Contact: Michael A. Rebell (917) 576-7301
NEW YORK (June 18, 2020) — A new report issued by a cross-sector coalition of civic and education organizations calls for New York State to take immediate and decisive steps to require media literacy education in K-12 schools throughout the state.
The report, titled Developing Digital Citizens: Media Literacy Education for All Students, asserts that the state has been remiss in failing to equip schools to help students meet existing media literacy education standards, particularly in districts that predominantly serve low-income students and students of color. Stressing that “the internet has become the new public square” and that “to be democracy ready, all students must be media literate,” it recommends:
- All schools be staffed with school library media specialists, whose licensing requires extensive media literacy training.
- All districts be required to provide access to professional development for teachers around media literacy.
- The New York Board of Regents consider adding a dedicated one-semester course in media literacy for all ninth-graders as part of its review of graduation requirements.
- The state education department conduct a detailed survey to learn the current state of media literacy education and media literacy education resources in all schools.
[Read the full text of “Developing Digital Citizens: Media Literacy Education for All Students.”]
Prepared by Teachers College’s Center for Educational Equity (CEE), the report was issued by DemocracyReady NY, a statewide, nonpartisan, intergenerational coalition that works collectively to advance the right of all New York students to graduate from high school prepared for civic participation.
While the report was prepared well in advance of the coronavirus pandemic and designed to be implemented in the context of traditional, in-classroom schooling, many of its recommendations are easily adaptable to a remote learning environment. If anything, “the current crisis underscores the importance of media literacy and the urgency of effective media literacy education,” said CEE policy director Jessica Wolff, who coauthored the report with CEE executive director Michael Rebell and Teachers College doctoral student Ann LoBue.
“The current crisis has demonstrated that the ability to identify reliable news and information is not only a staple for civic health, but can literally mean the difference between life and death,” added Howard Schneider, executive director of the Center for News Literacy at the SUNY Stony Brook School of Journalism.
Noting that many well-regarded media literacy lessons and curricula already are available (often at no charge), the report recommends a five-part media literacy education framework oriented toward equity:
- Clear, inclusive P-12 state standards for media literacy, compiled drawing from the many key media literacy skills and competencies in existing state standards.
- Qualified personnel for teaching media literacy, and professional development for all teachers in teaching media literacy.
- Suitable media literacy education curricula and course offerings, both across the curriculum and as a stand-alone subject.
- Up-to-date facilities, instructional materials, and technology, including a well-equipped, up-to-date library media center for each school, as required under existing state law.
- Transparent monitoring and reporting of media literacy education resources and results, including a statewide survey to create a baseline from which progress can be measured.
Leading educators and experts on media literacy hailed the report.
“In our digital culture, media literacy is literacy for the real world,” said Faith Rogow, co-author, The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World. “To ensure all students have access to this essential new literacy, DemocracyReady NY’s Developing Digital Citizens report provides a practical and compelling roadmap for New York State.”
Michelle Ciulla-Lipkin, executive director, National Association for Media Literacy Education, said that Developing Digital Citizens: Media Literacy Education for ALL Students “presents an effective and necessary plan to bring media literacy education to New York State classrooms and ensure students are prepared and ready to participate fully in the world they will soon lead.”
"Now more than ever media literacy needs to become infused in basic education offerings and available to all students,” said Dr. Lorna Lewis, Superintendent of Schools, Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District. “This timely report offers useful recommendations for ensuring every school is prepared to deliver media literacy education to support students in navigating a changing world."
New York Library Association (NYLA) Council president, Dr. Jen Cannell said, “It has been a longstanding position of NYLA that all children deserve a comprehensive education – which includes media literacy curricula as taught by teachers and library media specialists. I applaud the work of DemocracyReady NY, and look forward to working together on this important issue in the future.”
Erin McNeill, president/founder of Media Literacy Now, said, “The DemocracyReady NY report makes clear the connection between media literacy, civic participation, and equity in our society. To ensure equal participation in the policy decisions that affect our health, our opportunities – every aspect of our lives – it is essential all schools can provide access to an education that is adequate and relevant in today’s world. Media Literacy Now congratulates the Coalition for confronting the systemic barriers to effective civic participation and for presenting a roadmap for New York and other states to follow.”
And Ted McConnell, senior policy advisor for the CivXNow Coalition, called the report, “a superb guide that meets the need of school districts and states for policies and practices that promote safe and accurately informed digital citizenship.”
DemocracyReady NY Coalition Members
Alliance for Quality Education
Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute
Capital Region Institute for Human Rights
Center for Children's Initiatives
Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University
Citizens’ Committee for Children
League of Women Voters of New York City
League of Women Voters New York State
New York State Council for the Social Studies
New York State Council of School Superintendents
New York State Parent Teachers Association
New York State Rural Schools Association
New York State School Boards Association
New York State Social Studies Supervisory Association
New York State United Teachers
The Education Trust - New York
Westchester Putnam School Boards Association
Jason Clark, Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Shira Epstein, The City College of New York
Brett Levy, University at Albany, SUNY
Ioana Literat, Teachers College, Columbia University
Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University
Laura Smith, Teachers College, Columbia University
DemocracyReady NY Youth Leadership Initiative. The Coalition includes and honors the voices and leadership of young people. Its youth members—11th and 12th graders from diverse regions across the state—join forces with the other Coalition members to ensure that New York students are fully prepared to participate in the civic activities and decision-making that affect them and their peers, as well as their families, their communities, and our broader society.