In 2016, Mike Morath, Commissioner of Education and Governor Greg Abbott established the Texas Classroom Connectivity Initiative to assist school districts and charter schools in improving connectivity in Texas public schools. This includes increasing access to broadband networking and expanding the use of Wi-Fi in classrooms across the state. One of the early goals of the initiative is the passage of legislation setting up a state matching fund to assist districts and charter schools seeking E-rate funding for fiber special construction costs. The TEA submitted to the 85th Texas Legislature an exceptional item that, if passed, will appropriate those funds in accordance with E-rate rules. Additionally, the initiative seeks to assist districts and charter schools in driving down the costs of internet bandwidth, as well as maximizing E-rate funding for both E-rate Category 1 and Category 2 services.
The Texas Classroom Connectivity – Bandwidth Update Survey consists of the linked Excel spreadsheet with a few targeted questions related to fiber and Wi-Fi at your campuses. This information will assist the TEA in understanding the changes that have occurred within your district/charter school since the completion of the 2015 Public School Network Capabilities Study. We ask that the person most knowledgeable about the network capabilities of the district/charter school complete this voluntary survey. If you are not the person who can answer the survey questions, please forward to the appropriate person. If you need assistance, please contact your Education Service Center (ESC) or the TEA Classroom Connectivity team.
Please email your completed survey spreadsheet to classroomconnectivity@tea.texas.gov. The survey response is due back by March 10, 2017. The results of the survey are a critical tool for the TEA to share key technology-related data with state decision makers. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact the Classroom Connectivity team at classroomconnectivity@tea.texas.gov or 512-475-4270.