I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3397 

To establish high-quality dual language immersion programs in low-income 

communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2021 

Mr. GRIJALVA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To establish high-quality dual language immersion programs 

in low-income communities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Young 

5 Language Learners’ Access to Bilingual Education Act of 

6 2021’’ or the ‘‘SYLLABLE Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 

9 (1) The demand for bilingual employees in the 

10 United States continues to outpace our supply. 


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1 (2) Dual language immersion engenders an in2 clusive learning environment for all students. 

3 (3) Studies have demonstrated that all students 

4 in multilanguage immersion programs have higher 

5 academic achievement as measured by statewide ex6 amination, regardless of socioeconomic status. 

7 (4) Dual language immersion has proven to be 

8 one of the most effective and longest lasting inter9 vention methods for English learners. 

10 (5) The Rand Corporation found that long-term 

11 participation in dual language immersion programs 

12 is correlated with closing or substantial reduction of 

13 achievement gaps for historically underserved stu14 dents. 

15 (6) Few children from low-income families, par16 ticularly African-American children, have had access 

17 to a well-developed and well-implemented dual lan18 guage program. 

19 (7) Children in dual language programs experi20 ence substantial gains in language, literacy, and 

21 mathematics. 

22 SEC. 3. DUAL LANGUAGE FLAGSHIP GRANTS. 

23 (a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are as 

24 follows: 


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1 (1) To provide incentives for local educational 

2 agencies to develop innovative strategies for planning 

3 and implementing dual language immersion pro4 grams serving children from low-income families, in5 cluding English learners and minority children. 

6 (2) To improve the school readiness of children 

7 from low-income families, including English learners 

8 and minority children, and to ensure they enter 

9 school ready to succeed. 

10 (3) To provide consistent support for learning 

11 through high-quality dual language programs from 

12 preschool through the fifth grade. 

13 (4) To authorize the Secretary to carry out 

14 projects to enhance the multiliteracy and bilin15 gualism skills for children from low-income families, 

16 including English learners and minority children, 

17 through the use and longitudinal evaluation of dual 

18 language programs beginning in preschool through 

19 the fifth grade. 

20 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From funds made 

21 available under subsection (i), and after reserving funds 

22 under subsection (c), the Secretary is authorized to award 

23 not more than five grants to fund programs proposed by 

24 eligible entities to demonstrate effective strategies in en25 suring the academic success of students from low-income 


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1 families, including English learners and minority students, 

2 through the implementation and evaluation of high-quality 

3 multilanguage programs that— 

4 (1) serve children in high-need schools, includ5 ing English learners and minority children, from 

6 preschool through fifth grade; 

7 (2) establish an infrastructure that supports 

8 programs through a rigorous assessment system, 

9 dedicated staff time, professional development in as10 sessment, a data collection plan, and the collection 

11 of multiple measures of academic progress, bilin12 gualism, and multiliteracy; 

13 (3) implement and align a curriculum that pro14 motes the development of bilingual and multiliterate 

15 competencies for all students through at least grade 

16 five; 

17 (4) utilize and align student-centered instruc18 tional methods that enhance the development of bi19 lingualism, multiliteracy, and academic achievement; 

20 (5) align professional development and training 

21 for early childhood education instructors and ele22 mentary school teachers and staff, with an emphasis 

23 on dual language instruction, second language acqui24 sition, and content knowledge; 


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1 (6) recruit, train, and continuously develop staff 

2 to implement high-quality, dual language immersion 

3 programs; and 

4 (7) establish a responsive infrastructure for 

5 positive, active, and ongoing relationships with stu6 dents’ families and the community that responds to 

7 and is reflective of the needs of the community and 

8 goals of the program. 

9 (c) RESERVATION.—The Secretary shall reserve not 

10 more than 5 percent of the amount appropriated under 

11 subsection (i) to carry out this Act, including the technical 

12 assistance and evaluation described in subsection (g) and 

13 dissemination of best practices described in subsection (h). 

14 (d) DURATION.—Each grant under this section shall 

15 be awarded for a period of not more than five years. 

16 (e) APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity desiring 

18 a grant under this section shall submit an applica19 tion to the Secretary at such time and in such man20 ner as the Secretary may require. 

21 (2) REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION.—Each appli22 cation submitted by an eligible entity under this sec23 tion for proposed programs shall include documenta24 tion that— 


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1 (A) the eligible entity has partnered with a 

2 technical assistance entity that has proven ex3 pertise in the implementation of high-quality 

4 dual language programs to provide on-going 

5 technical assistance and assist with the evalua6 tion of the program; 

7 (B) the eligible entity has the qualified 

8 personnel to develop, administer, evaluate, and 

9 implement the program; and 

10 (C) the eligible entity serves children from 

11 low-income families, including English learners 

12 and minority children. 

13 (3) OTHER APPLICATION CONTENTS.—Each ap14 plication submitted by an entity under this section 

15 for a proposed program shall include— 

16 (A) data showing that the program serves 

17 children from low-income families, including 

18 English learners and minority children; 

19 (B) a description of how the program will 

20 align the language of assessment with the lan21 guage of instruction; 

22 (C) a description of how the program will 

23 be evaluated to assess the goals of the program; 

24 (D) a description, if applicable, of how the 

25 evaluation will be used to inform broader efforts 


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1 to improve instruction for English learners, in2 cluding for preschool-aged children; 

3 (E) a description of activities that will be 

4 pursued by the program including a description 

5 of— 

6 (i) how the activities will further the 

7 school readiness and academic progress of 

8 children served by this program and sup9 port dual language development through 

10 grade five; 

11 (ii) methods of designing culturally re12 sponsive and linguistically appropriate dual 

13 language curriculum; and 

14 (iii) methods of teacher professional 

15 development and parent outreach that will 

16 be used or developed through the pro17 grams; 

18 (F) an assurance that the program will an19 nually provide such information as may be re20 quired by the Secretary; and 

21 (G) any other information that the Sec22 retary may require. 

23 (f) SELECTION OF GRANTEES.—The Secretary 

24 through a peer review process shall select eligible entities 

25 to receive grants under this section based on— 


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1 (1) the articulation of preschool through fifth 

2 grade instructional practices, curriculum, and as3 sessments strategies; 

4 (2) the extent to which relevant and directly im5 pacted school leaders have been involved with the 

6 proposed programs and indicated a commitment to 

7 carrying out high-quality dual language immersion 

8 programs; and 

9 (3) the quality of the programs proposed in the 

10 applications submitted under subsection (e). 

11 (g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EVALUATION.— 

12 From the amount appropriated under subsection (i) for 

13 a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve $250,000 to con14 tract with an eligible entity with a proven track record 

15 in dual language immersion programs for the purpose of— 

16 (1) providing technical assistance to local edu17 cational agencies receiving grants under this Act in 

18 order to strengthen programs conducted by grantees 

19 pursuant to this Act; and 

20 (2) conducting an evaluation of programs fund21 ed under this Act, which shall— 

22 (A) be used by the Secretary to determine 

23 the effectiveness of programs funded through 

24 this Act and improve services to participating 

25 children; and 


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1 (B) include— 

2 (i) a comprehensive evaluation of the 

3 impact of the programs on students, in4 cluding an assessment of literacy skills and 

5 language development in both English and 

6 the primary home language; 

7 (ii) a comprehensive evaluation of the 

8 effectiveness of instructional practices used 

9 in the programs; and 

10 (iii) a comprehensive evaluation of 

11 professional development strategies. 

12 (h) DISSEMINATION OF BEST PRACTICES.—The Sec13 retary shall disseminate information on model programs, 

14 materials, and other information developed under this sec15 tion that the Secretary determines to be appropriate for 

16 use by early childhood education providers to improve the 

17 school readiness of English learners. 

18 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

19 purposes of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

20 to be appropriated $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 and 

21 such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 suc22 ceeding fiscal years. 

23 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM.— 

2 The term ‘‘dual language immersion program’’ 

3 means an instructional strategy in which students— 

4 (A) are taught literacy and content in 

5 English and a partner language; 

6 (B) use the partner language for at least 

7 half of the instructional day; and 

8 (C) foster bilingualism, multiliteracy, en9 hanced awareness of linguistic and cultural di10 versity, and high levels of academic achievement 

11 through instruction in English and a partner 

12 language. 

13 (2) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PRO14 GRAM.—The term ‘‘early childhood education pro15 gram’’ includes a State-funded preschool program 

16 and a Head Start program. 

17 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti18 ty’’ means a partnership between— 

19 (A) at least one local educational agency; 

20 (B) at least one early childhood education 

21 program; and 

22 (C) at least one technical assistance entity. 

23 (4) ENGLISH LEARNER.—The term ‘‘English 

24 learner’’ has the meaning given the term in section 


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1 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

2 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

3 (5) HIGH-NEED SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘high-need 

4 school’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

5 2221(b)(3)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary 

6 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6641(b)(3)(A)). 

7 (6) LOW-INCOME FAMILY.—The term ‘‘low-in8 come family’’ has the meaning given the term in sec9 tion 2221(b)(3)(B) of the Elementary and Sec10 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

11 6641(b)(3)(B)). 

12 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

13 the Secretary of Education. 

14 (8) STATE-FUNDED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.— 

15 The term ‘‘State-funded preschool program’’ means 

16 a program that— 

17 (A) serves children who are ages 3 through 

18 5; 

19 (B) has a primary focus of supporting 

20 early childhood education, including supporting 

21 children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and phys22 ical development and approaches to learning; 

23 (C) helps prepare children for a successful 

24 transition to kindergarten; 


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1 (D) is either a public school- or commu2 nity-based program; and 

3 (E) is funded either in whole or in part by 

4 a State through a State agency with authority 

5 to promulgate regulations and monitor partici6 pating programs. 

Æ 


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