May 2003 — Special Feature

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10 Technology Funding Sources in NCLB

By Charles Blaschke

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  • Leveraging, tracking and reporting "flexible" transfer of funds. Under NCLB, up to 50% of funds in any title (with the exception of Title I and 21st Century Community Learning Centers) may be transferred into other programs. While this provision offers increased flexibility at the district level in terms of reallocating funds to high-need areas, the transfer of such funds must be tracked and reported to the states in a similar manner. This would be very difficult to do without a technology-based system.

    In addition, NCLB implementation creates a demand for certain types of technology applications in formula programs such as Title I. While Title I has a $2 billion increase for this school year, we estimate that an additional $1 billion will be transferred from programs such as Title II, Part A's "teacher quality," and Title IV's "drug-free communities" into Title I, in many cases to create or expand Title I schoolwide programs. By transferring such funds into schoolwide programs, which do not have to report how they are spent, a critical mass of funding could be used to purchase comprehensive technology-based solutions that can serve all students in such schools.

  • Leveraging IDEA. IDEA funds, which have increased much more dramatically than Title I in the past and will continue to do so in the future, can be used to purchase certain types of technology applications that also can serve non-special education students under certain conditions. Under IDEA's Section 613 "incidental use" provision, programs that are purchased using IDEA funds can be used by non-special education students if:

    • The cost is the same regardless of the number of students who use the software;
    • No special education student is denied access to the instructional program; and
    • Wear-and-tear costs are about the same regardless of the number of students using the software.

    Hence, if software were priced on a schoolwide license basis, and not on a per-pupil license basis, IDEA funds could purchase and use the software in the above manner.

    Charles Blaschke is president and founder of Education TURNKEY Systems, Inc. (www.edturnkey.com).

    Cite this Site

    Charles Blaschke, "10 Technology Funding Sources in NCLB," T.H.E. Journal, 5/1/2003, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/16369

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