The Technology Plan interface for the 2008-09 funding
year opened on July 1.
Be sure to read the USAC Technology Plan guidelines at http://www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step02/
Please note that the online interface has been changed
slightly.
1. The
Inventory section has been modified to include separate counts for
instructional and administrative computers.
2. To
assure authorized access to modify or create a Plan, access to the Administrative
site now requires a login and password.
To complete (create) your Tech Plan for E-rate FY 2009,
go to http://edweblab.unl.edu/retc and log in with your Co-Dist number (including the
hyphen) and password. If you cannot find or do not remember your password
please contact SuAnn Witt at suann.witt@nebraska.gov.
After logging in to your account, you will be given the
choice to "Edit Existing Tech Plan" or “Create a New Tech
Plan." Click on "Create a New Tech Plan." You will
now be presented with two options when creating a new Tech Plan; one (Option I)
will be to select a Tech Plan (probably the previous year) from which to
transfer contact information and School Improvement Goals and Strategies; two
(Option II) will be to “Create a New Empty Tech Plan”. More than likely,
most will want to choose Option I, and transfer information from the FY2008
plan. You will then be asked to "Select Year for Plan:" that
you are creating (this will, of course, be FY 2009). It will then confirm
that the new Plan has been created.
Update the contact information and School Improvement
Goals and Strategies as needed. Also, you will need to enter technology
inventory and budget information for FY 2009. The budget information, of
course, will be estimates.
When you have finished editing the 2009 Tech Plan, click
on the Notification section, click the appropriate responses, and then click
the "Submit" button. If the Tech Plan is, indeed, complete you
will receive a certification notice and Certification Number within 5-7
days. PRINT THIS CERTIFICATION NUMBER NOTICE EMAIL and put it in your new
FY 2008 E-rate file folder. You do have a file folder for each E-rate
year, right? This is very important if you are ever audited in the
future. As a backup, a PDF version of this document is also archived on the Tech
Plan Certification System server.
Prepare for next year (FY:2010): The Technology
Plan tool is proving to be a valuable resource for Curriculum and IT in
providing strategic planning and supporting data. Expect additional
changes to the Technology Plan next year that will provide elements required
for E-rate as well as other Federal programs such as Title II-D, and assessment
data on the mastery of use of technology by students, staff, and
administrators.
Anyone who wishes to receive updates on Technology plan
developments and the E-rate program are encouraged to register with the
NE-ERATE listserv on the Nebraska Library Commission website at: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/libdev/erate/eratelist.html