Texas Technology Lending Grant

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) established the Technology Lending Grant, for local education agencies (LEAs), to implement technology lending programs, including loaning equipment necessary to access and use digital instructional materials.

The application is available and due Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, at 5 p.m.

The full application guidelines can be found here, but we also wanted to break out the details to make your application process as quick and seamless as possible. And make sure to have this “Five Steps to Great Ed Tech Grant Writing” blog handy as you start your application.

Program Purpose

Grants will be awarded to LEAs to purchase technology devices, which will then be loaned out to students to access digital instructional materials off campus. This grant also provides Internet access for students without Internet at home, helping to close the Homework Gap and ensure digital equity.

• Access for Students: Students have dedicated access to a personal technology device via a check-out program.
• Residential Internet Access for Students: Students who check-out personal technology devices may also need access to the Internet at their home and/or on school buses that transport students with an hour (or longer) ride.
• Insurance and Care of Equipment: LEAs must insure equipment where insurance is typically provided for such technology equipment, which can be paid for by this grant. The grant may not be used to replace lost, stolen, or damaged equipment.

LEA Eligibility

LEAs applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for the grant:

• Must have an enrollment of at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students, which can be determined by using the 2016–17 Texas Academic Performance Report.
• Must have a Technology Plan on file with TEA for the 2016-2017 school year or show evidence of a current local technology plan.

Application Questions

Before you start going through the application, review these grant writing tips or our blog on five steps to great ed tech grant writing.

Applicants must describe the following in their application:

1.  How the technology lending program aligns with the existing mission and goals of the LEA.
2. A plan for providing Internet access to student residences, residential centers, and/or on buses that transport students for whom a single ride lasts, on average, at least an hour for students with the highest need for off-campus Internet access.
3. How the lending program aligns with current curriculum, instruction, and classroom management policies and/or practices on its participating campus(es).
4. How they use digital instructional materials in one or more foundation curriculum subject area(s) for one or more grade level(s).
5. How infrastructure and technical support is adequate to support students’ anticipated use of devices provided through the grant at its participating campus(es).
6. How the grant will be administered on participating campus(es), including a description of how the check-out and check-in process will operate, who will oversee the check-out process, especially in cases of competing need, and the process that will be used to maintain the technology lending equipment in proper working condition.
7. Accounting for the technology lending equipment per local policy, including providing insurance, if appropriate.

Use of Funds

The part everyone is waiting for. Here is the list of allowable activities for the grant:

• Purchase technology devices that provide access to digital instructional materials for students.
• Maintenance of purchased equipment.
• Insurance of purchased equipment.
• Internet access at home or on school buses. It may include installation and monthly service for students, particularly economically-disadvantaged students.

Performance Measures

For those who win the grant, they must collect data and report on the following performance measures in regards to the technology lending program:

• Ratio (i.e. 1:1) of technology devices to students needing devices.
• Number and names of courses using digital instructional materials.
• Titles of digital instructional materials used.

Other data includes the number and percent of:

• Students who checked out a device by grade level.
• Eligible economically disadvantaged students participating in the program and who had Internet access installed in their residencies.
• Teachers who leveraged digital instructional materials for students.
• Online courses taken.
• Students who demonstrate proficiency on the TEKS for their grade level at the beginning and end of the grant period.
• Students who showed an increase in attendance.
• Students who showed an increase in academic achievement in the 2018-2019 school year in comparison with the 2017-2018 school year.

Internet Access Outside of the Classroom

The goal of the Technology Lending Grant is to ensure all students have equal access, whether it’s devices, Internet, or both. Kajeet Education Broadband™ provides safe, CIPA-compliant Internet access for students outside the classroom.

Connect your students at home with the Kajeet SmartSpot® or on the school bus with the Kajeet SmartBus™. Plus our innovative cloud portal, Sentinel®, provides reporting and analytics on student usage – perfect for required performance measures. The dashboard is made for a device check-out program, so you can keep track of what hotspots are checked out, by whom, and for how long.

Do you have questions about how Kajeet can fit into your grant application? Contact us today and we’d love to help.