Brief Summary of Engrossed First Substitute Bill

Requires the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) to review and revise its model policy and procedures on electronic resources and Internet safety and to develop a checklist for school districts.
Directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create a web-based location with links to recommended successful practices and resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety.
Tasks OSPI with surveying teacher-librarians, principals, and technology directors to understand how they are currently integrating digital citizenship and media literacy education in their curriculum.

Background: Digital Citizenship. Current state law defines digital citizenship as including the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use, including digital and media literacy, ethics, etiquette, and security. The term also includes the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, develop, produce, and interpret media, as well as Internet safety and cyberbullying prevention and response.

Policy and Procedures. Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, current state law requires school districts to annually review their policy and procedures on electronic resources and Internet safety. In reviewing and amending the policy and procedures, a school district must:

involve a representation of students, parents or guardians, teachers, teacher-librarians, other school employees, administrators, and community representatives with experience or expertise in digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety issues;
consider customizing the model policy and procedures on electronic resources and Internet safety developed by WSSDA;
consider existing school district resources; and
consider best practices, resources, and models for instruction in digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy, including methods to involve parents.

Digital Citizenship Recommendations. In 2016, the Legislature directed OSPI to convene and consult an advisory committee to develop best practices and recommendations for instruction in digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy. The committee made the following recommendations:

convene a working group to update the state K-12 learning standards for educational technology that align with the advisory group's definitions of digital citizenship and media literacy, national standards, and learning standards in all subjects;
consider possible revisions to district policies to better support digital citizenship, media literacy, or Internet safety in schools;
create a web-based location to recommended successful practices and resources and work with the K-12 community and other stakeholders to identify and develop additional open educational resources;
provide support for professional development for teachers, focused on integrating digital citizenship and media literacy in all core standards, starting with English Language Arts and Social Studies; and
examine improvements in districts' library information and technology programs to determine ways in which teacher librarians can lead, teach, and support digital citizenship and media literacy across all grades and content areas.

Summary of Engrossed First Substitute Bill: Policy and Procedures. By December 1, 2017, WSSDA must review and revise its model policy and procedures on electronic resources and Internet safety to better support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety in schools. The model policy and procedures must contain provisions requiring that media literacy resources consist of a balance of sources and perspectives. WSSDA must also develop a checklist of items for school districts to consider when updating their policy and procedures.

Practices and Resources. OSPI must create a web-based location with links to recommended successful practices and resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety for use in the 2017-18 school year. Thereafter, OSPI must continue to identify and develop additional open educational resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety in schools for the web-based location. Media literacy resources must consist of a balance of sources and perspectives.

Survey. By December 1, 2018, OSPI must survey teacher-librarians, principals, and technology directors to understand how they are currently integrating digital citizenship and media literacy education in their curriculum. The purpose of the survey is to determine ways in which teacher-librarians, principals, and technology directors can lead, teach, and support digital citizenship and media literacy across all grades and content areas. OSPI's web-based location must incorporate the information gathered by the survey.

The definition of digital citizenship is moved to the definition section of the education technology chapter of the code.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill: The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: Children are exposed to many forms of media in this media-saturated world, and they need to be able to be critical thinkers about this media. Screens can take over people's lives; they can become a best friend or worst enemy. The digital citizenship bill from last year encourages and educates young people to be good consumers of information online, to be safe online, and how to engage with the outside world using digital tools. Washington is a national leader in promoting digital citizenship and media literacy. Given other education funding issues, this bill contains the cheapest recommendations that came out of the advisory committee. Technology and devices are being used in many classrooms, but there is often not training. This bill would create a web-based location with practices and resources that would be available to all schools. Media literacy and digital citizenship can be incorporated into existing curricula, and teacher-librarians can help with this type of instruction. However, many students do not have access to teacher-librarians, which the survey would address. The deadline for WSSDA to update its model policy and develop a checklist should be extended to December 1st to make sure that there is sufficient time to complete necessary work.