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.