FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 5449

C 90 L 17

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning digital citizenship, media literacy, and internet safety in schools.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Liias, Zeiger, Billig, Hunt and Frockt).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

House Committee on Education

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 the Washington State School Directors' Association (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 the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (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: 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.

Votes on Final Passage: