Building Media Literacy into State Standards

Media literacy is a key component of both active use and digital citizenship, and states like Delaware are taking steps to ensure all students are engaged, analytical, informed media consumers. The state passed S.B. 195 in 2022, requiring the inclusion of media literacy standards for K-12 classrooms. The law allows media literacy to “be incorporated into existing curricula standards” and states that “media literacy curricula is needed to guarantee the vitality of American democracy and students’ ability to engage in civic life.” The draft standards draw on the ISTE student standards and the American Association of School Libraries Student Standards and will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year. Guiding the work, “The Digital Citizenship Education Act” offers the following definitions: 

“Media literacy” means the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and take action with all forms of communication and encompasses the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safety, including the norms of appropriate, responsible, ethical, and healthy behavior, and cyberbullying prevention. 

“Digital citizenship” means the diverse set of skills related to participating in digital platforms, including the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior.