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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3816 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 560 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | David M. Rogers |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to media literacy in schools. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David M. Rogers24th Middlesex1/20/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/20/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/24/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/25/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3816 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 560 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 560) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | David M. Rogers and others relative to media literacy in schools. Education. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act relative to media literacy in schools. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2following new section:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 Section 98. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4meanings: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5 “board”, shall mean the board of elementary and secondary education. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6 “commissioner”, shall mean the commissioner of the department of elementary and |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7secondary education. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8 “council”, shall mean the Media Literacy Advisory Council. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9 "media literacy", shall be considered a term that encompasses consumption and |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10production of media, digital products and communication technology of all kinds, and an |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11understanding of the systems in which media messages are produced and consumed. Media 2 of 8 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12literacy refers to a person’s ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and take action with all |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13forms of media including news in print, TV, and radio, movies, music, video games, websites, |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14advertisements, and content (images, text and video) posted on social media platforms, AI, |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15algorithms, virtual reality, and surveillance systems, and encompasses the foundational skills of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16digital citizenship and internet safety including the norms of appropriate, responsible, ethical, |
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| 44 | 44 | | 17healthy behavior, and cyberbullying prevention, and the ability to recognize bias, stereotypes, |
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| 45 | 45 | | 18representation, and the lack of inclusion in media messages. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 19 (b) The department of elementary and secondary education (hereinafter referred to as the |
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| 47 | 47 | | 20“department”) shall integrate media literacy skills in all health and core curricular content for |
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| 48 | 48 | | 21grades kindergarten through 12th grade. The board shall direct the commissioner to implement |
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| 49 | 49 | | 22instruction in media literacy based upon the recommendations provided by the Media Literacy |
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| 50 | 50 | | 23Advisory Council established in subsection (c). |
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| 51 | 51 | | 24 (c) The department shall establish a Media Literacy Advisory Council to conduct a |
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| 52 | 52 | | 25survey on methods of media literacy education using the Media Literacy Implementation Index |
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| 53 | 53 | | 26created by the Media Education Lab, for the purpose of recommending statutes, regulations, |
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| 54 | 54 | | 27curricula, and frameworks to teach media literacy in schools. The board shall appoint fourteen |
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| 55 | 55 | | 28members to the Media Literacy Advisory Council; provided further, that the Media Literacy |
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| 56 | 56 | | 29Advisory Council shall include, but not be limited to: one expert from a non-profit organization |
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| 57 | 57 | | 30working in media literacy and civics, one expert from a non-profit organization working in |
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| 58 | 58 | | 31media literacy and health education, one academic expert who teaches media literacy within the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 32state university system, two kindergarten to 12th grade teachers and kindergarten to 12th grade |
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| 60 | 60 | | 33librarians, with at least two educators from gateway cities across the commonwealth, two parents |
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| 61 | 61 | | 34of public school students from different geographic regions of the state, two school 3 of 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | 35administrators from different municipalities, one administrator from a city’s school district and |
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| 63 | 63 | | 36one administrator from a town’s school district, and two public school students, at least one of |
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| 64 | 64 | | 37which represents a lower resource school. The board shall make every effort to include on the |
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| 65 | 65 | | 38council people of diverse perspectives and backgrounds. The board, through a majority vote, |
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| 66 | 66 | | 39shall determine when the Media Literacy Advisory Council expires, provided that the Media |
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| 67 | 67 | | 40Literacy Advisory Council shall be established for no less than two years after the effective date |
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| 68 | 68 | | 41of this act. |
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| 69 | 69 | | 42 (d) The Media Literacy Advisory Council shall survey teachers, librarians, faculty, |
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| 70 | 70 | | 43principals, and technology directors across Massachusetts to understand school districts’ |
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| 71 | 71 | | 44curriculum regarding digital citizenship and media literacy education. The results of the initial |
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| 72 | 72 | | 45survey shall be made public and recommendations shall be made by the council to the |
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| 73 | 73 | | 46department on ways in which teachers, librarians, faculty, principals, and technology directors |
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| 74 | 74 | | 47can lead, teach, and support digital citizenship and media literacy across all grades and content |
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| 75 | 75 | | 48areas; and provided further, that the initial survey shall ask questions in order to determine |
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| 76 | 76 | | 49baseline integration across all grades. The initial survey’s results shall be published on the |
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| 77 | 77 | | 50department’s website no later than 90 days after the effective date of this act. Analysis on the |
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| 78 | 78 | | 51initial survey’s results and the council’s suggested recommendations shall be included in the |
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| 79 | 79 | | 52Media Literacy Advisory Council’s final report established in subsection (e) of this section. The |
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| 80 | 80 | | 53board shall hire a paid coordinator whose role it is to supervise and coordinate the efforts of the |
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| 81 | 81 | | 54Council and prepare the final report established in subsection (e) of this section. |
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| 82 | 82 | | 55 (e) The Media Literacy Advisory Council shall make a final report of its findings, |
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| 83 | 83 | | 56including any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action as it may deem necessary or |
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| 84 | 84 | | 57appropriate. The final report shall include best practices for instruction that provides guidance 4 of 8 |
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| 85 | 85 | | 58regarding thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online and other media resources and education |
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| 86 | 86 | | 59on methods to apply critical thinking skills when students consume or produce media in any |
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| 87 | 87 | | 60form. The final report’s recommendations shall include, but shall not be limited to: (1) revisions |
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| 88 | 88 | | 61to state education curriculum and the state instructional technology plan; (2) school district’s |
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| 89 | 89 | | 62processes necessary to develop customized school district policies and procedures on electronic |
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| 90 | 90 | | 63resources and internet safety that can be used within a school district’s technology plan; (3) |
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| 91 | 91 | | 64revisions to policies and procedures, best practices, resources, and models for instruction in |
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| 92 | 92 | | 65media literacy; (4) revisions to policies and procedures, best practices, resources, and models for |
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| 93 | 93 | | 66instruction of digital citizenship, including media literacy, that are compliant with the federal |
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| 94 | 94 | | 67universal service e-rate program administered by the schools and libraries division of the |
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| 95 | 95 | | 68universal service administrative company and federal mandates established in the federal |
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| 96 | 96 | | 69children's internet protection act; and (5) programming and framework that provides students |
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| 97 | 97 | | 70with the critical skills to analyze the impacts on individuals and society from our media, and |
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| 98 | 98 | | 71ways to continually improve and incorporate advanced media literacy strategies as new |
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| 99 | 99 | | 72technology and other such issues arise. |
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| 100 | 100 | | 73 (f) The Media Literacy Advisory Council shall consult the department of public health, |
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| 101 | 101 | | 74technology researchers and technology ethicists to create curriculum that addresses the rapidly |
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| 102 | 102 | | 75changing social media culture and, as a part of the final report established in subsection (e), make |
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| 103 | 103 | | 76recommendations to the department regarding ways to teach students about social media and |
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| 104 | 104 | | 77how the platforms and online advertising affect student’s short and long-term physical, |
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| 105 | 105 | | 78physiological, emotional and cognitive development and ways the department of education and |
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| 106 | 106 | | 79local school districts can promote the physical, physiological, emotional and cognitive well- |
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| 107 | 107 | | 80being of students. 5 of 8 |
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| 108 | 108 | | 81 (g) The Media Literacy Advisory Council shall submit the council’s final report to the |
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| 109 | 109 | | 82commissioner of education, the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house |
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| 110 | 110 | | 83by no later than one year after the effective date of this act. |
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| 111 | 111 | | 84 (h) Upon receipt of the Media Literacy Advisory Councils’ report, the board shall |
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| 112 | 112 | | 85develop curriculum guidelines for school districts on media literacy across the state. The |
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| 113 | 113 | | 86guidelines shall provide for a sequential course of study for each of the grades kindergarten |
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| 114 | 114 | | 87through 12, and shall include, at a minimum, the following: |
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| 115 | 115 | | 88 (1) The evaluation of multiple media platforms to better understand the general |
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| 116 | 116 | | 89landscape and economics of the platforms, as well as issues regarding the trustworthiness of the |
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| 117 | 117 | | 90source of information. |
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| 118 | 118 | | 91 (2) The deconstruction of media representations according to the authors, target audience, |
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| 119 | 119 | | 92techniques, agenda setting, stereotypes, and authenticity to distinguish fact from opinion. |
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| 120 | 120 | | 93 (3) Conveying a coherent message using multimodal practices to a specific target |
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| 121 | 121 | | 94audience. This may include, but is not limited to, writing blogs, composing songs, designing |
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| 122 | 122 | | 95video games, producing podcasts, making videos, posting to social media, or coding a mobile or |
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| 123 | 123 | | 96software application. |
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| 124 | 124 | | 97 (4) Assessment of how media affects the consumption of information and how it triggers |
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| 125 | 125 | | 98emotions and behaviors. |
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| 126 | 126 | | 99 (5) The safe, responsible, ethical use of the social media platforms and other internet- |
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| 127 | 127 | | 100connected communications tools. 6 of 8 |
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| 128 | 128 | | 101 (i) The board may require school districts to submit an internet safety plan for the |
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| 129 | 129 | | 102department to review; provided further, that in creating the policies, the school districts shall |
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| 130 | 130 | | 103involve students, parents or guardians, teachers, teacher-librarians, other school employees, |
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| 131 | 131 | | 104administrators, and community representatives with experience or expertise in digital citizenship, |
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| 132 | 132 | | 105media literacy, and internet safety issues. |
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| 133 | 133 | | 106 (j) The board shall provide support for professional development for teachers and other |
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| 134 | 134 | | 107faculty focused on integrating media literacy in all health and core subjects; and shall create |
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| 135 | 135 | | 108guidelines for a comprehensive professional development program with learning outcomes |
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| 136 | 136 | | 109aligned with standards and scope and sequence linked to educator demonstration of |
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| 137 | 137 | | 110understanding of those outcomes. The department of education shall require that at least one |
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| 138 | 138 | | 111mandatory teacher training course be conducted annually in regard to media literacy, provided |
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| 139 | 139 | | 112that the training will focus on embedding media literacy education into the curriculum aligned to |
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| 140 | 140 | | 113existing learning standards; and provided further, that an impact assessment shall be conducted |
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| 141 | 141 | | 114through a long-term evaluation of progress. |
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| 142 | 142 | | 115 (k) The department shall create a web-based location with recommended successful |
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| 143 | 143 | | 116media literacy practices and resources and shall work with the kindergarten through 12 |
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| 144 | 144 | | 117community and other stakeholders to identify and develop additional Open Educational |
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| 145 | 145 | | 118Resources to support media literacy education in schools. |
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| 146 | 146 | | 119 (l) The board may promulgate regulations in furtherance of this act or as the board deems |
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| 147 | 147 | | 120necessary or convenient to promote media literacy across all grades and public schools in the |
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| 148 | 148 | | 121commonwealth. 7 of 8 |
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| 149 | 149 | | 122 (m) Pursuant to section 1E of chapter 69, the board shall direct the commissioner to |
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| 150 | 150 | | 123update the educational framework for health and core curriculum courses to include provisions |
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| 151 | 151 | | 124relative to media literacy and digital citizenship, consistent with this section, upon the effective |
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| 152 | 152 | | 125date of this act and periodically thereafter. |
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| 153 | 153 | | 126 SECTION 2. Chapter 15 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, |
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| 154 | 154 | | 127is hereby amended by inserting the following new section: |
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| 155 | 155 | | 128 Section 67. a) For the purposes of this section, the following term shall have the |
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| 156 | 156 | | 129following meaning: |
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| 157 | 157 | | 130 “synthetic media”, shall mean an image, an audio recording, or a video recording of an |
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| 158 | 158 | | 131individual’s appearance, speech, or conduct that has been intentionally manipulated with the use |
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| 159 | 159 | | 132of digital technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video. |
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| 160 | 160 | | 133 a) The department of education (hereinafter referred to as the “department”) shall |
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| 161 | 161 | | 134establish a grant program, subject to appropriation, for the purpose of assisting school districts in |
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| 162 | 162 | | 135supporting media literacy and digital citizenship. The grants shall be used to develop a |
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| 163 | 163 | | 136curriculum unit on media literacy and digital citizenship that may be integrated into existing |
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| 164 | 164 | | 137curricula. Activities permitted for the use of these grants include, but are not limited to, (i) |
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| 165 | 165 | | 138organizing teachers from across a school district to develop new instructional strategies and |
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| 166 | 166 | | 139share successful instructional strategies, (ii) sharing successful practices across a group of school |
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| 167 | 167 | | 140districts, (iii) facilitating coordination between educational service districts and school districts to |
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| 168 | 168 | | 141provide training. The department shall develop guidelines governing the grant program and |
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| 169 | 169 | | 142guidelines for implementation of said program. At least one grant awarded in each award cycle 8 of 8 |
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| 170 | 170 | | 143shall be for developing and using a curriculum unit that contains a focus on synthetic media as a |
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| 171 | 171 | | 144major component. |
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| 172 | 172 | | 145 c) Applicants shall be commonwealth school districts, Horace Mann, and commonwealth |
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| 173 | 173 | | 146charter schools. For a school district to qualify for a grant under this section, the grant proposal |
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| 174 | 174 | | 147must provide that the grantee create a district leadership team whose role it shall be to coordinate |
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| 175 | 175 | | 148the actions of the district around media literacy and digital citizenship. |
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| 176 | 176 | | 149 d) The department shall convene group meetings of grant recipients to share best |
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| 177 | 177 | | 150practices and strategies in media literacy education. Grant recipients shall attend said meetings. |
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