Schools and Libraries
About the Schools and Libraries Program:
- Overview of the Program
- Overview of the Process
- Outreach and Training
- Site Visits
- Filing Appeals
- Understanding Audits
Schools and Libraries Tools:
Step 2:Frequently Asked Questions About Technology Planning
- What is the technology plan?
- What are the criteria for an approved technology plan?
- What if my plan does not contain all five required elements?
- What discount services require a technology plan?
- How many years should be covered by the technology plan?
- How detailed does the plan have to be?
- Once I have an approved plan, am I locked into what has been approved?
- How do I get my plan approved? Who approves my plan?
- State Education Agency, Local Education Agency, and Public Schools
- Nonpublic Schools
- Approval of BIA Plans, BIA School Plans and Plans of Districts and Territories
- Approval of State Library Agency and Library Plans
- Do I have to have my plan approved before I apply?
- How will USAC know that I have an approved plan?
- Should I send my technology plan to USAC?
- Should I attach my technology plan to the Forms 470 or 471?
1. What is the technology plan?
The technology plan documents the library service strategy or the school improvement purpose of requested telecommunications services or Internet access under the Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries. Technology planning must not be treated as a separate exercise dealing primarily with networks and telecommunication infrastructure. Approved technology plans must establish the connections between the information technology and the professional development strategies, curriculum initiatives, and library objectives that will lead to improved education and library services.
2. What are the criteria for an approved technology plan?
The following five criteria that are core elements of successful school and library technology initiatives:
- The plan must establish clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information technology to improve education or library services;
- The plan must have a professional development strategy to ensure that staff know how to use these new technologies to improve education or library services;
- The plan must include an assessment of the telecommunication services, hardware, software, and other services that will be needed to improve education or library services;
- The plan must provide 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; and
- The plan must be included and evaluation process that enables the school or library to monitor progress toward the specified goals and make mid-course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities and they arise.
3. What if my plan does not contain all five required elements?
If the plan was approved prior to the effective date of the Fifth Report and Order (October 13, 2004) and that plan did not contain all of the five required elements, that plan should be updated to include the missing elements. A continued plan deficiency could lead to a funding denial in Funding Year 2006.
4. What discount services require a technology plan?
A technology plan is not required if you are applying for discounts on basic local and long distance (wireline and wireless) telephone service. If you are seeking telecommunication services other than basic local and long distance service such as Centrex or high speed telecommunications lines, Internet access, Internal Connections or Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections a technology plan is required.
5. How many years should be covered by the technology plan?
Approved technology plans should cover a period of not more than three years. Long-range planning is important of the effective use of information technology in schools and libraries. This may be particularly important in the case of some lease-purchase arrangements or very large capital investments that require extended commitments. However, in view of the rapid development cycle of new technologies and services, schools and libraries should approach long-term commitments with caution. There may be cases in which an approved plan is longer than three years to conform to federal, state or local requirements. Whenever an approved plan is longer than three years, there should be a significant review of progress during the third year.
6. How detailed does the plan have to be?
The approved plan should include a sufficient level of information to justify and validated the purpose of a Schools and Libraries Program funding request. Technology planning is the appropriate vehicle to research and plan for technology needs. It does not have it include the specific details and information called for on FCC Forms 470, 471, 486, and 500. The information provided by the approved technology plan, by documenting specific implementation details and operational steps that are being taken under the plan. That information will be considered a refinement of the plan as long the requested services can be supported by the plan.
7. Once I have an approved plan, am I locked into what has been approved?
No. All approved plans should include provisions for evaluating progress toward the plan's goals, and ideally these assessments should occur on an annual basis. A technology plan should be responsive to new and emerging opportunities, open to review and not a static document. If you find that your technology needs change and you want to order services beyond the scope of your existing plan, you must prepare and timely submit a new plan for approval.
8. How do I get my plan approved? Who approves my plan?
To ensure that technology plans are based on the reasonable needs and resources of the applicant, and they are compatible with the goals of the Universal Service Schools and Libraries Program, the FCC requires independent approval of an applicant's technology plan (FCC Order 97-157, released 5/8/97; updated 6/4/97). To accommodate the diversity of institutions in the schools and libraries communities, there will be a variety of approvers for technology plans. A useful method of locating a technology plan approver is by using the Technology Plan Approver Locator tool.
State Education Agency, Local Education Agency, and Public Schools
The sole approver for State Education Agency (SEA) technology plans is the U.S. Department of Education. An SEA with an approved plan under the Technology Literacy Challenge (TLCF) or the Enhancing Education Through Technology program (EETT) has an approved plan for purposes of the Universal Service Program. Although these plans cover a period of more than three years, they include provisions for periodic progress evaluations, and the Schools and Libraries Division will ask the U.S. Department of Education, for progress reports under these plans during their third year.
SEAs are the preferred approvers for K-12 public school plans. A school, school district, or education service agency that has developed a plan approved under a TLCF or EETT when accompanied by a current year operating budget, has an approved plan for purposes of the Universal Service Program. Many states also have established their own state-wide technology planning initiatives, and schools, school districts, or education service agencies may develop technology plans for state approval by participating in such initiatives. School districts that have not developed approved technology plans under one of these national or state initiatives may have their own district-level plans approved by their SEA. In the case of Local Education Agency (LEA) plans that were approved for the US Department of Education's "Enhancing Education Through Technology" (EETT) program satisfy the requirements for technology plans as long as they are accompanied by a current operating budget.
- School District technology plan: Any school within a district that has an approved technology plan is considered to have an approved plan, if that district-wide plan supports and validates the use of the requested services for educational purposes in that school in a manner consistent with the criteria and standards outlined in the USAC Technology Plan web pages.
- Individual School technology plan: If an individual public school develops its own site-based, or building level technology plan, it should seek approval for that plan at the district level following the criteria and standards in the USAC Technology Plan web pages.
- Charter School technology plan: Charter schools may have their technology plans approved through the same institution that granted their charter, if that agency is a USAC Certified Technology Plan Approver.
Nonpublic Schools Plans
In states where nonpublic schools are not required by applicable law to obtain state approval for technology plans and telecommunications expenditures, or where state education agencies have indicated that they will not be apple to establish a technology plan approval procedures for nonpublic schools. USAC will authorize an alternative approval process administered by appropriate entities.
USAC will certify approval entities for nonpublic school plans. These entities may include:
- regional accreditation associations
- national, state, regional, and local private school associations,
- national, state and regional parochial school associations
State Education Agencies may also work with nonpublic schools to establish an appropriate third party approval process for nonpublic school technology plans. In the absence of any of these alternatives, USAC may consult directly with the SEA and the nonpublic schools in a state or region to certify appropriate approval procedures. USAC will maintain a directory of technology plan approvers that it has certified to approve nonpublic school plans, and it will facilitate nonpublic school access to these approvers.
A school within a Diocesan school district, or a comparable entity, with an approved plan is considered to have an approved plan in its own right, if that approved district-wide technology plan supports and validates the use of the telecommunications services for educational purposes in that school in a manner consistent with the criteria and standards outlined in Elements of a Technology Plan and Technology Plan Scope and Timeframe in Technology Planning.
Approval of BIA Plans, BIA School Plans and Plans of Districts and Territories
The District of Columbia, Hawaii and the Territories will have their plans approved under the U.S. Department of Education's EETT program because the SEA also functions as the LEA in these jurisdictions.
The BIA is preferred approver for BIA contract and grant school plans, and it will use the criteria and standards outlined in Elements of a Technology Plan and Technology Plan Scope and Timeframe in Technology Planning to approve individual BIA school plans. BIA operated schools are covered by a plan written by the BIA and approved by the US Department of Education. Any BIA school with a technology plan approved under the EETT program has an approved technology plan if that plan is accompanied by a current year operating budget.
An individual BIA contract or grant school, with a BIA approved plan has an approved plan in its own right. Such a school may choose to participate in the USF independently of the BIA in its own right, if the BIA approved plan supports and validates the use of the requested services for educational purposes in that school in a manner consistent with the criteria and standards outlined in Elements of a Technology Plan and Technology Plan Scope and Timeframe in Technology Planning. If an individual BIA school, or any other school or system serving Indian students, develops a technology plan that is not approved by BIA, USAC will consult with appropriate approvers to establish an alternative approval procedure.
Approval of State Library Agency and Library Plans
State Library Agencies may have their plans approved through several mechanisms. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has approved a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Plan for every state. These plans are similar in purpose and scope to EETT plans for SEAs, and they constitute approved technology plans for the purposes of the USF Schools and Libraries Program. Alternatively, a State Library Agency may choose to use a technology plan approved by an appropriate body within the state (e.g., the legislature, state department of telecommunications, state department of information technology, etc.). Since LSTA Plans, and many alternative state agency plans, cover a period of more than three years, USAC will ask the IMLS, or the state agencies, for a progress report under these plans during their third year.
State Library Agencies, in turn are the preferred approvers for the technology plans of library systems and libraries in their states. USAC will consult with State Library Agencies and will certify their approval process if they affirm the application of the criteria and standards outlined in Elements of a Technology Plan and Technology Plan Scope and Timeframe in Technology Planning.
9. Do I have to have my plan approved before I apply?
No. 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 formally certify on the FCC Form 486 that the technology plans on which they based their purchases were approved before they began to receive service.
10. How will USAC know that I have an approved plan?
In the Block 5 of the FCC Form 470 and Block 6 of the FCC Form 471, the applicant must indicate the current status of their technology plan. While the technology plan must be written at the time of filing of these forms, it does not have to be approved at this stage.
To indicate that the school or library is receiving or planning to receive services, the entity must file an FCC Form 486, and technology plan must be approved by the time the services start or the filing of the Form 486, whichever is earlier. The FCC Form 486 requires the applicant to certify that the plan approval has been obtained. The approving entity is required to provide the applicant with a Certification of Technology Plan approval or similar document. Applicants must retain and be prepared to provide USAC with a copy of this approval document.
11. Should I send my technology plan to USAC?
No. DO NOT SEND YOUR TECHNOLOGY PLAN TO USAC. Sending your plan to USAC will only delay your approval process. If you believe your state does not serve your type of school or library, call the Schools and Libraries Client Service Bureau toll-free at 1-888-203-8100.
12. Should I attach my technology plan to the Forms 470 or 471?
No. DO NOT ATTACH YOUR TECHNOLOGY PLAN TO FORM 470 OR 471. Your plan will be approved by local, regional or state level education or library organizations. There is no provision for plan approval through the Forms 470 and 471 application process. On those forms you must certify that you have or will have an approved plan, but you should not attach the plan to the forms. A copy of the technology plan and/or the plan approval document may be requested by USAC during the program integrity review process.
