S257 - Appropriations Act of 2017. (SL 2017-57)

Overview: S.L. 2017-57, Sec. 7.23K requires, as part of continuing implementation of the Digital Learning Plan, the State Board of Education (SBE), the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University (Friday Institute), and The University of North Carolina (UNC) educator preparation programs to collaborate on a comprehensive professional development strategy and solution (PD solution) for teachers and students in UNC educator preparation programs for the use of technology and digital resources as teaching tools for students in elementary and secondary schools. A competitive process must be used for specifications of products and services required to implement the PD solution, and selection of a professional development provider, if necessary. The PD solution must include competency based measurement of technological and pedagogical skills of teachers and teacher candidates and delivery of flexible professional development to ensure the greatest possible coverage and convenience.

The SBE, DPI, Friday Institute, UNC educator preparation programs, and local boards of education of local school administrative units (LEAs) located within counties determined to be the most economically distressed by the Department of Commerce must collaborate to assess and plan to strengthen current efforts to provide student digital literacy instruction (DL instruction) in kindergarten through eighth grade in those LEAs. A competitive process must be used for specifications for any products and services required to implement DL instruction, including selection of a digital literacy curriculum provider, if necessary. The assessment and plan must address opportunities for students to learn essential digital literacy skills, provide teachers with the ability to assess student digital literacy growth, facilitate Project-Based Learning (PBL) and other research-based instructional frameworks to integrate instruction on digital literacy into core and supplemental subjects, identify resources that provide teachers with instructional support and supplemental and extension options to address all students, and accommodate English language learners with Spanish language instruction.

This section became effective July 1, 2017.