¶«¾©ÈÈ

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 ¶«¾©ÈÈal Design and Technology of NYSED 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 ¶«¾©ÈÈal 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 ¶«¾©ÈÈal Technology of the US Department of ¶«¾©ÈÈ. 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