State Standards of Media Literacy

Nationally recognized media educator Frank Baker offers workshops (staff and student) to help districts and schools meet state standards which include media literacy. To learn more, click here.

In 1999, I co-authored a major study of media literacy in state teaching standards. I continue to maintain this site and update it regularly. Should you have questions about this site, or about teaching standards, contact me:  fbaker1346@aol.com

State Standards Which Include Elements of Media Literacy: To view a state’s standards, click on the state, which will open a separate window. (NOTE: to see database of each state, scroll down below map)

Original Education Week op-ed
on state standards:
Has Media Education Found A Curricular Foothold? 
By Robert Kubey, Center for Media Studies, Rutgers University
& Frank W. Baker
(media education consultant)

Other related resources:

NOTE: 42 states have now endorsed the Common Core ELA Standards, and many are beginning the process of transitioning and implementing those new standards. In the database, I have maintained the current ELA standards for each state, even as many begin the transition. This document: media references in the Core Standard ELA document, should be referred to read how Common Core ELA refers to media.

UPDATE 2019 Reboot Foundation Surveys State Standards for Media Literacy (pg 16)
PARCC Model Content Framework for ELA (June 2011)
UNESCO’s ICT Competency Standards for Teachers
NETS for Students: The Next Generation (Nov. 2007)
AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner (Oct. 2007)
SETDA’s Media Literacy State Standards Breakdown
State’s Assessment of Media Literacy
Media Literacy and the K-12 Content Areas
Queensland (Australia) Arts Syllabus-Outcomes
College Board: Standards for College Success: English (Media Literacy: page 186)
Where’s Media Literacy? (Winter ’06 Threshold)
Information & Media Literacy (Partnership for 21st Century Skills)
American Diploma Project: ELA/Viewing
ELA/Communication Benchmarks
ELA/ Producing Digital Media
Standard Procedures– ( January ’04 Access Learning)
The 12 Standards for the English Language Arts
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards:
Early Adolescence ELA Standards, 2nd Ed
Standard X: Listening, Speaking and Viewing (see pgs 58-60)
National Journalism Standards



Graphic courtesy of Cable In The Classroom magazine

State by State Standards for Media Literacy
(NOTE: references include at least one element of media literacy as determined by the study’s authors)
0=States added in April 2000; X,Z=updates

State 

English,
Language &
Communication Arts
Social
Studies,
History, Civics
Health,
Consumer
Skills
Media
Strand
ALABAMA X X

0

 
ALASKA X X 0  
ARIZONA X X X  
ARKANSAS X X X  
CALIFORNIA X X 0  
COLORADO X X X  
CONNECTICUT X X X  
DELAWARE X X X  
FLORIDA X X X  
GEORGIA X X X  
HAWAII X X X  
IDAHO X   X  
ILLINOIS X X X X
INDIANA X X X  
IOWA X      
KANSAS 0   X  
KENTUCKY Z   0  
LOUISIANA X X X  
MAINE X X X  
MARYLAND X X  
MASSACH– USETTS X    X  X
MICHIGAN X X X  
MINNESOTA X X X  
MISSOURI X X X X
MISSISSIPPI X   X  
MONTANA x X X  
NEBRASKA X X X  
NEVADA X X 0  
NEW HAMPSHIRE X X X  
NEW JERSEY X X X  
NEW MEXICO X X X  
NEW YORK X X X  
NORTH CAROLINA X X X  
NORTH DAKOTA X X X  
OHIO X X Z  
OKLAHOMA X X X  
OREGON X X  
PENNSYLVANIA X X X   
RHODE ISLAND X   X  
SOUTH CAROLINA X X X  
SOUTH DAKOTA X   X  
TENNESSEE X   X X
TEXAS X X X X
UTAH X X X X
VERMONT X   X  
VIRGINIA X X X  
WASHINGTON X   X X
WEST VIRGINIA X X X  
WISCONSIN X X X  
WYOMING X X  
TOTALS 50 39 49 7
PERCENT 100% 78% 98% 14%