Core Requirement No. 1

The plan must establish clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information technology to improve education or library services.

The first requirement is the broadest and must set, in part, a framework for the four other more targeted requirements.  One recommendation to meeting this requirement is to start with a general mission or vision statement.  Several ideas for a school’s mission statement are included in Appendix 2.

Examples of specific school goals and implementing strategies are provided in Appendix 3.  Although the ideas and examples shown in these two appendices are school-related, most should be easily adapted for library plans.

Note that this strategic requirement refers to telecommunications services, not just information technology services.  More broadly, technology plans approved for E-rate purposes should cover all services included in an applicant’s E-rate application.

Core Requirement No. 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.

Staff development is an important portion of the technology plan. Key components of the development strategy might include:

• An assessment of current staff computer and networking skills and usage.
• An ongoing training program involving:
• In-service training
• Mentoring
• Off-site workshops
• Tuition support for professional courses
• Recognition and encouragement of professional technology certifications

(See, as one example, ISTE’s Foundation Standards available on the web)

See also the specific strategy examples shown for Goal 3 in Appendix 3.

Core Requirement No. 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.

In addition to an assessment of current staff development skills, addressed above, the plan should include an assessment (or inventory) of technology services and products that are currently being used and that are scheduled to be acquired within the planning timeframe.  A sample Technology Inventory Form that might be used for this assessment, and included in the technology plan, is provided in Appendix 4.