The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced what is required of states as they apply for their share of the new $700 million educational technology block-grant program—and many state ed-tech directors who spoke with eSchool News said aligning their state technology plans to conform with the new rules will pose a challenge.

The grant program—called Enhancing Education Through Technology, or "Ed Tech" for short—was created after Congress combined several existing school technology programs, including the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund and Technology Innovation Challenge Grants, under the newly reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Ed Tech is a state-administered block grant program funded at $700.5 million in 2002. According to the grant's newly-issued rules, the money must be used to improve student achievement through the use of technology in both elementary and secondary schools. Students must become "technology literate" by grade eight, and teachers must be able to integrate technology into their curriculum to benefit students.

"Our mission should be about the quality of education, not the quantity of computers. We must focus on how we use technology to get results. And that's what this program is designed to do," said Education Secretary Rod Paige.

State officials applying for these funds separately can download an application from ED's web site now.

States also have the option of submitting a single, consolidated application that encompasses all federal education programs, and nearly all state ed-tech directors who spoke with eSchool News said they were taking this approach. The consolidated application is not expected to be available until later this month.

The applications must describe:

• Goals for using advanced technology to improve student academic achievement, and how those goals are aligned with state academic standards.
• Long-term strategies for improving student academic achievement through the effective use of technology in classrooms.
• How the state will ensure that technology will be fully integrated into the curricula and instruction of the schools by Dec. 31, 2006.
• How the state plans to address teacher preparation, professional development, and curriculum development to ensure that teachers and principals in the state are technologically literate.
• The strategies the state will use to encourage the use of distance learning for the rigorous academic courses.
• The steps the state will take to ensure that all students and teachers, particularly those in high-need schools, have increased access to technology.

To accommodate states that might need funding immediately to maintain services as they make the transition from their old programs to the new program, ED will award about $150,000 per state immediately. Once applications for FY 2002 have been approved, the remaining funds will be distributed.