ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1864

 

with Assembly committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: OCTOBER 7, 1996

 

 

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1864 (1R), with committee amendments.

      Assembly Bill No. 1864 (1R), as amended, establishes an Educational Technology Teacher Training Program in the Department of Education to train teachers to effectively use educational technology. This bill implements a recommendation of the Education Technology Task Force which was formed by the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools to assist the Legislature and Executive branch in formulating a Statewide educational technology policy. The recommendation was contained in the March, 1996 task force report, Technology and New Jersey's Schools in the 21st Century.

      The program is to be developed and administered by the Commissioner of Education. Under the bill's provisions, the commissioner is to forward a request for proposals for the establishment of training programs to local school districts and other appropriate applicants. An applicant shall submit a proposal which outlines the plan to offer educational technology training to teachers and other school staff. The proposal must include information which outlines the manner in which the training program will become self-supporting at the end of a three-year grant period through a fee-for-service arrangement, private sector support, or some other mechanism as developed by the grant recipient.

      The program will provide grants on a competitive basis to local school districts which have successfully integrated technology within their own educational programs, or other appropriate applicants, to develop and offer educational technology training programs to the teachers and staff of other school districts and staff of non-public schools.

      The commissioner is to award grants to support at least 21 teacher training sites in the amount of $200,000 per site. There is to be a phase-in of sites over the three-year period with at least seven sites established in the first year, seven in the second, and seven in the third. In establishing the phase-in schedule, the commissioner is to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of sites in terms of geographic location with at least one site established in each county.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

      In the legislative fiscal estimate to this bill, the Office of Legislative Services estimated a first year cost of $1.4 million based on establishing seven sites at $200,000 each. The second year cost would be $2.8 million for 14 sites; and $4.2 million for 21 sites in the third year. After the third year, the cost to the State would decrease with the first seven sites becoming self-supporting. The department indicated that it is exploring other funding sources, part of which, may be federal funding. This bill also establishes the Educational Technology Teacher Training Fund.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended bill to include non-public school staff in the training program.