THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION AND EARLY LEARNING
Marybeth Casey, Assistant Commissioner
Room 319 EB
Phone: (518) 474-5922
To:
Superintendents of Public Schools
From:
Marybeth Casey
Subject:
Extension of District Instructional Technology Plan Approval
Date:
November 19, 2020
Per Part 100.12 of Commissioner’s Regulations, all New York State public school districts are required to develop and maintain district instructional technology plans (DITPs). DITPs must cover three school years, and key components of the plans must be submitted to NYSED for approval every three years. All public school districts are in Year 3 of the current DITP cycle, which was set to end June 30, 2021.
The closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent shift by most districts to some form of remote or hybrid learning in the 2020-21 school year, has put a focus on the need for thorough, intentional planning for and investment in instructional technology. Equity must be at the heart of all district decisions, and this includes digital equity. Districts must, to the extent practicable, address the need for students to have access to devices and internet access, both in school and in their places of residence.
NYSED is aware that current, unprecedented circumstances, such as fluctuating instructional delivery models, uncertainties in funding, and/or supply chain disruptions, are affecting many districts’ ability to create a comprehensive three-year instructional technology plan.
To provide districts with both regulatory relief and time to engage in thorough, comprehensive technology planning, NYSED is extending approval of all approved District Instructional Technology Plans by one year, to June 30, 2022.
New District Instructional Technology Plan surveys will now be due to the Department by June 30, 2022, and will cover school years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.
Please note that an approved DITP is required for any district seeking to use Smart School Bond Act funds, and the Department will continue to rely on information provided in the DITP surveys when reviewing Smart School Bond Act Investment Plans (SSIPs).
If a district wishes to update its DITP survey to ensure alignment with its SSIP, the district should reach out to the Office of Educational Design and Technology at EdTech@nysed.gov. Otherwise, updates to DITPs are not required for the 2021-22 school year.
For more information on District Instructional Technology Planning, please visit the Office of Educational Design and Technology website. If you have questions or concerns regarding the DITP approval extension or process, please contact the NYSED Office of Educational Design and Technology at EdTech@nysed.gov.
