[rtpnet-tact] General Assembly Bill in NC - Re: WinstonNet

[Lynda M. Goff]

Just wanted to share what we are doing here in Winston-Salem/Forsyth 
County, North Carolina.  Below is a North Carolina GA Bill that could 
involve WinstonNet in study of virtual education/training at several 
different levels.  We are excited about the possibilities of building on 
what we are currently doing to bridge the gap of access to technology 
here in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.  Lynda

Here's an excerpt from the Senate Bill 1052
"The study shall include an evaluation of existing technology 
infrastructures, such as the statewide infrastructure, the North 
Carolina Research and Education Network, or the regional infrastructure, 
Winston-Net. These state-of-the-art infrastructures may be capable of 
supporting growth in traffic and thus serve as a backbone infrastructure 
for delivering high-speed access to underserved regions."

Lynda M. Goff
Wake Forest University
Director of Technology Initiatives (goff at wfu.edu)
www.wfu.edu

WinstonNet, Inc.
Executive Director (lynda.goff at winstonnet.org)
www.winstonnet.org

PO Box 7408
Winston-Salem, NC  27109
Work: 336.758.1937
Fax: 336.758.5012




GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2005

S 
 
        2

SENATE BILL 1052

Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 4/19/05


Short Title:     Business Educ. Tech. Alliance Legislation.
	
(Public)
	

March 24, 2005

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to implement the recommendations of the Business Education 
technology alliance.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:



part i.  DEFINITIONS



SECTION 1.  The following definitions apply in this act:

(1)       E-learning. – Electronic learning that includes a wide set of 
applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computer-based 
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the 
delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), 
audiotape, videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive television, and 
CD-ROM.

(2)       e-NC Authority. – The e-NC Authority established in Part 2F of 
Article 10 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes.

(3)       E-Rate. – The mechanism to provide discount rates to support 
universal telecommunications services for use by schools and libraries 
as provided in section 254 of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.



part Ii.  plan and funding for a virtual high school



SECTION 2.(a)  The State Board of Education, the Board of Governors of 
The University of North Carolina, the Independent Colleges and 
Universities, and the State Board of Community Colleges shall develop 
E-learning standards and plans for infrastructures that provide virtual 
learning opportunities accessible to students and other citizens through 
all North Carolina schools, universities, and community colleges. In 
developing the plan for the public schools, the State Board of Education 
shall focus initially on high schools while also researching and 
developing, where appropriate, E-learning for middle schools, junior 
high schools, and elementary schools. E-learning programs shall support 
both teachers and students.

SECTION 2.(b)  It is the intent of the General Assembly to give public 
schools the highest priority in funding for and development of 
E-learning. Funding for E-learning should be a new appropriation and not 
come exclusively from existing funds.

SECTION 2.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 
Department of Public Instruction the sum of one hundred fifty thousand 
dollars ($150,000) for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.  The State Board of 
Education shall use these funds to establish and implement during the 
2005-2006 school year a pilot virtual high school.

SECTION 2.(d)  If the pilot program is successful, it is the intent of 
the General Assembly to provide funding to implement a virtual high 
school on a statewide basis for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.



part iIi.  feasibility study for developing regional EDUCATION networks



SECTION 3.(a)  The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and 
the e-NC Authority, in collaboration with representatives from local 
school administrative units, The University of North Carolina, the State 
Board of Education, the State Chief Information Officer, and the 
Community College System shall perform a feasibility study on developing 
regional education networks that are centrally managed to provide and 
sustain broadband connectivity to individual students and teachers in 
schools, community colleges, and universities.

The study shall include an evaluation of existing technology 
infrastructures, such as the statewide infrastructure, the North 
Carolina Research and Education Network, or the regional infrastructure, 
Winston-Net. These state-of-the-art infrastructures may be capable of 
supporting growth in traffic and thus serve as a backbone infrastructure 
for delivering high-speed access to underserved regions.

The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and the e-NC 
Authority shall report the results of the study to the Regular 2006 
Session of the 2005 General Assembly.

SECTION 3.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North 
Carolina Rural Economic Development Center the sum of one hundred 
thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2005-2006 fiscal year to perform the 
feasibility study pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.



part iV.  plan for projecting school technology funding needs



SECTION 4.(a)  G.S. 115C-102.6A(c) reads as rewritten:

"(c)      Components of the State school technology plan shall include 
at least the following:




(17)     A baseline template for:

a.         Technology infrastructure including broadband connectivity, 
personnel recommendations, and other resources needed to operate 
effectively from the classroom desktop to local, regional, and State 
networks, and

b.         An evaluation component that provides for local school 
administrative unit accountability for maintaining quality upgradeable 
systems."

SECTION 4.(b)  Before November 2005, the Department of Public 
Instruction shall hold regional workshops for local school 
administrative units to provide guidance in developing local school 
system technology plans that meet the criteria established in the State 
school technology plan, including the components added under subsection 
(a) of this section. The State Chief Information Officer will assist 
with the regional meetings as needed to provide technical assistance.

SECTION 4.(c)  G.S. 115C-102.7 is amended by adding the following new 
subsection to read:

"(c)      The Department of Public Instruction shall randomly check 
local school system technology plans to ensure that local school 
administrative units are implementing their plans as approved. The 
Department shall report to the State Board of Education and the State 
Chief Information Officer on which local school administrative units are 
not complying with their plans. The report shall include the reasons 
these local school administrative units are out of compliance and a 
recommended plan of action to support each of these local school 
administrative units in carrying out their plans."

SECTION 4.(d)  The State Board of Education shall determine the total 
amount of funds needed for the recurring total cost of ownership to 
implement, maintain, and upgrade technology infrastructures and 
instructional technology as specified in the revised local school system 
technology plans. This shall include personnel costs for both technical 
and instructional needs so that a three- to five-year budget plan can be 
developed for the General Assembly.

SECTION 4.(e)  The State Board of Education also shall study and 
identify the types of resources needed to operate schools designed to 
meet the needs of twenty-first century learners.

The State Board shall report the results of this study to the Regular 
2006 Session of the 2005 General Assembly.



part v.  annual report that highlights the IMPACT of education 
preparation on economic growth



SECTION 5.  The North Carolina Board of Science and Technology shall 
provide an annual report by county on the status of trends that reflect 
the impact of education on economic growth for the twenty-first century. 
This report shall be available for citizens and shall contain 
information about the status of each county with regard to education and 
economic growth.



part vI.  process for more assistance for e-rate



SECTION 6.  2IIn order to provide assistance to local school 
administrative units with E-rate applications, the Department of Public 
Instruction shall, within existing funds, ensure that a minimum of one 
full-time coordinator who has technical knowledge and skills is assigned 
this responsibility. The Department shall notify local school 
administrative units about the person or office assigned the 
responsibility of providing assistance with E-rate applications.

The Department shall provide the State Board of Education with an annual 
report on E-rate, including funding, commitments, and enrollment by 
local school administrative units.



part viI.  planning for a state central INFRASTRUCTURE office



SECTION 7.(a)  The Office of State Budget and Management shall conduct a 
study to determine the feasibility of establishing a State Central 
Infrastructure Office that would collect and manage information for 
technology, water, sewer, and other utility infrastructures needed to 
assist communities in becoming and remaining economically viable.

SECTION 7.(b)  The Office of State Budget and Management shall report 
the results of this study to the Regular 2006 Session of the 2005 
General Assembly.  The report shall include legislative proposals, 
including a proposal to define the term "infrastructure" in the General 
Statutes to include technology.



part viiI.  effective date



SECTION 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.