H.B. 19

1

ENGLISH IMMERSION PROGRAMS IN
2 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3 2000 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Michael R. Styler
6 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS TO
7 IMPLEMENT ENGLISH IMMERSION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WHO ENROLL IN
8 THEIR DISTRICTS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND DO NOT SPEAK, READ, OR WRITE THE
9 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT THE TIME OF ENROLLMENT; AND PROVIDING AN
10 EFFECTIVE DATE.
11 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
12 ENACTS:
13 53A-13-108, Utah Code Annotated 1953
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
15 Section 1. Section 53A-13-108 is enacted to read:
16 53A-13-108. English immersion classes.
17 (1) Each local school board shall implement an English immersion program for students
18 who:
19 (a) enroll in the school district for the first time; and
20 (b) do not speak, read, or write the English language at the time of enrollment.
21 (2) A student shall spend at least one full school year in the program, unless the director
22 of the program or the director's designee, in consultation with the student and the student's parent,
23 determines that the student has sufficiently mastered the skills required by the program prior to the
24 year's end.
25 (3) (a) The State Board of Education shall:
26 (i) provide a model English immersion program, which a local board may use to satisfy
27 the requirement established in Subsection (1); and

28 (ii) monitor each school district's English immersion program.
29 (b) The state superintendent of public instruction shall include in the annual report
30 required under Subsection 53A-1-301 (2)(d) information on the status and progress of each school
31 district's English immersion program.
32 (4) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
33 State Board of Education may make rules that would allow a school district to combine age or
34 grade levels in implementing its English immersion program, most particularly in the rural areas
35 of the state.
36 Section 2. Effective date.
37 This act takes effect on July 1, 2000.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-2-99 1:35 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel