House File 356 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY ABDUL=SAMAD
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for a world language education pilot program
2 and making appropriations.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.34 World language education
1 2 pilot program == report == appropriation.
1 3 1. The department shall establish a world language
1 4 education pilot program to enhance foreign language education
1 5 in Iowa elementary schools. The pilot program shall provide
1 6 for research=based foreign language instruction of students
1 7 beginning in kindergarten and continuing through grade five.
1 8 The pilot program shall provide for yearly assessments of
1 9 student progress in the development of foreign language skills.
1 10 The department shall establish program evaluation criteria,
1 11 including but not limited to improvement in student grades and
1 12 reading, writing, and cultural competency skills.
1 13 2. The department shall establish the pilot program in two
1 14 elementary schools in school districts with enrollment less
1 15 than three thousand students and two elementary schools in
1 16 school districts with enrollment greater than three thousand
1 17 students. The department shall limit participation in the
1 18 pilot program to schools in which at least ninety percent of
1 19 enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced price meals
1 20 under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal
1 21 Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. {{1751=1785. The
1 22 department shall give preference in the selection of schools
1 23 to participate in the pilot program to schools in which a
1 24 significant percentage of enrolled students are limited English
1 25 proficient as defined in section 280.4, subsection 1, or
1 26 in which enrolled students have a language background in a
1 27 significant number of languages other than English.
1 28 3. Each elementary school participating in the pilot
1 29 program shall enter into a chapter 28E agreement with a regents
1 30 institution to assist in the development of instruction,
1 31 coursework, assessments, and any other resources necessary to
1 32 carry out the pilot program.
1 33 4. The department shall submit a biennial report to
1 34 the general assembly beginning December 30, 2016, on the
1 35 department's findings and recommendations regarding the pilot
2 1 program and foreign language education in this state.
2 2 5. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
2 3 state to the department of education for each of the fiscal
2 4 years in the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending
2 5 June 30, 2021, two hundred eighty thousand dollars for the
2 6 pilot program. There is appropriated from the general fund of
2 7 the state to the department of education for the fiscal year
2 8 beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, one hundred
2 9 thousand dollars for administrative costs associated with the
2 10 implementation of the pilot program.
2 11 EXPLANATION
2 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
2 13 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
2 14 This bill requires the department of education to establish
2 15 a world language education pilot program to enhance foreign
2 16 language education in Iowa elementary schools. The pilot
2 17 program shall provide for research=based foreign language
2 18 instruction of students beginning in kindergarten and
2 19 continuing through grade five. The pilot program shall provide
2 20 for yearly assessments of student progress in the development
2 21 of foreign language skills. The bill requires the department
2 22 to establish program evaluation criteria.
2 23 The bill requires the department to establish the pilot
2 24 program in two elementary schools in school districts with
2 25 enrollment less than 3,000 students and two elementary
2 26 schools in school districts with enrollment greater than 3,000
2 27 students. The bill limits participation in the pilot program
2 28 to schools in which at least 90 percent of enrolled students
2 29 are eligible for free or reduced price meals under federal
2 30 law. The bill requires the department to give preference in
2 31 the selection of schools to participate in the pilot program to
2 32 schools in which a significant percentage of enrolled students
2 33 are limited English proficient or in which enrolled students
2 34 have a language background in a significant number of languages
2 35 other than English.
3 1 The bill requires a participating elementary school to enter
3 2 into an agreement pursuant to Code chapter 28E with a regents
3 3 institution to assist in the development of instruction,
3 4 coursework, assessments, and any other resources necessary to
3 5 carry out the pilot program.
3 6 The bill requires the department to submit a biennial report
3 7 to the general assembly beginning December 30, 2016, on the
3 8 department's findings and recommendations regarding the pilot
3 9 program and foreign language education.
3 10 The bill appropriates $280,000 to the department for the
3 11 pilot program for each of the six fiscal years in the fiscal
3 12 period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2021.
3 13 The bill also appropriates $100,000 to the department for
3 14 administrative costs associated with the implementation of the
3 15 pilot program for fiscal year 2015=2016.
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