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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2906 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2906

      To establish dual language education programs in low-income 
                              communities.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 13, 2011

 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 2011'' 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) Few children from low-income communities, particularly 
        African-American children, have had access to a well-developed 
        and well-implemented dual language program.
            (3) 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 programs; and
                    (C) the quality of the programs and 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 education 
        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 
                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 minority 
                        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 2012 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 9101 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 9101); 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.
                                 <all>
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