Bill > H3264

This bill establishes a Media Literacy and Critical Thinking pilot program in South Carolina's public schools, to be implemented during the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years. The bill defines media literacy as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and interact with various media forms, recognize bias, understand digital citizenship, and critically analyze media messages. The State Department of Education will select seven diverse school districts to participate in the pilot program, with each site required to develop strategies for integrating media literacy into daily classroom curricula across all grades. The pilot program will focus on four key areas: news content literacy, visual literacy, digital fluency, and digital literacy. By August 1, 2028, each participating site must submit a report on their implementation, and by January 1, 2029, the department will compile these reports and submit a summary to legislative education committees. The summary will include insights, strategies, professional development information, and recommendations for statewide implementation, along with a draft of proposed media literacy standards. The pilot program is set to terminate on June 30, 2026, unless the General Assembly decides to continue or expand it, and its implementation is contingent on specific funding appropriation.

Education

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3264&session=126&summary=B