead and their individualized and accelerated pace. The eLearning centered schools and programs would have the option to receive funding on a student by student basis after the date that the student is assessed to have mastered the academic grade level curriculum within their personal learning plan to Arizona standards. The 2008 funding will enable the Auditor General's office to study the problem and design a practical solution for accounting controls and funds disbursement that works for both the districts, charter schools and ADE. This Auditor General will coordinate itsi work with the three year study and implementation committee that was launched in October, 2007 to address all aspects of school finance.

Auditor General by June 15, 2009 $ 0.5 million (DELETE)

STATE TO CLASSROOM DATA AND DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
This issue-project has been a challenge to Arizona in general and ADE in particular over the past 10 years. The critical issue is that the system must not just address the needs of ADE, federal reporting, the legislature and state governance, but also the district and school leadership, the teacher and student in the classroom and the communityi. ADE has $6 million of federal funds to be spent over three years. To bring the districts up to full partnership, ADE needs additional resources and the districts need development of a well tested system for their use to interface to the state system. ASU new Advanced Learning Technology Institute (ALT^I) is engaged with Paradise Valley School District in researching and developing a district system. As developers and operators of IDEAL they would be the intellectual center for assuring effective district interface with ADE and deployment to the classroom.
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ADE Data Warehouse expand data system $ 2 million
ADE for ASU and ALT^I 3.0% for administration $ 4 million (DELETE)

REDESIGN AND TRANSFORM EDUCATOR HUMAN RESOURCE EDUCATION
The Arizona eLearning Task Force will contract for a study and design with process that address the entire educator human resource system including creating, acquiring, re-entry and retention of educators by December 15, 2009. This effort will transform this part of the K-12 system to serve the needs of Arizona for the next 30 years. Critical educator capability and capacity issues include English language learner, 21st Century skills, math and science and eLearning transformation. Include system entities in the study and design are educator preparation, professional development, training, working conditions, funding and educator motivation addressed by high schools, professional associations, colleges, school districts, governing bodies and legislature.

ADE for AZ eLearning Task Force 4.0% for administration $ 1.5 million (DELETE)

EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and CURRICULUM ACCESS
In summer of 2007 ASU's ALT^I has taken full responsibility for operating the Integrated Data to Enhance Arizona's Learning (IDEAL) the statewide K-12 portal system. ADE currently provides federal funding and needs to expand. To upgrade IDEAL to fully support 70,000 educators an well over 1 million students with professional development access and classroom digital curriculum additional Arizona funding is needed.

ADE: 4.0% for administration $10 million (DELETE)

DIGITAL CURRICULUM DECISION SUPPORT AND EXTENSION SERVICE
Digital Curriculum Institute (DCI) would be studied, designed, and established by Arizona eLearning Task Force with support from the Arizona Department of Education. As an independent institute it would link to Arizona's universities and secure major foundation and federal funding for operations in the out years. DCI would study of all accessible digital curriculums for use by K-12 students and for teacher professional development and education. It will provide this knowledge to the Advanced Learning Technology Institute at ASU to be accessed on IDEAL. The DCI will also provide an extension service of eLearning savvy instructional technologists that will assist at the schools in their adoption of digital curriculum.

ADE 4.0% for administration $5 million (DELETE)

Total $55 million (DELETE)