1. The Nevada Ready 21 Technology Program is hereby created for the purposes of:

(a) Providing each pupil and teacher at a public school which participates in the Program with 24-hour access to their own personal, portable technology device connected wirelessly to the Internet;

(b) Improving pupil outcomes through the use of digital teaching and learning technology, including, without limitation:

(1) Improving the extent to which pupils are engaged in classroom activity;

(2) Improving the attendance rate of pupils;

(3) Improving the graduation rate of pupils;

(4) Reducing the number of behavioral incidents in a classroom;

(5) Facilitating the application of material taught in the classroom to the real world; and

(6) Differentiating classroom instruction;

(c) Providing high-quality professional development for teachers to improve pupil outcomes through the use of digital teaching and learning technology;

(d) Effectively integrating technologies with teaching and learning; and

(e) Increasing the percentage of pupils who are career and workforce ready.

2. The Commission shall administer the Program.

3. In administering the Program, the Commission shall establish procedures by which the board of trustees of a school district, the governing body of a charter school or the governing body of a university school for profoundly gifted pupils may apply to the Commission for a grant of money. An application for a grant must:

(a) Set forth a plan that includes:

(1) Measures designed to ensure that the school district, charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils submitting the application will apply best practices to the use of technology devices;

(2) Specific learning goals; and

(3) A method for measuring progress toward achieving those goals; and

(b) Provide a description of:

(1) The cost of purchasing the portable technology devices, the cost of professional development and any additional associated expenses of the school district, charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to carry out the Program;

(2) The amount of money sought; and

(3) How the school district, charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils will pay for the difference between subparagraphs (1) and (2), if a difference exists.

4. To the extent that money is available, the Commission shall designate the amount of money that will be provided for each person intended to be served by any grant awarded by the Commission. The Commission shall review all applications submitted pursuant to subsection 3 and award a grant to the board of trustees of a school district, the governing body of a charter school or the governing body of a university school for profoundly gifted pupils in an amount determined by multiplying such an amount designated by the number of persons identified by the recipient of the grant to be served by the grant. The Commission may establish by regulation the criteria it will consider in determining whether to award a grant but shall not give preference in the awarding of a grant to an applicant solely on the basis of the vendor that the applicant intends to use pursuant to the grant.

5. The Commission shall, in consultation with each school district, establish standards and methods for measuring progress in the level of academic achievement and other areas identified by the Commission for pupils enrolled at public schools that are awarded a grant of money pursuant to subsection 4.

(Added to NRS by 2017, 4174)