[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4644 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4644
To establish dual language education programs in low-income
communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 26, 2016
Mr. Grijalva introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish dual language education programs in low-income
communities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Resources to Improve Dual
Language Education Act of 2016'' or the ``PRIDE Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Dual language programs have been found to provide the
greatest academic gains for limited English proficient
children.
(2) Children exposed to a second language through dual
language education demonstrated higher performance, in
comparison to their schoolmates in traditional classrooms.
(3) Few children from low-income communities, particularly
African-American children, have had access to a well-developed
and well-implemented dual language program.
(4) Children in dual language programs experience
substantial gains in language, literacy, and mathematics.
SEC. 3. DUAL LANGUAGE FLAGSHIP GRANTS.
(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are as follows:
(1) To provide incentives for local educational agencies to
develop innovative strategies for working with low-income and
limited English proficient children.
(2) To improve the school readiness of low-income and
limited English proficient children and to ensure they enter
school ready to succeed.
(3) To provide consistent support for learning through
high-quality dual language programs from preschool through the
fifth grade.
(4) To authorize the Secretary to carry out a demonstration
project to enhance the biliteracy and bilingualism skills for
children in impoverished communities, including limited English
proficient and minority children, through the use and
longitudinal evaluation of dual language programs beginning in
preschool through the fifth grade.
(b) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From funds made available under subsection
(i), and after reserving funds under subsection (c), the
Secretary is authorized to award not more than five grants to
fund partnerships of local educational agencies, early
childhood education programs including State-funded preschool
programs and Head Start programs, and technical assistance
providers to demonstrate effective strategies in ensuring the
academic success of low-income minority students through the
implementation and evaluation of a high-quality dual language
program that--
(A) serves cohorts of economically disadvantaged
minority and limited English proficient children from
preschool through fifth grade;
(B) establishes an infrastructure that supports a
rigorous assessment system, including dedicated staff
time and professional development in assessment, a data
collection plan, and the collection of multiple
measures of academic progress, bilingualism, and
biliteracy;
(C) implements and aligns a curriculum that
promotes the development of bilingual and biliterate
competencies for all students through at least grade
five;
(D) utilizes and aligns student-centered
instructional methods that enhance the development of
bilingualism, biliteracy, and academic achievement;
(E) aligns professional development and training
for early childhood education instructors and
elementary school teachers and staff, with an emphasis
on dual language instruction, second language
acquisition, and content knowledge;
(F) recruits, trains, and continuously develops
staff to implement high-quality, dual language
programs; and
(G) establishes a responsive infrastructure for
positive, active, and ongoing relationships with
students' families and the community that responds to
and is reflective of the needs of the community and
goals of the program.
(c) Reservation.--The Secretary shall reserve not more than 5
percent of the amount appropriated under subsection (i) to carry out
this Act, including the technical assistance and evaluation described
is subsection (g) and dissemination of best practices described in
subsection (h).
(d) Duration.--Each grant under this section shall be awarded for a
period of not more than five years.
(e) Applications for Grants.--
(1) In general.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
(2) Required documentation.--Each application submitted by
a partnership under this section for a proposed program shall
include documentation that--
(A) the partnership has partnered with an entity
that has proven expertise in the implementation of
high-quality dual language programs to provide on-going
technical assistance and assist with the evaluation of
the program;
(B) the partnership has the qualified personnel to
develop, administer, evaluate, and implement the
program; and
(C) the partnership is serving economically
disadvantaged minority and limited English proficient
children.
(3) Other application contents.--Each application submitted
by an entity under this section for a proposed program shall
include--
(A) data showing that the program is serving
economically disadvantaged and limited English
proficient children;
(B) a description of how the program will align the
language of assessment with the language of
instruction;
(C) a description of how the program will be
evaluated to assess the goals of the program;
(D) a description of how the evaluation will be
used to inform broader efforts to improve instruction
for limited English proficient children, including for
preschool-aged children;
(E) a description of activities that will be
pursued by the program including a description of--
(i) how the activities will further the
school readiness and academic progress of
children served by this program and support
dual language development through grade five;
(ii) methods of designing culturally and
linguistically appropriate dual language
curriculum; and
(iii) methods of teacher training and
parent outreach that will be used or developed
through the programs;
(F) an assurance that the program will annually
provide to the Secretary such information as may be
required by subsection (f); and
(G) any other information that the Secretary may
require.
(f) Selection of Grantees.--
(1) Criteria.--The Secretary through a peer review process
shall select partnerships to receive grants under this section
based on--
(A) the articulation of preschool through fifth
grade instructional practices, curriculum, and
assessments strategies;
(B) the extent to which school leadership has been
involved and has demonstrated a commitment to a high-
quality dual language program; and
(C) the quality of the programs proposed in the
applications submitted under subsection (b).
(g) Technical Assistance and Evaluation.--From funds reserved under
subsection (i) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve $250,000
to contract with an entity with a proven track record in dual language
programs for the purpose of--
(1) providing technical assistance to local educational
agencies receiving grants under this Act in order to strengthen
programs conducted by grantees pursuant to this Act; and
(2) conducting an evaluation of programs funded under this
Act, which shall--
(A) be used by the Secretary to determine the
effectiveness of programs funded through this Act and
improve services to participating children; and
(B) include--
(i) a comprehensive evaluation of the
impact of the programs on students, including
an assessment of literacy skills and language
development in both English and the native
language;
(ii) a comprehensive evaluation of the
effectiveness of instructional practices used
in the programs; and
(iii) a comprehensive evaluation of
professional development strategies.
(h) Dissemination of Best Practices.--The Secretary shall
disseminate information on model programs, materials, and other
information developed under this section that the Secretary determines
to be appropriate for use by early childhood education providers to
improve the school readiness of limited English proficient children.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purposes of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000
for fiscal year 2017 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
4 succeeding fiscal years.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Dual language program.--The term ``dual language
program'' means an instructional strategy in which students are
taught literacy and content in two languages and use the
partner language for at least half of the instructional day and
foster bilingualism, biliteracy, enhanced awareness of
linguistic and cultural diversity, and high levels of academic
achievement through instruction in two languages.
(2) State-funded preschool program.--The term ``State-
funded preschool program'' means a program that--
(A) serves children who are ages 3 through 5;
(B) has a primary focus of supporting early
childhood education, including supporting children's
cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development
and approaches to learning;
(C) helps prepare children for a successful
transition to kindergarten;
(D) is either a school- or community-based program;
and
(E) is funded either in whole or in part by a State
through a State agency with authority to promulgate
regulations and monitor participating programs.
(3) Limited english proficient.--The term ``limited English
proficient'', when used with respect to a child, means a
child--
(A)(i) who was not born in the United States or
whose native language is a language other than English;
(ii)(I) who is a Native American (as defined in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), an Alaska Native, or a
native resident of an outlying area (as defined in such
section 8101); and
(II) who comes from an environment where a language
other than English has had a significant impact on the
child's level of English language proficiency; or
(iii) who is migratory, whose native language is a
language other than English, and who comes from an
environment where a language other than English is
dominant; and
(B) whose difficulties in speaking or understanding
the English language may be sufficient to deny the
child--
(i) the ability to successfully achieve in
a classroom in which the language of
instruction is English; or
(ii) the opportunity to participate fully
in society.
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