Task force for education technology.

Existing law establishes various programs to enhance education technology, including the California Technology Assistance Project, which is composed of regional consortia that work collaboratively with school districts and county offices of education to meet locally defined educational needs that can be effectively addressed with the use of technology, as specified. This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a task force for education technology, funded by private donations, for the purpose of making preliminary recommendations on technology literacy model standards for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, in California public schools. The bill would require the task force to consist of no more than 15 education technology experts, including, but not necessarily limited to, parents, current credentialed teachers, administrators, school board members, researchers, and industry representatives. This bill would require the task force to make preliminary recommendations to the Superintendent on technology literacy model standards for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, within one year after the date the task force is convened, require the Superintendent to recommend technology literacy model standards to the state board within 2 months after receiving the recommendations for the model standards from the task force, and require the state board to adopt technology literacy model content standards, pursuant to the recommendations of the Superintendent, within 2 months after receiving the recommendations for the model standards from the Superintendent. The bill also would require the recommendations to be made by the task force to the state board and the Legislature within 18 months after the task force is convened. The bill would require the task force to address specified issues and, to the extent feasible, to consider previously developed state technology plans, as specified.