Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0457 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0457
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7	7	LC001219
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION
16	16	Introduced By: Senators McKenney, Murray, Vargas, Gu, Lawson, Quezada, and Acosta
17	17	Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
18	18	Referred To: Senate Finance
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Findings. 1
23	23	The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: 2
24	24	(1) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1(l), proficiency in a second or multiple languages can be a 3
25	25	major tool for economic growth for our state and help overcome this country's disadvantage in the 4
26	26	world economy as we move into the twenty-first century. 5
27	27	(2) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1(j), the state both affirms the right of every resident to nurture 6
28	28	their native language and also encourages all citizens to become proficient in English to facilitate 7
29	29	full participation in society and promote cross-cultural communication. 8
30	30	(3) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1(j) and (k), native language instruction facilitates the 9
31	31	development of English proficiency with multilingual learners and boosts the overall academic 10
32	32	achievement of such children. 11
33	33	(4) Consistent with § 16-22-37, the department of education ("department"), in consultation 12
34	34	with local education agencies ("LEAs") that have a dual language program, was mandated to create 13
35	35	a model policy and timeline to assist LEAs in developing and implementing a dual language 14
36	36	program. 15
37	37	(5) The Rhode Island Blueprint for a Multilingual Learner Success (2021) calls for 16
38	38	expansion of opportunities for MLLs to access high-quality bilingual/bicultural programs while 17
39	39	developing literacies in multiple languages. 18
40	40	(6) There is overwhelming evidence that the state could expect a very high return to the 19
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44	44	public by investing in high quality bilingual and dual language programming for all of our students. 1
45	45	(7) Dual language investments targeted towards program development for disadvantaged 2
46	46	children will help to promote both efficiency and educational equity for the children of our state. 3
47	47	(8) The expansion of funding for bilingual and dual language programs that advance 4
48	48	outcomes for multilingual learners is critical to achieving the state's goal for grade-level reading by 5
49	49	the third grade and other academic achievements. 6
50	50	SECTION 2. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 7
51	51	adding thereto the following chapter: 8
52	52	CHAPTER 54.1 9
53	53	SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDU CATION ACT 10
54	54	16-54.1-1. Short tile. 11
55	55	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The Support and Access to Bilingual 12
56	56	Education Act. 13
57	57	16-54.1-2. Definitions. 14
58	58	For the purposes of this chapter: 15
59	59	(1) "Dual language " or "DL" means a method of instruction that promotes a student's full 16
60	60	proficiency in all aspects of English and another language. DL programs educate students using 17
61	61	both English and a partner language for academic instruction and may divide the day by language 18
62	62	of instruction. Dual language programs may include: two (2)-way immersion programs that teach 19
63	63	multilingual learners alongside English-speakers who are learning a partner language; and one-way 20
64	64	immersion programs that serve a student population comprised of a predominant majority of 21
65	65	speakers of the same home language. This may include a student population with limited to no 22
66	66	proficiency in English (these one-way immersion programs are sometimes called developmental 23
67	67	bilingual) or a student population with limited to no proficiency in the partner language (these one-24
68	68	way immersion programs are sometimes called world language immersion); and teachers pursuant 25
69	69	to these programs shall meet appropriate state certification requirements in accordance with the 26
70	70	department of education regulation 200-RICR-20-20-1. 27
71	71	(2) "Local education agency" or "LEA" shall have the same meaning as defined in 34 CFR 28
72	72	§ 303.23. 29
73	73	(3) "Qualifying languages" means the most common languages other than English spoken 30
74	74	in the state according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and other state data sources including, but not 31
75	75	limited to, the Algonquin Narragansett language. 32
76	76	16-54.1-3. SABE act fund authorized. 33
77	77	The department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") shall establish 34
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81	81	a dual language program fund within the department. For purposes of funding this chapter, the 1
82	82	general assembly shall appropriate the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000). 2
83	83	(1) Subject to funding for the program, the department shall establish and maintain a dual 3
84	84	language ("DL") pilot program to provide grants to school districts and schools that establish DL 4
85	85	programs. 5
86	86	(2) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from money in the fund. 6
87	87	(3) The fund shall consist of: 7
88	88	(i) Appropriations made by the general assembly; 8
89	89	(ii) Charitable contributions to the fund subject to the provisions of § 38-2-2(4)(G); and 9
90	90	(iii) Other sources deemed appropriate by the department. 10
91	91	(b) Eligibility. Applicants shall be a certified local education agency (LEA) within the state 11
92	92	consistent with the provisions of 34 CFR § 303.2. 12
93	93	(c) An LEA may be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to the provisions of this chapter if: 13
94	94	(1) The LEA uses a high-quality bilingual language instruction program model in 14
95	95	accordance with chapter 54 of title 16 and in accordance with regulations promulgated pursuant 15
96	96	thereto. 16
97	97	(2) The LEA has a multilingual learner student population exceeding fifteen percent (15%) 17
98	98	of the total pupil enrollment per RIDE data. 18
99	99	(i) The language(s) of instruction, in addition to English, shall be determined based on the 19
100	100	predominant home language(s) of the multilingual learner (MLL) student population. 20
101	101	(3) LEAs are encouraged to leverage existing funds including the state share of the MLL 21
102	102	funding formula distribution and federal funds. 22
103	103	16-54.1-4. Implementation of LEA dual language programs. 23
104	104	(a) LEA recipients of the SABE act fund per § 16-54.1-3, shall use funds for dual language 24
105	105	program planning and implementation activities including, but not limited to, 25
106	106	(1) Partnering with education professionals and organizations to design programs; 26
107	107	(2) Develop and execute professional development for administrators and instructional 27
108	108	staff; 28
109	109	(3) Procure high-quality curricular materials to enhance dual language instruction; and 29
110	110	(4) Other activities designed to facilitate or promote the LEA’s existing or emerging dual 30
111	111	language programs. 31
112	112	(b) Develop and commit to an immediate or gradual staffing plan to support the 32
113	113	kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) dual language program; or 33
114	114	(c) Only programs that adhere to high quality dual language program standards may be 34
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118	118	funded. 1
119	119	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 2
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126	126	EXPLANATION
127	127	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
128	128	OF
129	129	A N A C T
130	130	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION
131	131	***
132	132	This act would appropriate three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) to establish a dual 1
133	133	language program within the department of elementary and secondary education. This act would 2
134	134	also provide for the implementation of the support and access to bilingual education (“SABE”) act 3
135	135	for all local education agencies (“LEA”) recipients. 4
136	136	This act would take effect on July 1, 2026.5
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