Bill Text: IA SR104 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: A resolution requesting the legislative council to establish an interim study committee to study the impacts of mandatory dual language immersion programs in school districts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-23 - Resolution filed, referred to Rules & Administration. S.J. 343. [SR104 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SR104-Introduced.html

---

Senate Resolution 104 - Introduced

PAG LIN




                    SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
                             BY  SODDERS
  1  1 A Resolution requesting the legislative council to
  1  2    establish an interim study committee to study
  1  3    the impacts of mandatory dual language immersion
  1  4    programs in school districts.
  1  5    WHEREAS, Iowa's competitive position in the global
  1  6 economy depends on Iowa's educational system to prepare
  1  7 individuals for employment by developing superior
  1  8 literacy, cognitive, and communication skills; and
  1  9    WHEREAS, research indicates that English language
  1 10 learners participating in dual language immersion
  1 11 programs perform academically at least as well as same
  1 12 background peers being schooled in English only; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, English language learners' higher bilingual
  1 14 proficiency levels are linked to higher levels of
  1 15 reading achievement in English, increased academic
  1 16 language proficiency, and successful schooling
  1 17 experiences in general; and
  1 18    WHEREAS, native English speakers who participate in
  1 19 such programs consistently develop native=like levels
  1 20 of comprehension, such as listening and reading skills,
  1 21 in their second language; and
  1 22    WHEREAS, fully proficient bilingual children
  1 23 outperform their monolingual peers in the areas
  1 24 of divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and
  1 25 problem=solving, making immersion students better
  1 26 prepared for the global community and job markets where
  1 27 21st century skills are an asset; NOW THEREFORE,
  1 28    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the senate
  2  1 requests the legislative council to authorize and
  2  2 establish an interim study committee composed of
  2  3 members of the senate and the house of representatives
  2  4 to commence meeting during the 2016 legislative
  2  5 interim; and
  2  6    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the purpose of the
  2  7 interim study committee is to study the short=term and
  2  8 long=term impacts of mandatory dual language immersion
  2  9 programs beginning in the first grade and continuing
  2 10 through grade twelve, review budgetary and programmatic
  2 11 matters related to the establishment of a dual language
  2 12 immersion pilot program, and submit findings and
  2 13 recommendations to the general assembly by January 1,
  2 14 2017.
       LSB 5692XS (3) 86
       kh/nh