Volume - ltc1s.k12.il.us
Illinois State board of Education
Division of Curriculum and Instruction: e-Learning
Basic Technology Plan Guide
Illioinois Technology Integration Plan
Basic Technology Plan Guide
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street C-215
Springfield, IL 62777
Phone 217-557-7323 Fax 217 –782-7937
Table of Contents
TO BE ADDED
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Preparing to Write The Basic Technology Plan
The information guide presents a compilation of information from primary sources, relevant documents, and guides created by Learning Technology Center Directors in the state of Illinois. Many of these resources are available online to the public. Learning Technology Center Directors across the state have the expertise and training to offer technical assistance to districts in the writing of the Technology Integration Plan (TIP)
T
he Basic Technology Plan (also known as The Draft Plan) must be completed by October 1, 2008. USAC requires this step before completion of Form 470 for eligible services to begin on July 1, 2009. Accountability for compliance with E-Rate rules and document retention is the responsibility of the applying district or educational entity. The Basic Technology Plan can be created online after September 2, 2008. However, as a service to applicants, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides a link to printable templates in advance of that date. Applicants must keep a printed copy of The Basic Technology Plan bearing a date stamp of the date it was completed on file per USAC’s document retention rules for five years after the last date of service cited in the completed three-year plan. (This is approximately eight years.) USAC does not require this service by the Technology Plan Approver (TPA). Therefore, ISBE will no longer be providing the creation date stamp for districts applying for E-Rate. Illinois public school districts need to keep in mind that the completed three-year plan MUST be submitted online by February 27, 2009 for approval. Information about E-Rate is available online at . For additional information about E-Rate for Illinois Schools, contact Kathleen Barnhart, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, 217-557-7323 or kbarnhar@.
Helpful Links
• USAC: Questions to Consider
← 5 Basic Requirements
← USAC CIPA Requirements
The writing of a Technology Integration Plan requires collaboration among district administrators, curriculum leaders, teachers, technology maintenance and support staff, parents, adult literacy providers and community stakeholders. Discussion should begin early in the planning year before the actual writing begins.
Why write The {One-Year} Basic Plan?
It is a requirement of USAC for receiving E-Rate. A technology plan must be completed at the time the FCC Form 470 is filed and must be approved before the start of service or the filing of the FCC Form 486, whichever is earlier. Applicants are required to certify on the FCC Form 486 that the technology plans on which they based their purchases were approved before they began to receive service.[1]
Illinois Public School Districts and other educational entities are required to have an approved technology plan projected over the course of three phases (fiscal years). This also satisfies certain requirements in reference to state and federal funding for programs or services under NCLB as well as E-Rate. (See the Action Plan portion of the actual template. )[2] The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is certified by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to approve technology plans for public school districts within the state.
The Basic Technology is not submitted for approval to ISBE, because it is only a portion of the completed plan to be submitted online for approval by the annually specified date. It is very important that districts applying for E-Rate maintain a copy of The Basic Technology Plan, once completed, with the “written date” clearly noted before filing the Form 470.
Understanding the “Written Date” according to USAC:
▪ Written (same as created): When the tech plan first contains the five required elements in sufficient detail to support the services requested on the associated Form 470, USAC considers the tech plan to be written.
▪ The date this occurs is the Creation Date. The creation date must be prior to the date the associated Form 470 is posted to the USAC website.[3]
The five required elements to support the services request on the Form 470 are available online at
. “To qualify as an approved technology plan for Schools and Libraries Program discount, the plan must meet [the following] criteria:”[4]
• The plan establishes clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information technology to improve education.*
• The plan has a professional development strategy to ensure that staff knows how to use these new technologies to improve education.
• The plan includes an assessment of the telecommunication services, hardware, software, and other services that will be needed to improve education.
• The plan provides a sufficient budget to acquire and support the non-discounted elements of the plan: the hardware, software, professional development and other services that will be needed to implement the strategy.
• The plan includes an evaluation process that enables the school to monitor progress toward the specified goals and make mid-course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities as they arise.
The Basic Technology Plan must:
– Be created before Form 470/RFP posting
– Cover all 12 months of the funding year
– Contain all five elements
– Contain a sufficient level of detail to validate the E-Rate request
– Be approved by a USAC-certified TPA before Form 486 is filed or services start, whichever is sooner
– In general, cover not more than 3 years[5]
Note: District level CIPA compliance must also be assured.[6]
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Working with the Template(s)
Bear in mind that The Basic Technology Plan can be completed online at iirc.niu.edu after September 2, 2008. A PDF copy of the tech plan is created automatically as sections are completed following the road map of the online TIP template. The tech plan writer must save the work electronically as he/she moves through the template. Do not submit The Basic Technology Plan. Simply save and print a date-stamped PDF version of The Basic Technology Plan when all five sections have been completed. If completing The Basic Technology Plan online, remember to print and attach the assurance page at the end of this guide to the PDF copy of the draft plan to be kept on file. (Attachment 1). Mark the PDF “Draft” and file per USAC’s document retention policy. Only the final version of the completed plan will be stored online. ISBE will not store copies of plans.
Use of the MS Word® and Excel® template provided on ISBE’s web is discretionary. These templates are provided for the convenience of applicants who to begin the writing process in advance of the availability of the online template, or for the purpose of preplanning data and information to be copied and pasted into the online template.
Completed three-year plans from all applicants seeking Technology Integration Plan approval in 2009 must be submitted online by February 27, 2009. Paper and hard copy plans will not be considered for review.
Getting Ready to Write
The writing of The Technology Integration Plan should be a “team” effort. Before the process can begin, essential information will have to collected and analyzed. The technology plan contact person for the district is strongly encouraged to contact the Learning Technology Center Director in his/her region for information about training dates that may be available in reference to writing a tech plan as well as technical assistance in creation of the district tech plan.
Once created, the Technology Plan Team should work together to collect the necessary resources that are required to complete both the narrative and inventory sections of the template. Remember to compile a list of assessment tools and the dates relative to assessment. Required elements include:
• The most recent standardized assessment data for students in all grade levels served by the LEA (This will auto fill into the online template!)
• Local Assessment Data
• Curriculum Technology Integration Data
• Attributes and Challenges of the District and Community That Have Affected Student Learning
• Educator Qualifications and Professional Growth and Development Data
• Parent/Community Involvement Data
• Technology Inventory Data
• Make sure your CIPA policy is current and meets USAC requirements () and is Board approved.[7]
Districts having technology plans expiring June 30, 2009 should take the following steps before completing the templates in addition to those previously listed.
1. Locate a copy of the previous technology plan.
2. Review, revise and pull the following items forward into the new draft plan:
a. Vision statement
b. Gaps or needs assessments that will go into the new Key Factors area under the Data Analysis section.
c. Any goals, strategies, and activities that will continue to apply for the FY09 funding year. (This will go into the Action Plan template.)
3. Compare the products and services that the district will be applying for on the Form 470 to the draft. Add any objectives, strategies and activities that are needed to cover the elements and pieces that being are requested on the Form 470.
4. Update the budget to match the strategies and activities listed on the Form 470.
5. Whether printed as a PDF form from the online template or as a paper template, ensure that the document is date stamped and labeled Draft. This cannot be stressed enough. The lack of such documentation would result in a USAC compliance violation.
A point to remember about writing goals:*Technology integration goals should be closely aligned to district improvement goals.
Understanding Both Templates that comprise of The Basic Technology Plan
There are four parts to The Basic Technology Plan if using the two templates provided on . One has been created in MS Word® and the other in MS Excel®. Directions are provided in each section of the template. Applicants are encouraged to contact their LTC Directors for technical assistance on completing the forms. Additional information is available by calling Faith Bishop at ISBE, 217-557-7323, or by email to fbishop@...
Additional guides may become available online or through the LTC Directors. Please watch the ISBE website for news and updates. Refer to USAC’s website at for specific guidance and directions. Information and templates provided through ISBE are offered as a free service to the districts and educational entities served by the agency. USAC compliance and assurances and consequences that may result for the lack thereof however are the responsibility of the E-Rate applicant. Applicants should be careful to complete all forms and retain copies of all documents needed to ensure compliance before E-Rate forms are filed annually.
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[1] Frequently Asked Questions About Technology Planning. 04 Aug. 2008. Universal Service Administrative Company. 04 Aug. 2008 .
[2] Illinois Consolidated State Application. n.d. Illinois state Board of Education. 04 Aug. 2008 .
[3] How Do I Write a Good Technology Plan? Back to the New Basics. 2007. Universal Service Administrative Company Schools and Libraries Division. 01 Aug. 2008 .
[4] Sample Approval Letter. 04 Aug. 2008. Universal Service Administrative Company. 04 Aug. 2008 .
[5] Noran, John. "Approving Technology Plans." . Sept. 2007. 05 Aug. 2008 .
[6] "Step 10: Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)." USAC Universal Service Administrative Company. 25 Feb. 2008. 05 Aug. 2008 .
[7] Whitman, Lori. “Tech Plan Countdown.” n.d.
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❖ Only districts appling for E-Rate whose technology plans expire June 30 2009 need to complete The Basic Technology Plan.
❖ Formerly called The Draft Plan, The Basic Technology Plan should not be submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education for approval. It is written for the first phase (year) only of the three-year completed plan which should be submitted for 2009 approval by February 27, 2009. The start date for the projected activities will be July 1, 2009, and the end date will by June 30, 2010.
❖ The Technology Integration Plan (TIP) Template will be available to all registered Illinois School Districts and educational entities (LEAs) on September 2, 2009. Districts may use the online template to create a PDF printout out of The Basic Technology Plan instead of using the paper documents. LEAs are not required to complete a separate hard copy or paper template.
❖ PDF or Doc. created Basic plans should be marked “Draft,” dated, and filed per USAC’s document retention policies. (See ,)
❖ Templates made available on are provided as a service to districts seeking materials that will help with the preparation and planning process for writing the Basic (one-year) or complete (three-year) TIP for approval in 2009.
❖ Only districts seeking E-Rate that do not have an approved tech plan or have tech plans that expire in 2009 need to compete The Basic Technology Plan by October 1, 2008.
❖ For additional information: contact Faith Bishop, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, 217-557-7323 or fbishop@.
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