S.B. 41 Enrolled

1

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE - CRITICAL
2 LANGUAGES PROGRAM
3 2008 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson
6 House Sponsor: Bradley G. Last
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill modifies the Critical Languages Program and establishes the Dual Language
11 Immersion Program.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 . modifies the Critical Languages Program;
15 . establishes the Dual Language Immersion Program as a pilot program;
16 . makes a nonlapsing appropriation; and
17 . makes technical corrections.
18 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
19 This bill appropriates:
20 . $750,000 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2008-09 only to the State
21 Board of Education.
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 AMENDS:
26 53A-15-104, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 221
27 ENACTS:
28 53A-15-105, Utah Code Annotated 1953
29

30 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 Section 1. Section 53A-15-104 is amended to read:
32 53A-15-104. Critical Languages Program -- Pilot.
33 (1) (a) As used in this section, "critical languages" means those languages described in
34 the federal National Security Language Initiative, including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Farsi,
35 Hindi, and Korean.
36 (b) The Legislature recognizes:
37 (i) the importance of students acquiring skills in foreign languages in order for them to
38 successfully compete in a global society; and
39 (ii) the academic, societal, and economic development benefits of the acquisition of
40 critical languages.
41 (2) (a) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Utah Education
42 Network, shall develop and implement courses of study in the critical languages.
43 (b) A course may be taught:
44 (i) over EDNET, the state's two-way interactive system for video and audio, to students
45 in the state's public education system; [or]
46 (ii) through the Electronic High School[.];
47 (iii) through traditional instruction; or
48 (iv) by visiting guest teachers.
49 (3) (a) The courses authorized in Subsection (2) may use paraprofessionals in the
50 classroom who:
51 (i) are fluent in the critical language being taught; and
52 (ii) can provide reinforcement and tutoring to students on days and at times when they
53 are not receiving instruction over EDNET under Subsection (2)(b).
54 (b) The State Board of Education, through the state superintendent of public
55 instruction, shall ensure that the paraprofessionals are fluent in the critical languages.
56 (4) The State Board of Education shall make rules on the critical languages courses
57 authorized under this section in accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative

58 Rulemaking Act, to include:
59 (a) notification to school districts on the times and places of the course offerings; and
60 (b) instructional materials for the courses.
61 (5) The State Board of Education shall track and monitor the Critical Languages
62 Program and may expand the program to include more course offerings and other critical
63 languages, subject to student demand for the courses and available resources.
64 (6) (a) Subject to funding for the program, the State Board of Education shall establish
65 a pilot program for school districts and schools to initially participate in the Critical Languages
66 Program that provides:
67 [(a)] (i) up to $6,000 per language per school, for up to [20] 60 schools, for courses
68 offered in critical languages;
69 [(b)] (ii) up to $100 per student who completes a critical languages course; and
70 [(c)] (iii) up to an additional $400 per foreign exchange student who completes a
71 critical languages course.
72 (b) If the available funding is insufficient to provide the amounts described under
73 Subsection (6)(a), the amounts provided shall be reduced pro rata so that the total provided
74 does not exceed the available funding.
75 Section 2. Section 53A-15-105 is enacted to read:
76 53A-15-105. Dual Language Immersion Program -- Pilot.
77 (1) Subject to funding for the program, the State Board of Education shall establish a
78 pilot program for school districts and schools to initially participate in the Dual Language
79 Immersion Program.
80 (2) The program shall provide funds as an incentive to 15 qualifying schools for the
81 following languages:
82 (a) six pilots for Chinese;
83 (b) six pilots for Spanish;
84 (c) two pilots for French; and
85 (d) one pilot for Navajo.

86 (3) Subject to funding for the program, a qualifying school shall:
87 (a) receive up to $18,000 per year for up to six years;
88 (b) establish an instructional model that uses 50% of instruction in English and 50% of
89 instruction in another language; and
90 (c) begin the instructional model described under Subsection (3)(b) in kindergarten or
91 grade 1 and add an additional grade each year.
92 Section 3. One-time appropriation.
93 (1) There is appropriated $750,000 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year
94 2008-09 only to the State Board of Education.
95 (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the appropriation under Subsection (1) shall
96 be:
97 (a) used to provide:
98 (i) $480,000 to the Critical Languages Program established in Section 53A-15-104 ; and
99 (ii) $270,000 to the Dual Language Immersion Program established in Section
100 53A-15-105 ; and
101 (b) nonlapsing.
102 Section 4. Effective date.
103 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.