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Board discusses digital‑literacy work to help students evaluate online information
Summary
The board discussed asking its digital literacy and computer science committee to recommend how schools can teach students to evaluate online information and distinguish reliable sources from misinformation without becoming a fact‑checking office.
Board members asked the department to prioritize teaching students how to assess online information amid rapid growth of social media and generative AI. Department staff said the department’s newly formed digital literacy and computer science committee will be asked to examine how schools can help students evaluate truth and accuracy without performing centralized fact‑checking.
A department official said states and districts nationwide are grappling with the question and that classroom work on research and source evaluation already exists in many courses. The department will ask the committee to determine whether the work belongs in digital‑literacy standards, English language arts standards, or a set of foundational recommendations.
Officials said they do not plan to create a state fact‑checking office but do want to help teachers and students develop critical evaluation skills. “We’re not going to start doing fact checking. We’re not going to, but we do want to help students be able to make good decisions about the information they are consuming,” a department official said.
Board members suggested the department review models used by other states and national organizations. Department staff said the committee will study the issue in the coming year and report back with recommendations, which could include recommended classroom practices, sample lessons or nonbinding state guidance.
