New Jersey-2016-A4318-Introduced

An Act concerning dual language immersion programs in school districts and charter schools and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Commissioner of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a dual language immersion program. The purpose of the program shall be to award grants to school districts and charter schools to establish dual language immersion programs in Chinese, Spanish, French, or any other language approved by the commissioner.

b. Grant funds allocated under the program may be used for, but not limited to, curriculum development, materials and supplies, staff training, and program evaluation.

2. A school district or charter school may be eligible to receive a grant if:

a. The school district or charter school uses an instructional model that provides at least 50 percent of its instruction in English and 50 percent of its instruction in a language described in subsection a. of section 1 of this act;

b. The dual language immersion program begins in kindergarten or in grade one and meets any other requirements established by the commissioner.

3. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall forward to school districts and charter schools a request for proposals for the establishment of a dual language immersion program.

A school district or charter school which wants to apply to participate in the grant program shall submit a proposal to the commissioner in such form as prescribed by the commissioner. The proposal shall include: a general description of the dual language immersion program; the number of potential participants; the program's potential impact on increasing biliteracy among students in the school district or charter school; and any other information that may be required by the commissioner.

4. The commissioner shall select grant recipients based upon the quality of the proposed program and its potential to increase student biliteracy. The commissioner shall select grant recipients in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and shall allocate to each selected school district and charter school a grant in such amount as the commissioner may deem necessary to support the dual language immersion program.

5. There is established in the Department of Education a nonlapsing revolving fund to be known as the Dual Language Immersion Program Fund. The fund shall be used to provide grants under the dual language immersion program, and shall be credited with all moneys appropriated by the Legislature, any gifts, grants, or donations made to the fund, and any other available revenue. Interest received on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish a dual language immersion program. Under the program, the commissioner will provide grants to school districts and charter schools to develop dual language immersion programs in Chinese, Spanish, French, or any other language approved by the commissioner.

Under the bill, a school district or charter school may be eligible to receive funds if it uses an instructional model that provides at least 50 percent of its instruction in English and 50 percent of its instruction in Chinese, Spanish, French, or any other language approved by the commissioner. The program would have to begin in kindergarten or in grade one and would need to meet any other requirements established by the commissioner.

The bill directs a school district or charter school which wants to apply to participate in the grant program to submit a proposal to the commissioner. The commissioner will select grant recipients in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and would allocate to each selected recipient a grant in such amount as the commissioner deems necessary to support the dual language immersion program.

The bill establishes the Dual Language Immersion Program Fund as a nonlapsing revolving fund in the Department of Education to finance the grant program. The fund will be credited with all moneys appropriated by the Legislature, any gifts, grants, or donations made to the fund, and any other available revenue.