Dual Language Immersion Program Act

Summary

The purpose of this Act is to reform the Critical Languages Program by modifying it to the Dual Language Immersion Program as a pilot program while also making technical corrections.

Dual Language Immersion Program Act

(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Board” means the State Board of Education.
(b) “Dual language immersion” means an instructional setting in which a student receives a portion of instruction in English and a portion of instruction exclusively in a partner language.
(c) “Local education agency” or “LEA” means a school district or a charter school.
(d) “Participating LEA” means an LEA selected by the board to receive a grant described in this section.
(e) “Partner language” means a language other than English in which instruction is provided in dual language immersion.
(2) The board shall:
(a) establish a dual language immersion program;
(b) in accordance with the State’s Administrative Rulemaking Act, make rules that establish:
(i) a grant program for an LEA to receive funding for dual language immersion;
(ii) the required qualifications for an LEA to be a participating LEA;
(iii) subject to this section, requirements of a participating LEA;
(iv) a proficiency assessment for each partner language; and
(v) a progression of how a school in a participating LEA adds grade levels in which the school offers dual language immersion;
(c) subject to legislative appropriations:
(i) select participating LEAs; and
(ii) award to a participating LEA a grant to support dual language immersion in the LEA; and
(d) report to a legislative committee on the results of a proficiency assessment upon request.
(3) A participating LEA shall:
(a) establish in a school a full-day dual language immersion instructional model that provides at least 50% of instruction in English and 50% in a partner language;
(b) in accordance with the board rules, add grades in which dual language immersion is provided in a school; and
(c) annually administer to each student in grades 3 through 9 who participates in dual language immersion an assessment.
(4) The board shall:
(a) provide support to a participating LEA, including by:
(i) offering professional learning for dual language immersion educators;
(ii) developing curriculum related to dual language immersion; or’
(iii) providing instructional support for a partner language;
(b) conduct a program evaluation of the dual language immersion program; and
(c) on or before [XXXX], report to the Education Interim Committee and the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee on the results of the program evaluation

(5) The board may, in accordance with the State’s Procurement Code, contract with a third party to conduct the program evaluation described in Subsection (4)(b).

 

Amended and Re-Approved December 26, 2018.