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S 2016Curriculum and Standards

Education - Curriculum

This bill requires Rhode Island K-12 schools to include media literacy as part of their mandatory civics education curriculum.

Held for study
Population
Affected
72
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 9, 2026Committee Senate Education

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends Rhode Island's education laws regarding civics curriculum. Specifically, it mandates that the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education include "media literacy" in the grade K-12 civics standards. Currently, these standards cover Rhode Island history, representative government, and the rights and duties of citizenship. This bill adds media literacy to that list, requiring it to be taught in all public schools and approved private schools. Additionally, the bill corrects a spelling error in the existing text, changing "principals" to "principles."

For younger readers

This law adds a new subject for students to learn in school. Right now, students learn about history and how the government works. This bill says that schools must also teach "media literacy." Media literacy means learning how to understand the news, television, and information found on the internet. It helps students figure out if what they are reading or watching is true or false. This helps kids become smarter about the information they see every day.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Students (K-12)Public School TeachersSchool AdministratorsParentsBoard of Regents
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Empowers future generations with the critical thinking skills necessary to identify misinformation and disinformation, which frequently target marginalized communities and undermine social justice efforts.
  • Strengthens the democratic process by creating a more informed electorate capable of analyzing political messaging and corporate media narratives.
  • Modernizes the education system to reflect the realities of the digital age, ensuring that public education remains relevant and beneficial to the welfare of the community.
  • Lacks specific funding or resources for teacher training, potentially creating an unfunded mandate that stresses already overburdened public school budgets.
  • The term "media literacy" is not strictly defined, creating a risk that the implementation could be superficial or fail to address systemic biases in media ownership and representation.
  • Without strict oversight, the curriculum could vary significantly between wealthy and poor districts, exacerbating educational inequities.
For Conservatives
  • Encourages students to question sources and think critically rather than blindly accepting narratives presented by mainstream media outlets.
  • Reinforces the importance of civics education and the principles of democracy, ensuring students understand the foundations of the state and country.
  • Corrects a spelling error in the state statute, ensuring the law is written with professional precision.
  • Expands government control over local school curriculum, reducing the ability of local parents and school boards to determine what is taught in the classroom.
  • Risks exposing children to state-sanctioned political bias under the guise of "literacy," potentially labeling conservative viewpoints as "misinformation."
  • Adds more mandates to the school day, potentially taking time away from core academic subjects like math, reading, and traditional history.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 3 additions · 3 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 16-22-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-22 entitled "Curriculum [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — the Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 16-22-2. Civics education.

(a) The general assembly recognizes the importance of a citizenry well educated in the principles of democracy as enunciated in the constitutions of the state of Rhode Island and the United States. The general assembly directs the board of regents for elementary and secondary education to develop and adopt a set of grade level standards K-12 in civics education no later than August 31, 2007. These standards shall include, but not be limited to, the history of the state of Rhode Island, representative government, the rights and duties of actively engaged citizenship, and the principals principles of democracy, and media literacy. These civic education standards shall be used in the public schools of this state beginning in kindergarten and continuing through to and including grade 12. No private school or private instruction shall be approved for the purposes of chapter 19 of this title unless the course of study shall make provision for instruction substantially equivalent to that required by this chapter for public schools.

(b) All middle and high school students attending public schools, or any other schools managed and controlled by the state, shall demonstrate proficiency, as defined by the local school district, in civics education that shall also satisfy half credit or course requirement in history and social studies.

(c) Each public school district shall provide not less than one student-led civics project for students during either middle or high school; provided, however, that each such project shall be consistent with the history and social studies standards and frameworks promulgated by the Rhode Island board of education. Civics projects may be individual, small group, or class wide, and designed to promote a student’s ability to:

(1) Reason, make logical arguments, and support claims using valid evidence; and

(2) Demonstrate an understanding of the connections between federal, state, and local policies, including issues that may impact the student’s community.

(d) The department of education shall begin implementing subsections (b) and (c) of this section for the 2022-2023 academic year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.