Â鶹¹ÙÍø

There are a variety of resources -- national, state, and local -- that can assist districtsÌýinÌýenhancingÌýInternet connectivity and meetingÌýthe Federal Communications Commission (FCC)ÌýcurrentÌýÌýof 100ÌýMbpsÌýper 1000 students increasing to the goalÌýofÌý1ÌýGbpsÌýper 1000 students.ÌýThese resources are both financial and technical.ÌýÌý

• °Õ³ó±ðÌýSmart Schools Bond Act,Ìýapproved by New York State voters in 2014, authorized the issuance of $2 billion of general obligation bonds to finance improved educational technology and infrastructure toÌýenhanceÌýlearning and opportunity for students throughout the State.ÌýIt providesÌýfunding for district technology and community connectivity projects.
• E-RateÌýprovides eligible schools and libraries with discounts on telecommunication and Internet access equipment. New York State’s 2017 funding allocation is almost $31 million.
• The Ed TechÌýFunding MatrixÌýof Office of Educational Design and Technology of Â鶹¹ÙÍø has additional possible funding sources for districts.
• Ìýprovide a wide range of technologyÌýservices to school districts.ÌýThere are 12ÌýRICsÌýin New York state, which are organized under the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). By regionalizingÌýservices, the RICs make a wideÌýrange of technology services available to school districts.Ìý
• The 37ÌýÌýprovide many services to their constituent districtsÌýthatÌýtheÌýdistricts mightÌýnot be able to otherwise afford, including professional development and instructional technology.
• (BPO)Ìýis working to ensureÌýuniversal broadband deploymentÌýthroughout New York State.ÌýIt is administeringÌýa $500 million grant program to deliver high-speed Internet access to unserved and underserved areas of the State. The goal of this multi-year program, is to provide statewide broadband access by the end of 2018.Ìý
• is a K-12 school infrastructure guide produced by the Office of Educational Technology of the US Department of Education. It is designed to provide practical, actionable information to help school and district leaders navigate the many decisions required to build a technology infrastructure that supports digital learning. Ìý
• , a nonprofit national organization, provides a variety of technical assistance to districts so they can upgradeÌýInternet access inÌýallÌýtheir classrooms.Ìý