S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5981
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 21, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to study the teaching of
digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy; and to amend
the education law, in relation to requiring schools to annually review
its policy and procedures on digital citizenship, internet safety, and
media literacy
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. For purposes of this act, "digital citizenship" and "media
literacy" shall be considered broad terms that encompass consumption and
production of media and digital products and are defined as follows:
(a) "digital citizenship" means a diverse set of skills related to
current technology and social media, including the norms of appropriate,
responsible, and healthy behavior. Major areas include safety concerns
such as cyberbullying prevention.
(b) "media literacy" means the ability to access, analyze, evaluate,
develop, produce, and interpret media and encompasses the foundational
skills that lead to digital citizenship.
§ 2. The commissioner of education, in cooperation with experts in
digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy, the board of
regents of the university of the state of New York, and stakeholders
including educators and parents, shall conduct a study on the teaching
of digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy in schools.
§ 3. The commissioner of education shall make a report of his or her
findings, including any recommendations for legislative action as it may
deem necessary and appropriate and best practices for instruction that
provides guidance about thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online
and other media resources and education on how to apply critical think-
ing skills when consuming and producing media in any form. These recom-
mendations and best practices may include, but are not limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09759-01-7
A. 5981 2
(a) revisions to state education standards and the state instructional
technology plan;
(b) revisions to policies and procedures on digital citizenship,
internet safety, and media literacy;
(c) school district processes necessary to develop customized school
district policies and procedures on electronic resources and internet
safety that can be used within a school district technology plan;
(d) best practices, resources, and models for instruction in digital
citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy;
(e) best practices, resources, and models for instruction of digital
citizenship that are compliant with the federal universal service e-rate
program administered by the schools and libraries division of the
universal service administrative company and federal mandates estab-
lished in the federal children's internet protection act; and
(f) strategies that will support school districts in local implementa-
tion of the best practices and recommendations developed by the depart-
ment, including strategies for delivering professional development to
educators and administrators.
§ 4. The report shall be delivered to the governor, the temporary
president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no later than
one year after the effective date of this act.
§ 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 756 to read
as follows:
§ 756. ANNUAL REVIEW OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET SAFETY, AND
MEDIAL LITERACY POLICY AND PROCEDURES. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
"DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP" AND "MEDIA LITERACY" ARE BROAD TERMS THAT ENCOM-
PASS CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF MEDIA AND DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND ARE
DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
(A) "DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP" MEANS A DIVERSE SET OF SKILLS RELATED TO
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING THE NORMS OF APPROPRIATE,
RESPONSIBLE, AND HEALTHY BEHAVIOR. MAJOR AREAS INCLUDE SAFETY CONCERNS
SUCH AS CYBERBULLYING PREVENTION; AND
(B) "MEDIA LITERACY" MEANS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE,
DEVELOP, PRODUCE, AND INTERPRET MEDIA AND ENCOMPASSES THE FOUNDATIONAL
SKILLS THAT LEAD TO DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP.
2. BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY SCHOOL
YEAR, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL ANNUALLY REVIEW ITS POLICY AND PROCE-
DURES ON DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET SAFETY, AND MEDIA LITERACY. IN
REVIEWING AND AMENDING THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES, A SCHOOL DISTRICT
SHALL:
(A) INVOLVE A REPRESENTATION OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, TEACHERS, TEACH-
ER LIBRARIANS, OTHER SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, PUPILS,
AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES WITH EXPERIENCE OR EXPERTISE IN DIGITAL
CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET SAFETY, AND MEDIA LITERACY ISSUES;
(B) CONSIDER CUSTOMIZING THE MODEL POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON ELECTRONIC
RESOURCES AND INTERNET SAFETY;
(C) CONSIDER EXISTING SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOURCES; AND
(D) CONSIDER BEST PRACTICES, RESOURCES, AND MODELS FOR INSTRUCTION IN
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET SAFETY, AND MEDIA LITERACY, INCLUDING
METHODS TO INVOLVE PARENTS.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.