Status of Infrastructure Awards

CSDE received one hundred and twelve proposals requesting almost $12,000,000; substantially more than the $5,000,000 that the Bond Commission has allocated for this year. The attached list (click on it to increase the size) represents the list of projected awardees. Although official award letters cannot be sent out until such time as the Bond Commission releases the $5M, letters indicating the projected awards will be mailed out before the end of this week. (The next meeting of the Bond Commission is scheduled for January 27, 2006.)

CSDE is indebted to the thirty-seven readers who gave of their time and expertise to read, discuss and score the proposals that were submitted. I would also like to give special thanks to Assistant Superintendent Tim Howes from East Windsor for his help developing the database that housed the summative evaluations of the proposals.

If you would like a copy of your proposal’s summative evaluation please send an e-mail to arthur.skerker@po.state.ct.us

Online Writing Assessment Awardees

Congratulations to East Haven Public Schools, Bristol Public Schools, New Fairfield School District, Glastonbury Public Schools, Windsor Public Schools, Killingly Public Schools and Stonington Public Schools; official award letters are on their way!

Fifty-two proposals were submitted for this grant opportunity. Special thanks to the thirty-seven readers who had the difficult task of scoring these rfp's. The readers indicated that there were many wonderful applications...they would have liked to fund many more than the $500,000 would allow.

If you would like a copy of the summative evaluation of your district’s proposal, send a request to arthur.skerker@po.state.ct.us.

Let's Keep up the Pressure...

Over 7,300 emails to Congress in the past weeks opposing major education technology cuts in the FY06 education appropriations bill.

Today, your efforts have paid off! This afternoon, the House of Representatives rejected, by a vote of 224 to 209, the conference report on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill, which would have slashed the Enhancing Education Through Technology program to $275 million, which represents a 45% cut over last year. Without further action on this legislation this week, EETT and all education programs will operate for the next month under a Continuing Resolution, which funds EETT at $300 million.

This action in the House gives us a second chance to press Congress for more education technology funding. Let's use it. Please call and email your Senators and Representatives and tell them to use the opportunity provided by this dramatic vote to increase EETT funding to at least last year's $496 million level.

One More Week to Tell Congress to Fund Ed Tech!

Congress and the Administration are in the process of finalizing how much money to devote to EETT for FY 06. The EETT program provides states and school districts with funds to purchase hardware and software, engage in professional development, develop database systems, operate online assessments, and conduct outreach to parents. Nearly 25% of states rely on EETT as their sole source of education technology funding. Last year, the program received an appropriation of $496 million.
At the beginning of this year, the Administration proposed in its FY 06 budget proposal to eliminate EETT entirely. The full House and the Senate Appropriations Committees disagreed with the Administration's position, proposing to fund EETT at $300 million and $425 million, respectively. Since Congress failed to approve final funding figures for all education programs by the end of the 2005 Fiscal Year (September 30), EETT has been operating under a temporary funding measure, known as a Continuing Resolution, which funds EETT until November 18th at the House's $300 million funding level.
The disaster wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has thrown the entire FY06 Appropriations process into further tumult. A number of Congressional members are seeking to pay for the federal costs of reconstruction by cutting FY06 funding for all programs from 2% to 5% and eliminating some programs entirely. If either option is adopted, EETT could receive funding even less than the House's $300 million figure, which already represents a substantial cut from FY05 levels.
CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TODAY AND TELL THEM TO FUND EETT!