S-0921.1

SENATE BILL 5529


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2017 Regular Session

By Senators Rolfes, Walsh, Fain, Frockt, Zeiger, Hunt, and Kuderer

Read first time 01/27/17. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to dual language in early learning and K-12 education; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.410 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 43.215 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature showed its commitment to equity in education by passing legislation creating a seal of biliteracy, requiring world language for high school graduation, easing the transitions of English language learners, encouraging training for staff in cultural competence, monitoring the racial and ethnic data of teachers, and funding the creation of K-12 dual language programs. The legislature finds that there are decades of evidence-based research showing the benefits of dual language programs in closing the opportunity gap, especially for English language learner students. The legislature intends to establish a comprehensive approach to support English language learners by creating grant programs to: (1) Expand dual language programs for early learning students; (2) expand dual language programs for elementary and secondary students; and (3) support and recruit bilingual educators.

(b) A dual language program is an instructional model that provides content-based instruction to students in two languages: English and a target language other than English spoken in the local community, for example Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, native languages, or indigenous languages. The goal of the program is for students to eventually become proficient and literate in both languages, while also meeting high academic standards in all subject areas. Typically, programs begin at kindergarten or first grade and continue through at least elementary school. Two-way dual language programs begin with a balanced number of native and nonnative speakers of the target language so that both groups of students serve in the role of language modeler and language learner at different times. One-way dual language programs serve only nonnative English speakers.

(b) By October 1, 2017, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must award ten grants of up to two hundred thousand dollars each to school districts or state-tribal compact schools interested in: (i) Establishing a two-way dual language program or a one-way dual language program in a school with predominantly English language learners; or (ii) expanding a recently established two-way dual language program or a one-way dual language program in a school with predominantly English language learners. When awarding a grant to a school district or a state-tribal compact school proposing to establish a dual language program in a target language other than Spanish, the office must provide a bonus of up to twenty thousand dollars.

(c) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must identify criteria for awarding the grants, evaluate applicants, and award grant money. The application must require, among other things, that the applicant describe: (i) How the program will serve the applicant's English language learner population; (ii) the number of classrooms that the applicant expects to add; (iii) the planned use of the grant money; (iv) the applicant's plan for student enrollment and outreach to families who speak the target language; (v) the applicant's pipeline for bilingual paraeducators, classified staff, parents, and high school students to become bilingual teachers in the district or state-tribal compact school; (vi) the applicant's commitment to, and plan for, sustaining a dual language program beyond the grant period; and (vii) whether the school district board of directors or the governing body of a state-tribal compact school has expressed support for bilingualism.

(d) The grant money must be used for dual language program start-up and expansion costs, such as staff and teacher training, teacher recruitment, development and implementation of a dual language learning model and curriculum, and other costs identified in the application as key for start-up. The grant money may not be used for ongoing program costs.

(3) The grant period is two years. At the end of the grant period, the grantees must work with the office of the superintendent of public instruction to draft the report required in section 7 of this act.

(4) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must notify school districts and state-tribal compact schools of the grant program established under this section and provide ample time for the application process.

(1) Within existing resources, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall facilitate dual language learning cohorts for school districts and state-tribal compact schools establishing or expanding dual language programs. The office must provide technical assistance and support to school districts and state-tribal compact schools implementing dual language programs, including those establishing or expanding dual language programs under section 1 of this act.

(1) The grow your own bilingual educator grant program is created to support and recruit a pipeline of talented teachers who are invested in their local communities, can diversify the educator workforce, and fill the bilingual teacher shortage.

(b) By September 1, 2017, the professional educator standards board must award ten grants of up to one hundred thousand dollars each to school districts or state-tribal compact schools interested in supporting and recruiting community members to become bilingual teachers.

(c) The professional educator standards board shall identify criteria for awarding the grants, evaluate applicants, and award grant money. The application must require, among other things, that the applicant has the infrastructure to support bilingual education through a bilingual teacher pipeline.

(d) The grant money must be used for a teacher advancement position, within a school district, state-tribal compact school, or community-based organization, that provides recruitment, support, and coordination for the applicant's grow your own pipeline.

(4)(a) The professional educator standards board shall coordinate with, and provide technical assistance to, school districts and state-tribal compact schools to develop grow your own bilingual educator programs.

(1)(a) The early learning dual language grant program is created to grow capacity for high quality dual language learning in the early childhood education and assistance program in order to better meet the needs of English language learner students.

(b) By September 1, 2017, the department must award ten grants of up to one hundred thousand dollars each to early childhood education and assistance program contractors interested in establishing or converting to a dual language program.

(c) The department shall identify criteria for awarding the grants, evaluate applicants, and award grant money. The application must require, among other things, that the applicant describe: (i) How the dual language early learning program will reflect the languages spoken in the classroom, the school, and the community; (ii) the contractor's dual language early learning program family engagement strategy, which may include, among other things, capacity building, supporting native language, and literacy activities; (iii) the contractor's plan for student enrollment and outreach to families who speak the target language; (iv) the number of classrooms that the contractor will convert; and (v) the contractor's plan for using the grant money.

(3) The grant period is two years. Throughout the grant period, the grantees must cooperate with the department to evaluate program effectiveness and to draft the report required in section 7 of this act.

(4) Priority for the dual language trainings and supports required under section 6 of this act must be given to the early childhood education and assistance program contractors awarded grants under this section.

(1) The department must work with community partners to support outreach and education for parents and families around the benefits of native language development and retention, as well as the benefits of dual language learning. Native language means the language normally used by an individual or, in the case of a child or youth, the language normally used by the parents or family of the child or youth. Dual language learning means learning in two languages, generally English and a target language other than English spoken in the local community, for example Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, native languages, or indigenous languages where the goal is bilingualism.

(2) Within existing resources, the department must create training and professional development resources on dual language learning, such as supporting English language learners, working in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, strategies for family engagement, and cultural responsiveness. The department must design the training modules to be culturally responsive.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) By December 1, 2019, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, and the department of early learning must submit a combined report to the appropriate committees of the legislature that:

(b) Includes a third-party evaluation describing how the early learning and K-12 education systems have met the goals of each grant program and expanded their capacities to support dual language models of instruction because of this act, that is, how many more children were educated in dual language classrooms as a result of the grants in this act. The office, the board, and the department must collaboratively select the third-party evaluator.