Technology Planning Requirement
Beginning in FY 2011, technology plans are required of applicants that intend to purchase Priority 2 internal connections or basic maintenance of internal connections. Technology plans are no longer a prerequisite for applicants to receive E-rate discounts on Priority 1 telecommunications and Internet access service. These rules lessen the technology plan requirements for E-rate. Individual states, however, may continue to require technology plans to address your use of telecommunications and Internet access services. Also, other federal and/or state programs may still require technology plans. This is currently under review.
Timing of Writing Your Technology Plan:
• If your technology plan covers any portion of the twelve (12) months of the upcoming funding year, you may rely on your existing plan for posting your Form 470 for Priority 2 services and equipment.
• If your existing technology plan expires prior to the start of the upcoming funding year, your new plan which covers all twelve (12) months of the upcoming funding year must be written before you may post a Form 470 for Priority 2 services and equipment for the upcoming year. For example, if your plan expires on June 30, 2011, your new plan which includes the period July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012 must be written before you post a Form 470 for Priority 2 services and equipment in the fall/winter of 2010, for FY 2011.
• The “written” technology plan requirement means that the plan must cover four core requirements itemized below and must include references to all Priority 2 E-rate services and equipment that you intend to include on your Form 471 application. The plan does not have to be finalized by the date that you post your Form 470 but it must contain the four required elements.
• Keep documentation to confirm your technology plan was written on or before the date you post a Form 470 for Priority 2 services and equipment. SLD may ask for this documentation during the PIA process or later when an applicant submits a form 486, and certifies an approved technology plan is in place.
Core Requirements of E-rate Technology Plans
1. The plan must establish clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information technology to improve education or library services;
2. 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;
3. 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; and
4. The plan must include an 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 as they arise.
New for FY 2011: Applicants are no longer required to itemize their technology budget in their technology plan for E-rate purposes. (States are reviewing whether to continue requiring this information under state rules). Nevertheless, applicants still need to develop budget information, since the Form 471 requires applicants to specify how much they have budgeted for technology resources not paid by E-rate to make effective use of E-rate discounts.
Approval Process
The SLD requires independent approval of an applicant’s technology plan in order to participate in the E-rate program. The plan must be approved by the time that the services begin (usually July 1). Then when you submit the 486, you will name the SLD-certified entity that approved the tech plan. Be sure to retain your documentation of approval of your technology plan as SLD may ask for this proof during a Form 486 tech plan review.
The SLD website contains a search tool that shows which entities are approved by the SLD to approve applicant technology plans: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/tech/default.asp