S6479-2011 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Provides that school districts may provide instruction in digital literacy

Provides that school districts may provide instruction in digital literacy.

Sponsor: FARLEY / Co-sponsor(s): ADDABBO, AVELLA, BONACIC, DEFRANCISCO, GOLDEN, GRISANTI, JOHNSON, LAVALLE, LITTLE, MARCELLINO, MARTINS, MAZIARZ, O'MARA, OPPENHEIMER, RANZENHOFER, SERRANO, SEWARD, STAVISKY, ZELDIN / Committee: EDUCATION
Law Section: Education Law / Law: Amd S814, Ed L

S6479-2011 Actions

Jun 12, 2012: referred to education
Jun 12, 2012: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
Jun 12, 2012: PASSED SENATE
Jun 11, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
Jun 6, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
Jun 5, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.1032
Feb 14, 2012: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S6479-2011 Meetings

Education: Jun 5, 2012

S6479-2011 Calendars

Active List: Jun 12, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 6, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 11, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 12, 2012

S6479-2011 Votes

VOTE: COMMITTEE VOTE: - Education - Jun 5, 2012

Ayes (17): Flanagan, Lanza, LaValle, Marcellino, Maziarz, Ranzenhofer, Robach, Saland, Seward, Oppenheimer, Addabbo, Avella, Breslin, Montgomery, Serrano, Stavisky, Huntley
Excused (1): Farley

VOTE: FLOOR VOTE: - Jun 12, 2012

Ayes (58): Adams, Addabbo, Alesi, Avella, Bonacic, Breslin, Carlucci, DeFrancisco, Diaz, Dilan, Duane, Farley, Flanagan, Fuschillo, Gallivan, Gianaris, Golden, Griffo, Grisanti, Hannon, Hassell-Thomps, Johnson, Kennedy, Klein, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Libous, Little, Marcellino, Martins, Maziarz, McDonald, Montgomery, Nozzolio, O'Mara, Oppenheimer, Parker, Peralta, Perkins, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Rivera, Robach, Saland, Sampson, Savino, Serrano, Seward, Skelos, Smith, Squadron, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousin, Storobin, Valesky, Young, Zeldin
Nays (1): Ball
Excused (3): Espaillat, Huntley, Krueger

S6479-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6479

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
digital literacy instruction

PURPOSE:  The legislation would clarify current law to allow and encour-
age public schools to teach digital literacy.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 814 of the Education Law would be amended to clarify that public
schools may offer a digital literacy course that covers topics like
internet safety and other relevant issues to the use of technology and
the internet.

JUSTIFICATION:  Digital Literacy is a term that has gained widespread
use at both the state and federal level in defining the skill levels
necessary to use technology and the internet in the 21st Century.
Digital Literacy is a more comprehensive term that encompasses both
internet safety and other internet - related skills which are being
developed and taught by school librarians, such as the ability to prop-
erly access, evaluate, create and share online information in an appro-
priate, effective and safe manner.

The legislation only amends terminology used in existing law that
currently permits public schools to offer an optional course on internet
safety to instead offer an optional course on digital literacy that
includes topics like internet safety and other relevant issues pertain-
ing to the use of technology and the internet.  The bill provides great-
er flexibility to school districts to develop a course that remains
current and relevant with changes in both the use of the internet and
the technology needed to access the internet.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:  None to the State.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  The first day of September after it becomes law.

S6479-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
                                          6479
 I N  SENATE
 February 14, 2012
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  FARLEY,  DeFRANCISCO,  GOLDEN, GRISANTI, JOHNSON,
 LAVALLE, LITTLE, MARCELLINO, MARTINS, OPPENHEIMER,  SEWARD,  STAVISKY,
 ZELDIN  --  read  twice  and  ordered  printed, and when printed to be
 committed to the Committee on Education
 

AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  digital  literacy
 instruction
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1.

Section 814 of the education law, as added by  chapter  526
 of  the  laws of 2006, subdivision 3 as added by chapter 545 of the laws
 of 2008, is amended to read as follows:

 

S 814. Courses of study in DIGITAL LITERACY, TO INCLUDE internet safe
 ty. 1. Any school district in the state may provide, to pupils in grades
 kindergarten through twelve, instruction designed to promote the  proper
 and  safe use of the internet AND PREPARE STUDENTS TO USE TECHNOLOGY AND
 THE INTERNET TO ACCESS, EVALUATE, CREATE AND  SHARE  INFORMATION  IN  AN
 APPROPRIATE, EFFECTIVE AND SAFE MANNER.
 2.  The  commissioner  shall provide technical assistance to assist in
 the development of curricula for such courses of study  which  shall  be
 age  appropriate  and  developed according to the needs and abilities of
 pupils at successive grade levels in order to provide awareness, skills,
 information and support to aid in the safe usage of the internet AND  TO
 DEVELOP DIGITALLY LITERATE STUDENTS.
 3.  The commissioner shall develop age-appropriate resources and tech
 nical assistance for schools to provide  to  students  in  grades  three
 through  twelve and their parents or legal guardians concerning the safe
 and responsible use of the internet. The resources  shall  include,  but
 not be limited to, information regarding how child predators may use the
 internet  to lure and exploit children, protecting personal information,
 internet scams and cyber-bullying.
 

S 2. This act shall  take  effect  on  the  first  of  September  next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14161-01-2

S6479-2011: Provides that school districts may provide instruction in digital literacy