Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy.  Current state law defines digital citizenship as 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.
 
Media literacy, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using a variety of forms of communication.
 
In 2021, the Legislature established a grant program to support media literacy and digital citizenship through school district leadership teams.  Grant recipients under this program are required to create a district leadership team that develops a curriculum unit on media literacy, digital citizenship, or both.  Recipients are required to attend group meetings to share best practices and strategies in media literacy education.
 
State Learning Standards.  State law requires OSPI to develop the state's learning standards, which defines what all students need to know and be able to do at each grade level.  OSPI has published learning standards for 14 content areas.
 
Student learning standards are required to be taught in school districts.  If a content area is not named as a primary goal, then the standards must be taught if and when the subject is offered. 

Teacher Support and Learning Standard Revision.  OSPI must establish a program for expanding the capability of school districts to integrate media literacy and digital citizenship into given subject areas through teacher support.  As part of this program, OSPI must assemble a cadre of subject-area teachers to help ensure media literacy is effectively integrated into their respective subject area under any revised state learning standards created by OSPI.
 
Yearly Cycle.  The program must operate in a two-year cycle. 
 
Year One.  The purpose of the program in year one will be to support a cadre of teachers in analyzing how the full range of media literacy skills fall within current state learning standards, including the identification of gaps in learning standards where media literacy skills are not addressed.
 
Year Two.  The purpose of the program in year two will be to support a cadre of teachers in becoming trainers on media literacy within their given subject area. These teachers shall develop and deliver professional development focused on the ways in which any revised state learning standards will affect teaching and learning within their given subject areas. The professional development must include instruction to other teachers and integrate feedback and suggestions in developing future training sessions.
 
Teachers in the program will receive a stipend based on the role of the teacher in the program, with funds disbursed to school districts for costs related to a teacher's absence due to participation in the program.
 
Medial Literacy Integration.  OSPI shall establish a grant program to support school districts in integrating medial literacy into the K through 12 educational system.  Grants may be awarded under the program for the following purposes:

• developing strategies to use existing funding in integrating media literacy into various subject areas;
• organizing learning sessions with experts in the field of media literacy and digital citizenship;
• professional development on issues of media literacy including, but not limited to, on any revised state learning standards that include media literacy, and the professional development may include training for district leaders, administrative staff, instructional staff, or any combination;
• ongoing support to school districts in considering actions to ensure successful implementation of any revised state learning standards that include the areas of either media literacy, digital citizenship, or both; and
• acquiring resources on media literacy instruction and integration.

PRO: This bill builds upon prior legislative work on media literacy and helps get the word out to every classroom in the state.  We have some of the strongest medial literacy laws in the nation, but need to make sure that media literacy reaches all students.  Teacher-librarians should be included in the work.  Even adults struggle with determining what is truthful on the Internet; this program would help students better obtain critical thinking skills.  This bill would help bring this important work and lead to greater implementation.  Teacher-librarians are the experts in media literacy and can help teachers accomplish the goals of the bill.  Teacher buy-in to this work is extremely important.  Media literacy and digital citizenship skills are critical for students living today.  Educational curricula can build help with industry efforts to protect young people.  Teachers have been well-trained in the teaching of reading and writing, but less so in visual imagery.  Students need and want support to deal with modern information consumption.

OTHER: Teachers may not have the capacity to do this work by themselves; teacher-librarians should be included in the bill as their expertise in media literacy will help produce the best outcomes for students.