General/Background
- What is the Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program?
The Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program resulted from the $1.1 billion settlement of the antitrust claims of California consumers against Microsoft Corporation. A fund equal to two-thirds of the unclaimed and unredeemed portion of the $1.1 billion settlement (called the “cy pres” fund) will be allocated to eligible public K-12 schools in the form of vouchers to reimburse their purchases of qualifying computer technology products and services. Nearly $250 million in technology vouchers was already made available to eligible schools beginning in 2006. On November 15, 2010, another distribution of technology vouchers was announced. Substantial additional distributions of technology vouchers will be made during the upcoming months or years. The Districts have until September 25, 2013, to redeem these vouchers.
- How do schools apply for the program?
The application process for eligibility to receive vouchers under the initial distribution of cy pres funds began in September 2006 and concluded in June 2008. Schools that were deemed eligible for the initial distribution of vouchers will remain eligible for subsequent distributions. Schools that become eligible for vouchers after the initial distribution may receive vouchers by completing a simple form sent by the claims administrator.
- What is the California Department of Education (CDE) responsibility for this program?
The CDE is responsible for issuing the Request For Application (RFA), certifying voucher recipients based on criteria contained within the RFA, monitoring the program through end-of-program certification and site visitations, developing the process for determining how providers become "approved providers" for the Professional Development (PD) and Information Technology (IT) Support Services, and posting the approved Support Services providers on the CDE Web site.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Doris Stephen, Education Programs Consultant, Education Technology Office, by phone at 916-324-9943 or by e-mail at dstephen@cde.ca.gov.
The Settlement Claims Administrator (SCA), Rust Consulting who was selected by the Court, is responsible for issuing, processing, and redeeming vouchers submitted by certified voucher recipients.
For information on the voucher redemption process, visit the California Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program Web site
or by phone at the toll free number 800-419-5286 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST.
- Can I transfer my Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program vouchers to another district?
No. Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program vouchers cannot be transferred to any person or entity and cannot be transferred between districts. If your district is unable to make use of all of the vouchers allotted to it, please communicate that fact to the California Department of Education which will, per the settlement agreement, make recommendations to the Court on the proper disposition of unused vouchers.
- Do the vouchers fall under state or federal funding “supplement, not supplant” rules?
Yes, the vouchers may not supplant state or federal program funding.
For example, if a district submits receipts for voucher reimbursement of items (hardware/software) or services (professional development or technology support) purchased with funds from a federal program, either the items and services purchased with those federal funds must remain in and directly benefit the program or the reimbursed funds must be returned to the program for the duration of the settlement period.
- Do other state's cy pres Settlement Agreements under their Microsoft lawsuit affect California?
The cy pres Settlement Agreements in other states have no effect on California's cy pres program. Each state's cy pres program has unique and different requirements, such as which product and service purchases are eligible for reimbursement using the vouchers. Allowable and not allowable products and services lists, such as the one used in connection with the cy pres program in Minnesota, do not apply in California.
- Since the voucher reimbursement funds will not be coming from the State, how should this be set up in the district accounting system?
Districts should account for the voucher program revenues using Resource 9010, Other Local, with Object 8699, All Other Local Revenue. Current year qualifying expenditures should also be recorded to this resource.
Districts that receive revenues reimbursing qualifying expenditures incurred in prior fiscal years (over the six year redemption period of this program) should record those receipts as revenue in the current fiscal year, using Resource 9010 and revenue Object 8699. The district should then make a contribution from Resource 9010 to the resource where the qualifying expenditures were originally recorded. In no case should districts record revenues as abatements of current year or prior year expenditures.
Since revenue is not earned until qualifying expenditures are made, this program should be accounted for as subject to deferred revenue.
- Is the program competitive?
No, this is not a competitive program. All districts that successfully complete the application and meet the eligibility criteria will be funded.
- Is completion of the RFA application staff and/or time intensive?
The RFA is very simple and intentionally designed to take only about 15 minutes to complete. The sole narrative requirement is a two-paragraph statement describing how the vouchers will be utilized to support the implementation of a District's State-approved Technology Plan or, in the case of State Special Schools, Direct-Funded Charters, and County Offices of Education, the requirement is a two-paragraph statement describing how the vouchers will be utilized to support the implementation of their technology plan or other planning document as required and cited in the narrative.
- Can a county office of education complete and submit the application for a consortium of school districts?No, school districts in which potentially Eligible Schools are located will be required to apply on behalf of such potentially Eligible Schools for the General Purpose Vouchers and Specific Category Software Vouchers made available in this cy pres program. Districts may choose to ask for assistance from their county office in developing and submitting their application, but each district's application must be submitted separately. In addition, the simple, two paragraph application narrative is to explain how the vouchers will be utilized to support the implementation of the district's state-approved technology plan. Using a template narrative for a group of districts would not be appropriate, unless the needs of each district were identical as per their state-approved technology plan.
Eligibility
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What are the eligibility requirements to apply for the program vouchers?
Public K-12 school districts that have a state-approved technology plan may apply on behalf of their eligible schools. "Eligible schools" are defined in the Settlement Agreement as all public kindergarten through grade twelve schools, county offices of education, direct-funded charter schools, and State Special Schools in which at least 40 percent of the attending students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). "Eligible schools" also include all public high schools in California that serve any number of students from public elementary, middle, and junior high schools (known as “feeder schools”) at which at least 40 percent of the attending students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the NSLP.
To check technology plan status, please visit the CDE Tech Plan Web site. -
If a school serves students in any grades 9-12 and it does not have at least 40 percent of their students eligible for free and reduced meals, may it qualify under the feeder school provision for high schools?
The definition of a public high school, for the purposes of this program, is any school that serves grade 9 only, or serves one or more grades 10-12, and no grade below 7. These schools may qualify under the feeder school provision for high schools. -
If a district has an average of 40 percent NSLP eligibility, are all schools in the district eligible?
Eligibility is determined at the school level, not the district level. Only elementary and middle schools with 40 percent NSLP eligibility and high schools with an eligible feeder school within a district are eligible. -
If a High School District has at least one eligible high school, are all high schools in the district eligible?
Eligibility is determined on a school-by-school basis. Only high schools that serve students from public elementary, middle, and junior high schools at which at least 40 percent of the attending students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program will be considered eligible. -
Does the feeder school provision apply to middle schools with less than 40 percent NSLP eligibility?
No, the feeder school provision applies only to high schools. Middle/Junior High schools must have at least 40 percent NSLP eligibility to be funded under this program. -
Does the high school feeder school provision apply only to middle/junior high schools that are feeder schools for a high school, or does it include elementary schools that are feeder schools to the middle/junior high feeder schools for a high school?
The high school feeder school provision applies to both middle/junior high schools and elementary schools that are feeder schools for a high school. A high school qualifies if any of the currently-enrolled students it serves came from a qualifying elementary or middle/junior high school. -
The definition of a feeder school for high schools with less than 40 percent free and reduced-price lunch program eligibility is:
- The definition of a “feeder school” to a regular high school is any eligible elementary or middle and junior high school in which the high school's currently-enrolled students were enrolled and who reside within the attendance boundaries for the high school.
- The definition of a “feeder school” to an open enrollment or magnet high school is any eligible elementary or middle and junior high school in which the high school's currently-enrolled students had been enrolled.
Student transfers do not apply under this program.
- Does the reference to “currently-enrolled students” apply to the 2006-07 school year, or to the year in which the application was submitted, which could be the 2007-08 school year?
For the original cy pres allocation, the currently-enrolled students referred to the students enrolled at the high school in the 2006-07 school year only. For the current supplemental cy pres allocation, 2009-10 student data will be used to determine eligibility.
- My district’s application was submitted and approved. However, we just discovered that one of our high schools does meet the feeder school requirement and was not included in our application. Can we correct our application and add the high school so that it is funded?
Corrections to applications for the initial cy pres allocation were allowed only until the final RFA submission deadline, which was June 30, 2008. However, schools that qualify for an award of settlement vouchers may now participate in the current supplemental cy pres allocation.
Voucher Distribution
- How will vouchers be distributed?
Vouchers will be distributed by the court-appointed Settlement Claims Administrator to eligible schools identified through an application process established by the CDE. Fifty percent of the total amount will be in the form of General Purpose Vouchers and 50 percent will be in the form of Specific Category Software Vouchers.
- Do the vouchers have to be distributed equally among eligible schools?
No, districts may choose to target vouchers to support specific any eligible school sites included in the application. Vouchers do not have to be distributed to all eligible school sites. However, vouchers may only be utilized at those school sites eligible to receive vouchers.
- Will the amount of the vouchers be based upon the total enrollment for the entire school district?
The amount of the vouchers will be based upon the total enrollment at the Eligible Schools only, not all schools within the district.
- For high schools, is the funding calculation based on number of students from the feeder, or the entire high school enrollment?
For all eligible schools in this program the funding calculation is based on the total enrollment at the school. Therefore, the total enrollment for a high school will be used in the funding calculation.
Voucher Products and Services
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What products or services can be purchased with the vouchers?
Vouchers will be issued in two categories: 1) General Purpose Vouchers and 2) Specific Category Software Vouchers. General Purpose Vouchers may be used to purchase specific hardware (listed below) used with any operating system platform, any non-custom software for that hardware, evaluation tools, information technology (IT) support services, and professional development (PD) services. IT and PD services must be obtained from approved providers. Specific Category Software Vouchers may only be utilized to purchase specific categories of software (listed below) that are published or sold by any software provider. Both the General Purpose and Specific Category Software Vouchers may be applied in an amount no greater than the standard academic price, or if an academic price is not available, in an amount not to exceed the normal or standard price established by the manufacturer or vendor for such hardware or software. The following list gives examples of eligible goods and services that may be purchased with the category of the vouchers:General Purpose Vouchers:
- Any new laptop, desktop, or tablet computer for any operating system platform
- Peripheral devices: printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards, pointing devices (e.g., mouse, trackball, interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors that are capable of accepting a data feed from a computer, etc.)
- Equipment needed for networking and infrastructure (e.g., routers, servers, wireless network cards, or wireless access points)
- Hardware for accessing the Internet through television sets and Internet access for such hardware for students' homes
- Non-custom assistive technology devices for use by students with special needs
- Any non-custom software titles (for use with any operating system platform) that are designed for use on any qualifying hardware
- Hardware warranties for equipment purchased through program
- Tax and shipping costs for products purchased through program
- CA recycling fees on products purchased through program
- Evaluation Tools
Evaluation tools to assist participating schools in monitoring their use of the General Purpose Vouchers and Specific Category Software Vouchers, as well as to assist the CDE in gathering evaluation data on this program.
- IT Support Services
Services that primarily involve the maintenance of hardware procured through this Settlement and the installation and maintenance of software procured through this Settlement.
- Professional Development Services
- Professional development services directed solely at leadership development for school administrators in the use of education technology to improve learning at the site or district
- Professional development services directed solely at general curriculum development and instructional strategies which utilize educational technology to improve instruction
- Professional development services directed solely at the improvement of technology integration for any software title acquired through this Settlement
- Training in the use of any hardware or software title acquired through this Settlement
- Certification training for software and networking
Specific Category Software Vouchers:
Specific categories of software offered by any software publisher or vendor, including:
- Operating system
- Word processing
- Spreadsheet
- Presentation
- Desktop relational database oriented towards single users and typically residing on a standard personal computer
- Web-authoring
- Productivity and/or Productivity Suite
- Encyclopedia
- Server, including client access licenses
- Eligible software bundled with a computer purchased with the General Purpose Vouchers
- Eligible schools may also select a license program that gives students the option to use the software at home
- Tax and shipping costs on eligible products
- Who is responsible for determining if products or services purchased are allowable for voucher redemption?
The SCA, selected by the Court, will be responsible for determining if products or services are allowable under this program.
For information on products or services redemption eligibility visit the California Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program Web site
or by phone at the toll free number 800-419-5286 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST.
Note: The SCA will only take questions from schools and districts and will not answer questions from vendors on the eligibility of their products and/or services. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the school or district to determine if the products or services it will be purchasing will be eligible for voucher redemption.
- Must the vouchers be used to purchase a specific product brand?
No, the Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program is platform neutral.
- Is purchasing equipment the only option, or can the vouchers also be used to lease equipment?
The General Purpose Vouchers may be used to purchase or lease equipment.
- Can vouchers be used to provide professional development using school, district, or county office of education personnel?
Yes, as long as the district or county office of education is on the "approved providers" list.
- Can vouchers be used to pay for substitute teacher costs to allow teachers to attend professional development during the school day?
No, vouchers from this program cannot be used to pay for substitute teacher costs.
- Can vouchers be used to purchase infrastructure that supports high-speed Internet or increase bandwidth (i.e., switches, routers, etc.)?
General Purpose Vouchers can be used to purchase equipment needed for networking and infrastructure (e.g., routers, servers, wireless network cards, or wireless access points).
- Can a district use vouchers to pay for a percentage of IT support equal to the percentage of hardware/software purchased with vouchers in the designated schools?
For example, if a district replaces 50 percent of its hardware (or software) using the vouchers, can the district pay for 50 percent of its IT support with vouchers?
General Purpose Vouchers may be used for "IT Support Services" that primarily involve the maintenance of hardware procured through this Settlement and the installation and maintenance of software procured through this Settlement. To use vouchers for IT support, the IT support must primarily involve these activities (regardless of the percentage of the district's hardware or software that was purchased with the vouchers).
- Can vouchers be used to cover the cost of shipping/handling and tax on purchases of hardware and software?
Yes.
- Can General Purpose Vouchers be used to purchase software that is not included within the software categories that may be purchased with the Specific Category Software Vouchers?
Yes. General Purpose Vouchers may be used to purchase any non-custom desktop software offered by any publisher or vendor for use with any operating system platform that is chosen by the school. Specific Category Software Vouchers may only be used to purchase specific categories of software (listed in FAQ D4) offered by any software publisher or vendor for use with any operating system platform that is chosen by the school.
- Can vouchers be used to purchase extended warranties and/or service agreements on eligible goods?
Yes.
- Can vouchers be used for data storage and management at remote sites (i.e., student data, electronic portfolios)?
The SCA, selected by the Court, will be responsible for determining if these types of products or services are allowable under this program, depending upon the specifics of what the school or district proposes.
- Are subscription-based products or services allowable?
Products or services purchased on a subscription basis are allowable under this program; however, the product or service itself must meet the criteria for the Specific Category Software Voucher products or the General Purpose Voucher products and services.
- Can the registration and workshops costs for conferences be redeemed using General Purpose Vouchers?
If the conference is on the approved professional development provider list, the registration and workshop fees may be redeemed using the General Purpose Vouchers. It is important to note that to be approved, a conference must consist mainly of sessions that address the allowable professional development services (See FAQ D, 1).
Note: Specific conferences are only listed as an approved professional development provider for the year the conference is offered. The conference will be required to be resubmitted for approval annually.
- Is there an “approved products” list for schools and districts to use when planning purchases?
Products are not “approved” by the SCA. The SCA reviews products to determine if they are eligible for redemption as per the terms of the settlement agreement. Schools and districts are responsible for verifying with the SCA that the product or service is eligible for redemption prior to making a purchase. Schools and districts should be wary of any vendor claims that their product or services are eligible for redemption unless those claims are verified by the SCA.
- What products or services would qualify as "Evaluation Tools" for the General Purpose Vouchers?
Evaluation tools are defined in Section VI. CY PRES, C., 4, (6) of the Settlement Agreement as “Evaluation tool(s) to assist participating schools in monitoring their use of General Purpose Vouchers and Software Vouchers, as well as to assist the CDE in gathering evaluation data on this cy pres program.” Only products or services that meet these criteria would be eligible as “Evaluation Tools” under the General Purpose Vouchers.
- Is Student Information System (SIS) or Electronic Learning Assessment Resource (ELAR) software eligible for redemption using General Purpose Vouchers if they do not meet the criteria for Evaluation Tools?For General Purpose Vouchers eligible software is defined as “Any non-custom software that could be used with Qualifying Hardware.” Only SIS and ELAR software products that meet these criteria would be eligible under the General Purpose Vouchers.
- Can districts claim indirect cost on the voucher award and include the indirect amount, as appropriate, on the Voucher Redemption Claim Forms?
No, indirect cost cannot be claimed for this program.
- Can the cost for the processing of the Voucher Redemption Claims Forms and reimbursement payment be redeemed under this program?
No, the costs for processing the Voucher Redemption Claims Forms and reimbursement payments are not eligible for redemption under this program.
- We have been approached by vendors offering to complete the RFA for our district, provide assistance in submitting the Voucher Redemption Claims Forms, and other administrative type support. The vendors have stated that these administrative type costs may be redeemed using the General Purpose Vouchers. Is this correct?
No, the costs for submitting the Voucher Redemption Claims Forms and any other administrative tasks associated to this program are not eligible for redemption under this program. Districts should be very wary of any vendor claims that their products or services will be eligible for redemption.
- What is the start date for redemption of eligible services from an approved services provider? Is it the date that the eligible services were provided, or the date the provider was approved by the CDE?
The start date for redemption of eligible services from an approved provider is the date the provider was approved by the CDE. Services provided prior to that date are not eligible for redemption.
- We registered staff to attend a professional development session/conference from a provider that was on the approved list at that time. The provider has since been removed from the list. Does this mean that the session/conference will not be eligible for redemption?
Since at the time of registration the provider was approved, you will be able to redeem the eligible costs for the session/conference. However, any session/conference registration that occurred after the provider was removed will not be eligible for redemption.
- We contracted with a PD (or IT) service provider for services through the current school year and they were on the approved provider list at the time the contract was signed. They have now been removed from the list. Does this mean that the contract services not yet delivered will not be eligible for redemption?
Since at the time the contract was signed the provider was approved, you will be able to redeem the eligible costs for the services through the contract period. However, any future services beyond the contract time frame will not be eligible for redemption.
- We registered staff to attend a professional development session/conference from a provider that was not on the approved list at that time. The provider has since been added to the list and was on the list at the time the service was provided. Does this mean that the session/conference will be eligible for redemption?
Since at the time of the provision of services the provider was approved, you will be able to redeem the eligible costs for the session/conference. However, any session/conference that occurred before the provider was approved will not be eligible for redemption.
- What is the process the SCA will follow for responding to phone calls or e-mail inquiries from school districts regarding product and/or service eligibility?
The process the SCA will follow for product and/or service eligibility inquiries, as well as information regarding what the school or district must include in the inquiries, can be found on the SCA Web site
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- My district’s approved application for the Education Technology K-12 Voucher program stated that we would use vouchers to purchase a product that the SCA states is not an eligible product. Because it is in my approved application, shouldn’t the product be eligible?
The CDE is not responsible for determining if products or services are eligible, as that is the responsibility of the SCA. The eligibility of products and/or services described in the application was not a consideration in the CDE review and approval process of the LEA technology plan. Therefore, the products and/or services described in the application are only eligible if they meet the criteria of the Settlement Agreement, as determined by the SCA.
- Are hosting fees eligible for reimbursement?
There are many types of hosting fees. Specific information as to the type of hosting must be provided to the SCA in order to verify eligibility.
Eligible hosting fees include the following:
Fees associated with hosting hardware or software off-site as an alternative to in-house hosting (e.g., by a company that specializes in hosting hardware or software). These fees may include hosting hardware or software (including web site hosting) or fees for initial setup, configuration and deployment of a server and/or any software included in the contract.
Fees associated with hosting additional software beyond what is normally included in the software hosting package provided by the hosting company (i.e., third party software hosting). These fees may include fees charged by the hosting company for hosting the software and fees charged by the hosting company for initial setup and configuration of software.
Fees for manufacturer’s licensing and software maintenance and support fees associated with hosted software products.
Hosting fees that are not eligible for reimbursement are any hosting fees associated with Internet Service Providers. This includes fees for providing access to the internet and set-up fees such as installation of any hardware, software or services required before the connection to the internet can be made and used.
- Is refurbished equipment eligible for reimbursement?
Eligible products that are classified as "refurbished" are reimbursable only if they are unused and are purchased from an established OEM, retailer, or reseller. Used refurbished equipment, including "off lease" equipment, is not eligible for reimbursement through this voucher program.
Voucher Redemption
- How will vouchers be redeemed?
A voucher redemption form will need to be submitted along with invoices for purchases that meet certain requirements set out in the Settlement Agreement. Instructions for redeeming vouchers as well as a description of the information that must be included on invoices and receipts were distributed along with the vouchers.
For information on products or services redemption eligibility, contact the SCA call center for the California Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program by phone at the toll free number 800-419-5286 from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST.
- What is the expected turnaround time for reimbursement?
We anticipate school districts will be reimbursed for their qualifying purchases within 30 calendar days after submitting vouchers to the SCA.
- When must vouchers be redeemed?
Vouchers must be redeemed by September 25, 2013.
- Do districts purchase the products or services with the vouchers, or do they purchase them with existing funding and redeem the costs using the vouchers?
Allowable products or services must be purchased using existing funding, and then the vouchers for those purchases may be redeemed for cash through the SCA.
- Who is responsible for determining if products or services purchased are allowable for voucher redemption?
The SCA, selected by the Court, is responsible for determining if products or services are allowable under this program
Note: The SCA only will take questions from schools and districts and will not answer questions from vendors on the eligibility of their products and/or services. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the school or district to determine if the products or services they will be purchasing will be eligible for voucher redemption.
- What is the earliest date for purchases eligible for redemption under this program?
The earliest date for purchases eligible for redemption under this program is July 1, 2006.
- What determines the date of a purchase? Is it the date the purchase order was placed, the date of the invoice received from the vendor, or other?
For vendor products or services the date of purchase is the date of the invoice received from the vendor. For district services, such as IT support or professional development, it is the date the service was completed.
- Does this program have any requirements regarding how long the products procured by the program must remain at the eligible schools? For example, under the federal E-Rate program the products must remain at the school for three years.
The vouchers may only be used in Eligible Schools, except that server products may in some circumstances be used for the benefit of both Eligible and ineligible schools. So, with that exception, products obtained through the settlement cannot be used in ineligible schools and cannot be transferred from Eligible Schools to ineligible schools. However, the Eligible Schools can replace or retire the products when that is appropriate.
- Does the vendor certification for standard academic pricing have to be on the vendor's invoice?
See items I. 3 and II. 2, a, b, and c on the CDE Ed Tech Voucher Web site.
- Is it sufficient if this certification is in the vendor's bid or price quote and it is attached to the invoice submitted for redemption?
The certification may be contained in the invoice or it may be contained in a bid, price quote, or other document and be attached to the invoice submitted for redemption. However, any document attached to the invoice must align with the items being claimed on the invoice (i.e. number of items, item description, costs, etc.).
Approved Providers
- What does "approved provider" of Information Technology support or Professional Development services mean?
According to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the CDE developed the process for determining how providers become "approved providers" for the Professional Development (PD) and Information Technology (IT) Support Services. Approval of these agencies only means that they have met the minimum criteria for IT or PD services under this program and is not an endorsement of the quality of its products or services by the California Department of Education or any of the parties to the antitrust settlement.
The list of approved providers is platform neutral. The CDE has taken steps to ensure that the process promotes high-quality professional development aligned with state efforts to improve education. For an alphabetical listing of approved providers, please visit the CDE Ed Tech Voucher Web site.
- If a vendor is on the approved provider list for IT support or professional development services, does that mean that any IT support or professional development service that they provide is eligible for redemption using vouchers?
No. The IT support or professional development services that they provide must meet the settlement criteria cited in FAQ D, 1. Any service that they provide that does not meet the criteria will be not allowable for redemption using vouchers. Districts should check with the SCA to confirm that the service is eligible.
- If a vendor is on the approved provider list for IT support or professional development services, does that mean that their products (i.e. software or hardware) are approved for redemption using vouchers?
No. The approved providers list only applies to an IT support or professional development service that meets the settlement criteria cited in FAQ D, 1. If a vendor is on the approved providers list for IT support or professional development services that does not mean that all products supplied or used by that vendor are automatically approved for voucher reimbursement. Products must meet the separate requirements of the Settlement Agreement, as described in FAQ D, 1.
- Can vouchers be used to provide professional development using school, district, or county office of education personnel?
Yes. As long as the district or county office of education is on the "approved providers" list.
- Can districts apply to be approved providers and then use the vouchers to pay for services they offer to other districts, and/or to their own district, for example, a large district with a tech staff that could provide tech support or professional development to a small district?
Districts can apply to be an approved Professional Development or IT Support Services provider.
If a district is an approved Professional Development or IT Support Services provider it can then claim the vouchers for services that it provides to Eligible Schools within its district, with the following critical qualifier: the services must meet the program criteria as an eligible service. For example, if the district provides IT support, it can only be at Eligible Schools in its district and must primarily involve support for equipment and/or software obtained through this voucher program.
If a district is an approved Professional Development or IT Support Services provider and provides services to another district's schools, the district receiving the services will have to pay using existing funds and redeem the costs using its own vouchers. Again, the support/services can only be at Eligible Schools in the district and the IT Support Services must primarily involve support for equipment and/or software obtained through this voucher program.
California Government Entities Settlement
Some school districts are receiving benefits from the California Government Entities settlement and from the private consumer settlement Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program. What are the differences between the two programs?
Some school districts in California may receive benefits arising from both settlements. It is important to understand the differences between the settlements and the redemption requirements for each.
The following table is a quick reference guide for California public schools regarding the key differences between the settlements.
| Item | Government Entities Settlement | Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility for Benefits | As part of this settlement, Microsoft will provide $70 million in vouchers to distinct government entities in California, including school districts. This includes all school districts, regardless of whether they include schools that have 40% of their students from low-income households. THUS, ALL CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE BENEFITS UNDER THIS SETTLEMENT. |
As part of the Settlement in a consumer class action, if the total amount of vouchers claimed and redeemed by the Class is less than $1.1 billion, vouchers worth two-thirds of the remainder will be distributed to public schools in California that have at least 40% of their students from low-income households. |
| Application process | All distinct California government entities, including school districts, will receive benefits automatically, without having to submit an application to participate. | To receive benefits under this settlement, school districts that include eligible schools must submit an application to the California Department of Education on behalf of their eligible schools. |
| Benefits | Benefits may be redeemed for qualifying hardware and/or software products, as set forth in the Settlement Agreement. | Fifty percent of the total benefit amount must be redeemed in the form of General Purpose Vouchers and fifty percent in the form of Specific Category Software Vouchers. The two types of vouchers can be redeemed for different kinds of products and services. |
| Benefits transfer | Benefits may be transferred one time. | Benefits may not be transferred. |
| Benefit forms | Yellow Settlement Benefits Balance Statement; this yellow statement is also the redemption form that must be signed and submitted with proof of purchase to receive cash. | Pink and blue Redemption Form must be signed and submitted with proof of purchase to receive cash. Separate white Balance Statement is provided for reference purposes. Balance Statement does not need to be submitted to receive cash. |
| Product/service eligibility period | June 23, 2006 – April 13, 2012 | July 1, 2006 – September 25, 2013 |
| First year redemption requirement | $500 of benefits must be redeemed within the first year (by April 21, 2008) or the unredeemed portion of that $500 will be redistributed to other eligible class members. Remaining benefits must be redeemed by April 13, 2012. | No first year redemption requirement. Benefits must be redeemed by September 25, 2013. |
| Qualifying products | Hardware: Any new desktop, laptop, or tablet computer made by any manufacturer for any operating system platform. Peripheral devices: printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards, pointing devices (e.g. mouse, trackball). Software: Any non-custom software offered by any software vendor for use on a desktop, laptop or tablet computer. Important: All products that are eligible for reimbursement for the Government Entities settlement are also eligible for the Education Technology K-12 Voucher Program. |
Hardware: Any new laptop, desktop, or tablet computer for any operating system platform. Software: Purchased with General Purpose Vouchers - Any non-custom software titles for any operating system platform that are designed for use on any qualifying hardware (see Hardware above). Purchased with Specific Category Software Vouchers - Specific categories of software offered by any software publisher or vendor for any platform, including: Operating system, Word processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Desktop relational database oriented towards single users and typically residing on a standard personal computer, Web-authoring, Productivity and/or Productivity Suite, Encyclopedia, Server (including client access licenses), Eligible software bundled with a computer purchased with the General Purpose Vouchers. Eligible schools may also select a license program that gives students the option to use the software at home. Evaluation Tools: Evaluation tools to assist participating schools in monitoring their use of the General Purpose Vouchers and Specific Category Software Vouchers, as well as to assist the CDE in gathering evaluation data on this program. IT Support Services: Services that primarily involve the maintenance of hardware procured through this Settlement and the installation and maintenance of software procured through this Settlement. Professional Development (PD) Services: PD services directed solely at leadership development for school administrators in the use of education technology to improve learning at the site or district. PD services directed solely at general curriculum development and instructional strategies which utilize educational technology to improve instruction. PD services directed solely at the improvement of technology integration for any software title acquired through this Settlement. Training in the use of any hardware or software title acquired through this Settlement. Important: Items that are eligible for the Education Technology K-12Voucher Program are not necessarily eligible for the Government Entities settlement. |
| Redemption documentation requirements | Photocopy of the yellow Settlement Benefits Balance Statement will be accepted as long as it contains an original signature of a person authorized to submit redemption requests. Photocopies of proofs-of-purchase are allowed. Vendor price certification is not required. |
Photocopies of the pink and blue Redemption Form are not allowed; the original form must be submitted, with the signature of a person authorized to submit redemption requests. Photocopies of proofs-of-purchase are not allowed; originals must be submitted. Vendor price certification is required. The vendor must certify that the prices on the receipt or invoice are their standard academic prices for the products or services, or if academic prices are not available, the prices are the normal or standard prices charged by the vendor for such products or services. |
| Reimbursement | Typically a payment will be processed within 60 days after the Settlement Claims Administrator receives the Settlement Benefits Balance Statement and all necessary documentation and determines that the claim is in good order. | Typically a payment will be processed within 30 days after the Settlement Claims Administrator receives the Redemption Form and all necessary documentation and determines that the claim is in good order. |
| Web site | Microsoft California Government Claims
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Edtech K-12 Voucher Program
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| Settlement Claims Administrator contact information | By phone: 1-888-576-6535 By mail: Settlement Administrator MS California Govt Settlement P.O. Box 99 Minneapolis, MN 55440-0099 |
By phone: 1-800-419-5286 By mail: Claims Administrator Microsoft-California Settlement P.O. Box 1125 Minneapolis, MN 55440-1125 By e-mail: ClaimsAdmin@EdTechK12VP.com |
