The legislature recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the importance of internet-accessible learning devices for the ability of students to receive a modern education. When Washington schools closed in March 2020, schools and school districts shifted quickly to offering education in an online environment. Teachers adapted their lessons for videoconferencing platforms and arranged for students to submit homework via email. However, limited opportunities for in-person instruction amplified digital deserts and disparities among students that are likely to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
The legislature finds that students from low-income families face disproportionate barriers to accessing learning over the internet in their homes, partly because they do not have internet-accessible devices appropriate for learning. The legislature also recognizes that accessing learning over the internet requires more than just an internet-accessible device appropriate for learning. For students and their families to be truly connected, they need the digital literacy, digital skills, and digital support to use internet-accessible devices and to navigate the web in support of student learning.
Therefore, the purposes of this act are to: (a) Accelerate student access to learning devices and related goods and services; (b) expand training programs and technical assistance on using technology to support student learning; and (c) build the capacity of schools and districts to support digital navigation services for students and their families.
This section modifies existing section 28A.650.010. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
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"Learning device" means an internet-accessible computer, tablet, or other device, with an appropriate operating system, software applications, and data security, that can be used to access curricula, educational web applications and websites, and learning management systems, and with telecommunications capabilities sufficient for videoconferencing.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.650. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Each educational service district shall provide technology consultation, procurement, and training, in consultation with teacher-librarians through school library information and technology programs as defined in RCW 28A.320.240, and as described in this section. An educational service district may meet the requirements of this section in cooperation with one or more other educational service districts.
Technology consultation involves providing technical assistance and guidance to local school districts related to technology needs and financing, and may include consultation with other entities.
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Technology procurement involves negotiating for local school district purchasing and leasing of learning devices and peripheral devices, learning management systems, cybersecurity protection, device insurance, and other technology-related goods and services.
When selecting goods and services for procurement, the educational service district must consider a variety of student needs, as well as accessibility, age appropriateness, privacy and security, data storage and transfer capacity, and telecommunications capability.
Technology procurement may be performed in consultation and contract with the department of enterprise services under chapter 39.26 RCW.
Technology training involves developing and offering direct services to local school districts related to staff development and capacity building to provide digital navigation services to students and their families. The educational service districts must seek to consult teacher-librarians and other relevant information technology programs to determine where there is a need and focus for this training. These services may be provided on a fee-for-service basis.
Technology consultation, procurement, and training under this section must be provided to local public schools, as defined in RCW 28A.150.010, the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, and the school for the blind, in addition to local school districts. Technology training under this section may also be offered to child care providers.
The educational service districts must cooperate with the office of the superintendent of public instruction to provide the data required under section 5(1) of this act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.650. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and administer a technology grant program, as described in this section, to advance the following objectives:
Attain a universal 1:1 student to learning device ratio;
Expand technical support and training of school and district staff in using technology to support student learning; and
Develop district-based and school-based capacity to assist students and their families in accessing and using technology to support student learning.
The following entities, individually or in cooperation, may apply to the office of the superintendent of public instruction for a grant under this section: A public school as defined in RCW 28A.150.010; a school district; an educational service district; the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth; and the state school for the blind.
At a minimum, grant applications must include:
The applicant's technology plan for accomplishing the goals of the grant program, the applicant's student demographics, including the percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals, and any specialized technology needs of the applicant's students, such as students with disabilities and English learners who may need adaptive or assistive technologies; and
A description of preexisting programs and funding sources used by the applicant to provide learning devices to students, staff, or both.
When ranking and selecting applicants, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must prioritize both of the following:
Applicants without preexisting programs to provide a device for every student and that have 30 percent or more students eligible for free and reduced-price meals; and
Applicants with students who have specialized technology needs.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.650. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall collect and analyze the following data:
Demographic, distribution, and other data related to technology initiatives; and
Biennial survey data on school and school district progress to accomplish the objectives listed in section 4(1) of this act.
By November 1, 2022, and by November 1st every even year thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, with:
A summary of the technology initiatives data collected under subsection (1) of this section;
The status of the state's progress in accomplishing the following: (i) Accelerate student access to learning devices and related goods and services; (ii) expand training programs and technical assistance on using technology to support student learning; and (iii) build the capacity of schools and districts to support digital navigation services for students and their families;
Recommendations for improving the administration and oversight of the technology initiatives; and
An update on innovative and collaborative activities occurring in communities across the state to support widespread public technology literacy and fluency, as well as student universal access to learning devices.
By November 1, 2022, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall survey districts, collect data, and provide a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature that contains, at a minimum, the following:
A list of districts that have a separate technology levy;
The total amount of funding generated by the technology levies; and
A detailed breakdown on how the funds generated by the technology levies are being used, including, but not limited to, the number of technology devices being purchased with those funds, personnel costs related to servicing and maintaining those devices covered by those funds, and any training or professional development for use of technology provided with those funds.
For the purposes of this section, "technology initiatives" means the technology grants awarded by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under section 4 of this act, and the provision of technology consultation, procurement, and training by educational service districts under section 3 of this act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.300. Here is the modified chapter for context.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a grant program for the purposes of supporting media literacy and digital citizenship through school district leadership teams. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish and publish criteria for the grant program, and may accept gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources for the grant program.
A school district that receives a grant under this section is not prohibited from receiving a grant in subsequent grant cycles.
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For a school district to qualify for a grant under this section, the grant proposal must provide that the grantee create a district leadership team that develops a curriculum unit on media literacy or digital citizenship, or both, that may be integrated into one of the following areas:
Social studies;
English language arts; or
Health.
School districts selected under the grant program are expected to evaluate the curriculum unit they develop under this subsection (2).
In developing their curriculum unit, school districts selected under the grant program are encouraged to work with school district teacher-librarians or a school district library information technology program, if applicable.
The establishment of the grant program under this section is subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose.
The curriculum unit developed under this section must be made available as an open educational resource.
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Up to 10 grants a year awarded under this section must be for establishing media literacy professional learning communities with the purpose of sharing best practices in the subject of media literacy.
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Grant recipients under this subsection (5) are required to develop an online presence for their community to model new strategies and to share ideas, challenges, and successful practices.
Grant recipients shall attend the group meetings created by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under (c) of this subsection (5).
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene group meetings for the purpose of sharing best practices and strategies in media literacy education.
Additional activities permitted for the use of these grants include, but are not limited to:
Organizing teachers from across a school district to develop new instructional strategies and to share successful strategies;
Sharing successful practices across a group of school districts; and
Facilitating coordination between educational service districts and school districts to provide training.
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At least one grant awarded in each award cycle must be for developing and using a curriculum that contains a focus on synthetic media as a major component.
For the purposes of this section, "synthetic media" means an image, an audio recording, or a video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been intentionally manipulated with the use of digital technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.
This section expires July 31, 2031.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.300. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene two regional conferences on the subject of media literacy and digital citizenship.
The conferences in this section should highlight the work performed by the recipients of the grant program established under section 6 of this act, as well as best practices in media literacy and digital citizenship.
The locations for conferences convened under this section must include one site in western Washington and one site in eastern Washington.
This section expires July 31, 2031.
If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2021, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.