Week 5 - Budget and Policy Considerations for a Technology Integration Plan

Pittsburg Unified School District prioritizes access to the internet and devices and is committed to equity of access. They have upgraded the networks at school and are also investing in wifi on school buses so that students can complete work on the way to or from school. They have also invested in internet hotspots that can be loaned out if students need access to the internet at home. Each student can check out a Chromebook from the school library for the year, so we have 1-1 device access.

The way that technology is used is also important. Crossland, Gray and Reynold (2018) address this in a publication about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) regarding closing the digital accessibility gap. They talk about the importance of considering access when schools use technology and point out that this access is also a requirement of existing disability legislation. They point out that technology can help address gaps in education and provide more flexible, individualized learning. They recommend using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to design lessons and ensure that all staff are familiar with these ideas and are aware they should consider them. (Crossland et al., 2018). As a Special Education Teacher, I particularly value how technology makes learning accessible to students with learning disabilities, or just learning difficulties in general. Students who have a hard time visualizing models in their head particularly benefit from access to simulations to see how things work, particularly in math and science. Students who struggle to graph manually can investigate what happens with different inputs to a function in a graphing calculator or app such as Desmos. Students who struggle with reading can have the computer read aloud to them. If they struggle with spelling, the spell checker can help them. Voice type is another valuable tool, and text summarizing tools or AI can change the reading level of material to make it more accessible to students with a lower reading level. This equity of access is an important consideration for a Technology Integration Plan addressing technology use.

When looking at how to fund a Technology Integration Plan to address technology use, where most of the cost will be for teacher training and collaboration, it would make sense to consider using Title IV-A funds. This includes a block grant called the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, and one of the purposes of this grant is to improve the use of technology (only a limited amount may be used on purchasing hardware). In their 2020 publication about using ESSA to fund Ed. Tech, ISTE recommend focusing on this application of the Title EV-A funds. They specifically call on districts to apply for these funds to support professional development in the area of education technology use (ISTE, 2020). The first step towards being able to access those funds would be to identify the TITLE IV-A coordinator in the district and arrange a meeting to discuss this. 

The second interim budget (current published draft budget) for Pittsburg Unified School District includes $3,000,000 for the upcoming school year to replace Chromebooks, which have a five-year lifespan. This is up from $1,000,000,000 in the current school year's budget. Other technology costs are not separated out in the published budgets. The District LCAP document for the current school year (Local Control Accountability Plan) also specifies $178,000 for technology and accessibility to support English Learners, Foster Youth, and Low-Income students. This is up from $100,000 the previous year. As far as I can tell, the district's technology budget is mostly spent on hardware and tech. support, and very little is allocated to technology use or training teachers in technology use, although they do pay for some software, such as GoGuardian, which is software to help teachers monitor and guide students' computer use. My Technology Integration Plan would advocate for giving technology use a higher priority so that the money invested in the hardware is not wasted and can benefit the students as intended. Existing school site funds and money set aside for professional development and collaboration may also be applied, and if the district sees this as beneficial, they may use more funds to support this effort in the future.


REFERENCES

Crossland, A., Gray, T., and Reynold, J. (2018). ESSA and digital learning: Closing the digital accessibility gap. American Institute for Research.

ISTE. (2020). Using ESSA to fund Edtech: Getting the most out of the Title IV-A.

Pittsburg Unified School District Interim Budget (March 2025) https://pittsburgusd.net/Departments/Business-Services/Business-Services-Home/Budget-Information/index.html

Pittsburg Unified School District LCAP Funding Report
https://pittsburgusd.net/Departments/Educational-Services/Educational-Services-Home/LCFFLCAP/

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Comments

  1. Haylee CannonApril 17, 2025 at 8:59 AM

    Joanne, I so enjoyed reading your post. The budget considerations were a bit trickier for me to wrap my head around simply because it's a new concept compared to my everyday world of teaching English. You do a great job explaining how your district's budget is broken down and focused on different things. Reading your post was quite helpful to me as I continue to draft my budget section of my Technology Integration Plan. I look forward to watching your plan come to life!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Trecia GeniusApril 19, 2025 at 11:29 AM

    The proposed funding will effectively support your technology integration plan and emphasize the importance of prioritizing technology.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lauren RossApril 20, 2025 at 8:46 PM

    Joanne,
    You do great job highlighting both the infrastructure and instructional aspects of technology integration. I especially appreciated your emphasis on Universal Design for Learning and how specific tools support accessibility. Your perspective as a Special Education teacher brings so much value. Your funding suggestions are thoughtful and actionable, especially the focus on Title IV.

    ReplyDelete

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