Technology Planning Requirement

In order to participate in the E-rate program, applicants must have an independently approved 3-year technology plan, and must cite the approving entity’s name on the Form 486.  The only exception to this rule is for entities only applying for basic local or long distance services.

According to the SLD, “An approved technology plan should establish explicit connections between the proposed physical infrastructure of the information technology and professional development strategies that will lead to specific curriculum reforms or library service improvements. A carefully developed technology plan will also help to ensure that you have secured the resources you need to make effective use of your telecommunications services and Internet access, including: computers and peripheral equipment, staff training, software, and a budget for operating costs and maintenance. And finally, a thorough technology plan will include an evaluation process to help you monitor progress toward your established goals.”

Note: The SLD is getting much more stringent regarding technology planning. In the previous three years, the Program Integrity Assurance staff (PIA) conducted ‘Item 25 Reviews’ of many applicants, during which schools and libraries were required to show how the services or items requested on the E-rate applications were addressed in the applicant’s technology plan.

Core Requirements

The SLD basically requires the following 5 minimum criteria be contained in a technology plan:

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;
4. The plan must provide for 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
5. 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.

Approval Process

The SLD requires independent approval of an applicant’s technology plan in order to participate in the E-rate program. A plan covering all 12 months of the upcoming funding year, should be written before the Form 470 is submitted, although the plan does not need to be approved. 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.

There are several entities that have been certified by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) to approve Pennsylvania’s schools’ and libraries’ technology plans. 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

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