Bill Text: NJ A4988 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education in DOE.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-10-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4988 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4988-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CARMEN THERESA MORALES
District 34 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education in DOE.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education in the Department of Education 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. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The number of students attending public schools both in New Jersey and across the nation with a first language other than English continues to rise.
b. Over the past five years, the English language learner student population in New Jersey public schools has increased steadily from nearly 94,000 students in the 2019-2020 school year to over 130,000 students in the 2023-2024 school year. These students now represent approximately nine percent of the total Statewide public student population.
c. Nationwide, in terms of total enrollment, the number of English language learners rose over two percent between the years 2000 and 2020, with the English language learner student population itself growing approximately 35 percent between the years 2000 and 2020.
d. District boards of education are required to identify and provide English language learners with appropriate instructional programs.
e. With the continued rise in the number of English language learner students enrolling in public schools, it is imperative that New Jersey supports school districts and students by providing access to appropriate curriculum, professional development, academic support and counseling services, and resources to support parental involvement.
2. a. There is established in the Department of Education the Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education. The objective of the office is to provide targeted support to students from Latino, Hispanic, and other non-English speaking communities in an effort to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall appoint an executive director qualified by training and experience to serve, at the pleasure of the commissioner, as administrator of the Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education. The executive director shall devote full-time to the performance of the duties of the office and shall receive a salary as shall be fixed by the commissioner.
c. The commissioner shall direct the executive director to employ personnel necessary to assist the executive director in performing the duties set forth in this act. Employees shall receive a salary as shall be fixed by the commissioner.
3. a. The Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education shall include divisions dedicated to curriculum development, teacher training, student support services, and community outreach. The duties of the office shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) creating and overseeing bilingual education programs, including bilingual education programs created pursuant to P.L.1974, c.197 (C.18A:35-15 et seq.), tailored to meet the needs of students from Latino, Hispanic, and other non-English speaking communities, which shall include developing instructional materials in multiple languages and integrating culturally responsive teaching practices;
(2) providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities for educators to enhance their ability to support bilingual and English language learner students, including certification programs for bilingual educators, workshops on culturally responsive teaching, strategies for differentiating instruction, and techniques for engaging students from diverse linguistic backgrounds;
(3) offering academic support and counseling services to bilingual and English language learner students to ensure academic success, including tutoring, mentoring, and language acquisition services and programs;
(4) developing and distributing parental resources, including providing parents with materials in multiple languages that explain the educational system, how to support children at home, ways to engage with schools, understanding students' rights, available support services, and how to access translation and interpretation services;
(5) developing initiatives to engage parents and community members in the educational process, including providing resources in multiple languages, hosting informational workshops, and creating partnerships with community organizations;
(6) overseeing compliance with relevant federal and State law and regulation, including conducting regular audits of school districts to ensure they are providing required services to bilingual and English language learner students; and
(7) developing a central repository for all Department of Education bilingual and English language learner resources that shall be easily accessible on the office's webpage established pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
b. The Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education shall develop and maintain an Internet website within 60 days of the effective date of this act. The website shall provide information on the website in the five most common languages spoken in the State.
4. a. Each school district in the State shall annually submit a report to the Department of Education detailing the enrollment, progress, and outcomes of bilingual and English language learner students enrolled in each school in the district.
b. The department shall analyze the data provided by a school district pursuant to subsection a. of this section to assess the effectiveness of the school district's bilingual and English language learner programs and identify areas for improvement.
c. If the department determines a school is not compliant with federal or State law or regulations governing bilingual and English language learner students, the school shall develop a corrective action plan to ensure compliance. The corrective action plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) identifying barriers to compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
(2) developing recommendations to address barriers to compliance;
(3) establishing protocols on informing and engaging parents to ensure the success of bilingual and English language learner students; and
(4) reviewing school policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
d. The school shall present the corrective action plan to the board of education and the department. The school shall annually review and revise the corrective action plan, and present the revisions to the board of education and the department, until the department determines the school is in compliance with federal and State laws and regulations governing bilingual and English language learner education.
5. The executive director of the Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education shall submit an annual report to the Commissioner of Education that includes a summary of bilingual and English language learner programs developed or offered by the office, services provided, community engagement programs offered, information on school district reporting required pursuant to section 3 of this act, and any recommendations the executive director deems appropriate and necessary for ensuring the academic success of bilingual and English language learner students.
6. The Commissioner of
Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure
Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to effectuate the
provisions of this act.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education (office) in the Department of Education. The objective of the office is to provide targeted support to students from Latino, Hispanic, and other non-English speaking communities in an effort to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities.
The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to appoint an executive director of the office who is required to devote full-time to the performance of the duties of the office and who is to receive a salary as fixed by the commissioner.
Under the bill, the office is required to include divisions dedicated to curriculum development, teacher training, student support services, and community outreach. The duties of the office include, at a minimum: (1) creating and overseeing bilingual education programs tailored to meet the needs of students from Latino, Hispanic, and other non-English speaking communities; (2) providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities for educators to enhance their ability to support bilingual and English language learner students; (3) offering academic support and counseling services to bilingual and English language learner students; (4) developing and distributing parental resources; (5) developing initiatives to engage parents and community members in the academic process; (6) overseeing compliance with relevant federal and State laws and regulations; and (7) developing a central repository for all Department of Education bilingual and English language learner resources. The bill requires the office to develop and maintain an Internet website within 60 days of the effective date of the bill and to provide information on the website in the five most common languages spoken in the State.
Under the bill, each school district in the State is required to annually submit a report to the department detailing the enrollment, progress, and outcomes of bilingual and English language learner students enrolled in each school in the district. The department is then required to analyze the data provided by the school district to assess the effectiveness of the school district's bilingual and English language learner programs and identify areas for improvement. If the department determines that a school is not compliant with federal or State laws and regulations governing bilingual and English language learner students, the bill requires the school to develop a corrective active plan to ensure compliance. The school is required to present the corrective action plan to the board of education and the department, and to annually review and revise the corrective action plan until the department determines the school is in compliance with applicable federal and State laws and regulations.
Under the bill, the executive director of the office is to annually submit a report to the commissioner that includes a summary of any bilingual and English language learner programs developed or offered by the office, services provided, community engagement programs offered, information on school district reporting required under the bill, and any recommendations the executive director deems appropriate and necessary for ensuring the academic success of bilingual and English language learner students.
