D.C. Law 24-191. DCPS Digital Equity Act of 2022.
AN ACT
To require the development and submission of a comprehensive, multi-year student technology plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools and annual updates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "DCPS Digital Equity Act of 2022".
Sec. 2. Comprehensive Student Technology Equity Plan.
(a) The Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools ("DCPS") shall develop and maintain a Comprehensive Student Technology Equity Plan ("Plan") in accordance with
(b) The Plan shall:
(1) Articulate DCPS's vision and goals for ensuring that all DCPS students have:
(A) Digital literacy skills and access to technology in and outside the classroom sufficient to support their learning needs;
(B) Access to robust IT support; and
(C) Sufficient internet access to support in-school and assigned out-of-school learning.
(2) Articulate and clearly define the strategies to achieve the vision and goals identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection during each of the 3 years following the date of submission of the Plan to the Council;
(3) Include an assessment of the technology needs of each DCPS school, including, for each school:
(A) The number and condition of student and teacher devices and classroom technology;
(B) Dedicated resources for technology device and asset management;
(C) Quality of the Wi-Fi; and
(D) Technology training opportunities for school staff;
(4) Include a schedule and framework for refreshing the technology for all schools in order to maintain current (in-lifecycle) devices for teachers and students, classroom technology, and reliable school building internet infrastructure;
(5) Design an asset management system to maintain, support, and track the devices and software for students and teachers at each school level (elementary, middle, and high school), including staffing, funding, and training;
(6) Include an educational technology professional development plan to provide all teachers with baseline technology skills for instruction;
(7) Delineate the responsibilities of DCPS, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, DC Net, and the Department of General Services in the provision of technology support and services with clear lines of reporting, metrics, and performance standards;
(8) Provide multi-year detailed cost estimates for every component of the Plan, including hardware and software acquisition costs, the costs of service provision, and capital expenses;
(9) Include comprehensive privacy impact assessments of any third-party learning applications that schools use or any planned expansion of technology; and
(10) Include a section or chapter that explains how the Plan will meet additional technology needs for schools with a large number of at-risk students and schools located in areas with weak internet access.
(c) The Chancellor shall submit the Plan to the Mayor and Council no later than March 31, 2023. Thereafter, the Plan shall be updated annually as of January 31 of each year in coordination with the Mayor's proposed budget submission to Council, and always with a 3year horizon.
(d) In developing the Plan, the Chancellor shall utilize a process that:
(1) Includes both internal (DCPS) and external education technology experts, including, but not limited to the District's Chief Technology Officer;
(2) Prioritizes stakeholder engagement, including DCPS parents and DCPS teachers; and
(3) Incorporates feedback from an advisory committee comprised of internal (DCPS) and external individuals.
(e) In developing the Plan, as well as the annual updates, the Chancellor shall submit a draft plan to the Council for review and comment no less than 2 months in advance of the final submission date.
(f) Following the submission of the first Plan to the Council, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor will conduct a review of the Plan to assess whether it meets the requirements of
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
Sec. 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.
