HI SR82

Requests the Department of Education to implement a closed captioning pilot project beginning with the 2011-2012 school year in selected public elementary and middle schools as a teaching and learning tool.

Pilot project must compare reading ability levels between students with closed captioning integrated into curriculum and a control group without captioning.

Department must compile a report by the end of the 2011-2012 school year including student demographics, initial reading ability levels, changes in reading ability, and comparison of reading levels between the two groups.

Report must be submitted to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2013 Regular Session convenes.

Cites research showing closed captioning enhances vocabulary, reading speed, word association, and spelling, and notes the technology is freely available on most televisions manufactured after 1993.