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​The fiscal year 2023 Digital Equity Formula Grant application is now available in the electronic Grants Management System through the ISBE Web Application Security (IWAS) system.

All eligible applicants must create and submit an application through the IWAS system. Once you are in the system, create your application by clicking on the "Digital Equity Formula" under Active Grants selecting "Year: 2023" and choosing "Create Application." Some grants display a "Yes" checkbox that must be selected before the "Create Application" button appears.  Please note that this particular grant has its own name - "Digital Equity Formula" and cannot be accessed from the Elementary and Secondary Relief - Digital Equity Formula grant page.

Allocations: Allocations are preliminary and are based on the final FY 2023 allocations and the FY 2023 ISBE proposed budget. This grant is contingent upon and subject to the availability of funds. The state, at its sole option, may terminate or suspend this grant, in whole or in part, without penalty or further payment being required, if the Illinois General Assembly or the federal funding source fails to make an appropriation sufficient to pay such obligation or if funds needed are insufficient for any reason (30 ILCS 500/20-60). In the event the final appropriation is insufficient to accommodate the preliminary allocation level, a budget amendment will be required. Allocations may be accessed on the ISBE web page.

Due Date:  Please complete and submit your application by June 30, 2023 to receive a July 1, 2022 start date.

Technology Survey Prerequisite Requirement: An FY 2023 Technology Survey must be completed prior to approval of the grant application by ISBE. The survey can be accessed here. This link can also confirm your survey submission status.

Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Requirements: Applicants must ensure that all Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requirements are met before any FY 2023 state or federal grant application is fully executed. Applicants must complete prequalification registration in the GATA portal and complete a Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment via an Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ). Access the GATA portal. 

Please note: A combination of the results of the aforementioned risk assessments will generate the Programmatic Risk Conditions in each grant. Grant awards will not be executed until the FY 2023 ICQ, Organizational Risk Assessment, and Programmatic Risk Assessment are completed. Please make sure that approval groups are properly assigned through IWAS in order to access the system and submit your application.

Technical assistance pertaining to items not covered by the instructions link in IWAS may be obtained by contacting your program consultant, Erich Grauke, at egrauke@isbe.net.​

• 4998-D4 Allocations​
  

​Eligible Applicants: 
Illinois Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are LEA’s and have an EBF Final Percent of Adequacy level of 70% or lower are eligible to apply.  

Program Purpose: 
The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary Relief – Digital Equity formula grant is to assist school districts in closing the Digital Divide and enabling digital-age teaching and learning. School districts may use funds to provide students with technology tools and home internet access necessary for technology-rich remote learning experiences.  

Program Description: 
Equitable access to technology devices and internet connectivity is one of the foundational components upon which today’s schools create enhanced and empowered digital learning experiences. In order for digital learning opportunities to continue beyond the school, especially in the event of e-learning or remote learning, students must have access to technology and reliable internet access at home.  

The Elementary and Secondary Relief – Digital Equity formula grant is a one-time grant opportunity that utilizes Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to assist districts in reducing barriers to the continuity of education by addressing the technology and home connectivity needs.   

Grant funds will be awarded based on the criteria as identified in the grant application. Grant application questions will assess device needs, the availability of home access for students, and the way in which additional funds will complement the district’s existing technology plan. In addition, the application will ask districts how they are supporting all students, including but not limited to students with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-income families.   

Applicants can request funding for computing devices, home internet connection devices, or both.  For applicants applying for only one of the two funding priorities, provide evidence via the technology survey and in the narrative section of the application that all students have equitable access to devices or internet connectivity – whichever one the district is not applying for funding. 

​Pre-Application Requirement: 
Applicants must complete the Illinois School District Technology Survey. All surveys will be evaluated by the Learning Technology Center, and all surveys responses must be approved by the Learning Technology Center prior to submitting the grant application.  

If the district does not have a policy on damaged or stolen items, the district needs to develop/adopt one as it is a federal requirement. 

• Technology Survey Worksheet​
  
• FY21 Digital Equity Allocations
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)​​
  
• Funding Opportunities Page
• IWAS Access
• IWAS Guide
  
• IWAS Training Video​
  

​Eligible Applicants:
Illinois public school districts, state-authorized charter schools, and Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) are eligible to apply. Priority points will be given to those applicants that are furthest away from 100% or more Final Percent of Adequacy as listed on the fiscal year 2020 Full FY 2020 Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Calculation spreadsheet at the link: isbe.net/ebfdist

Program Purpose:
The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary Relief – Digital Professional Learning NOFO/RFP is to assist school districts in enabling digital-age teaching and learning. School districts may use funds to provide educators with professional learning opportunities that drive digital-age learning, integrate technology across subject areas, and develop digital citizenship.

Program Description:
Equitable access to technology-enhanced instruction, curriculum, and assessments is one of the foundational components upon which today’s schools create enhanced and empowered digital learning experiences. Quality professional learning for educators and parents/caregivers on the meaningful use of technology is critical in effectively enabling digital learning.

The Elementary and Secondary Relief – Digital Professional Learning NOFO/RFP is a one-time grant opportunity that utilizes Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to assist districts in reducing barriers to the continuity of education by addressing professional learning needs related to digital remote learning.

Grant funds will be awarded based on the highest needs as identified in the grant application. Grant application questions will assess professional learning needs and the way in which additional funds will complement the district’s existing professional learning plan. In addition, the application will ask districts how they are supporting all students, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities, English Learners, and students from low-income families.

As part of the application process, applicants must complete the Illinois School District Technology Survey prior to the submission of the application.

Application Deadline:
Applications for the Elementary and Secondary Relief – Digital Professional Learning Grant are due no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2020

Pre-Application Requirement: 
Applicants must complete the Illinois School District Technology Survey. All surveys will be evaluated by the Learning Technology Center, and all surveys responses must be approved by the Learning Technology Center prior to submitting the grant application.

• Submit survey by deadline of August 28, 2020 
• On the 2nd page of the survey, mark that the survey is being completed as part of an ISBE grant application in order to initiate the review process. 
• Review will take up to two weeks. The purpose of the approval process is to identify and resolve inconsistencies or questions related to technical details prior to grant application submission. 
• Applicants will be notified upon approval. If not approved, applicants will be contacted to schedule a review call.  
• If needed, consult with the Learning Technology Center in the completion of the inventory, grant application, or related district technology planning process.  
• Applicants who have completed a survey for the Digital Equity RFP application do not need to submit this survey again.
  

If the district does not have a policy on damaged or stolen items, the district needs to develop/adopt one as it is a federal requirement. 

• Technology Survey Worksheet​​
  

Technical Assistance Webinar:
A technical assistance session was held on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:30am. This technical assistance session covered eligibility requirements and application procedures.​

• Technical Assistance Webinar Presentation​
  
• ​Technical Assistance Webinar Recording
  
• Digital Professional Learning RFP​
  
• Funding Opportunities Page
• IWAS Access
• IWAS Guide
  
• IWAS Training Video​​
  

105 ILCS 85/27(e) states that "Each school must implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices that otherwise meet or exceed industry standards designed to protect covered information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure. Any written agreement under which the disclosure of covered information between the school and a third party takes place must include a provision requiring the entity to whom the covered information is disclosed to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices that otherwise meet or exceed industry standards designed to protect covered information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure. The State Board must make available on its website a guidance document for schools pertaining to reasonable security procedures and practices under this subsection."

The Learning Technology Center of Illinois (LTC) has developed a list of security best practices, based on the ​CIS Controls, a prioritized set of actions that collectively form a set of best practices that mitigate the most common attacks against systems and networks. ISBE endorses these set of best practices as the reasonable security practices all districts should adopt.​​

The School Technology Revolving Loan Program (STRLP) is a 3 year loan with 1.87​ percent interest rate. Since the inception of the program in fiscal year 1999, over $87 million has been loaned to qualified or approved school districts. Loan applications are received from June 1 until December 1 each year. Decisions on loans can be made in September/October, December, March and/or May of each year, depending on the number of applicants and available funding.

In fiscal year 2024, districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools recognized pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 425 (Voluntary Registration and Recognition of Nonpublic Schools) housing kindergarten through 8th grades are eligible to apply. In FY 2025, the loan will be extended to qualifying districts serving 9th through 12th grades. The loan will continue to cycle in that manner. Loan payments are due twice a year -- on June 1 and Dec. 1, or on March 1 and Sept. 1. Loans receive a 15-day grace period. Any loan payment not received within those 15 days is charged a 5 percent penalty.

• FY 24 Loan Application (85-50A)
  
• FY 24 Loan Eligibility Listing
• FY 24 Expenditure Report​
• FY 23 Loan Application (85-50A)
• FY 23 Loan Eligibility Listing
• ​FY 23 Expenditure Report​
• FY 22 Loan Application (85-50A)
  
• FY 22 Loan Eligibility Listing
  
• FY ​22 Expenditure Report​​
  
• FY 21 Loan Application (85-50A)​
  
• FY 20 Loan Application (85-50A)
  
• FY 20 Loan Eligibility Listing
• FY 19 Expenditure Report ​
  
• FY 18 Expenditure Report
  
• FY 17 Expenditure Report
• STRLP Frequently Asked Questions
• Legislation (Public Act 093-0368)
• School Code Information (105 ILCS 5/2-3. 117a)​​
  
  

The publishers of SketchUp Pro have decided to discontinue offering licenses for their SketchUp Pro products through a grant.  All existing licenses for SketchUp Pro 2021 will work until July 1, 2022.

A free version of SketchUp​ that works within a web browser is available for any primary or secondary school that is signed up with either Google G Suite for Education or Microsoft Education.​​

Public Act 101-0516, the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) protects the privacy and security of student data and personal information collected by online applications, websites, and services when used for K-12 school purposes​. Effective July 1, 2021, school districts will be required by the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) to provide additional guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies, and that data is used for beneficial purposes only (105 ILCS 85).

• ​SOPPA Introduction Video
• Learning Technology Center Brief on SOPPA
• Learning Technology Center - Additional SOPPA Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions (LTC Resource)
• Recommended Reasonable Security Practices (LTC Resource)
• Illinois Student Privacy Alliance - Free management tool for implementing SOPPA​
  

For assistance in implementing provisions of SOPPA in your district, please contact the Illinois Learning Technology Center​.

Model Data Privacy Policy and Procedures

ISBE has adopted the following Illinois Association of School Board’s PRESS sample materials pursuant to 105 ILCS 85/28(e), amended by P.A. 101-516, as its model student data privacy policy and procedures:

• Policy 7:345, Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security
• Administrative procedure 7:345-AP, Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security
• Administrative procedure exhibits 7:345-AP, E1, Student Covered Information Reporting Form, 7:345-AP, E2, Notice to Parents about Educational Technology Vendors, and 7:345-AP, E3, Parent Notification Letter for Student Data Breach, and 7:345-AP, E4, Notice of Parent Rights Regarding Covered Information​.
  
• 7:345-AP, E5, Parent Request Form for Student Covered Information
• 7:345-AP, E6, Parent Request for Correction of Student Covered Information

Any district that requests copies will receive them free, regardless of membership status. If you are a staff member in a district that subscribes to PRESS, please contact your own district superintendent to access these materials through your district's PRESS Online account. If your district DOES NOT subscribe to the IASB PRESS service, please email the Illinois Association of ​School Boards with the subject line of Student Data Privacy Policy Request and indicate in your email which of the materials listed above you are requesting.

The IASB email link provided is intended for use by districts who do not subscribe to PRESS.

IASB wishes to thank and acknowledge the IASB PRESS Advisory Board who reviewed the sample materials.​​​​