I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4214 
To promote the academic achievement of American Indian, Alaska Native, 
and Native Hawaiian children with the establishment of a Native Amer-
ican language grant program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 12, 2014 
Mr. COLE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To promote the academic achievement of American Indian, 
Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children with the 
establishment of a Native American language grant pro-
gram. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Native Language Im-
mersion Student Achievement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Congress established the unique status of 
Native American languages and distinctive policies 
supporting their use as a medium of education in 
the Native American Languages Act (Public Law 
101–477). 
(2) Reports from the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
and tribal, public, charter, and private schools and 
colleges that use primarily Native American lan-
guages to deliver education, have indicated that stu-
dents from these schools have generally had high 
school graduation and college attendance rates above 
the norm for their peers. 
(3) The Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) includes policy 
barriers to schools taught through Native American 
languages and a lack of adequate funding to support 
such opportunities. 
(4) There is a critical need that requires imme-
diate action to support education through Native 
American languages to preserve these languages. 
SEC. 3. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS. 
Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘PART D—NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE 
SCHOOLS 
‘‘SEC. 7401. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are— 
‘‘(1) to establish a grant program to support 
schools using Native American languages as the pri-
mary language of instruction of all curriculum 
taught at the school that will improve high school 
graduation rates, college attainment, and career 
readiness; and 
‘‘(2) to further integrate into this Act, Federal 
policy for such schools, as established in the Native 
American Languages Act (Public Law 101–477). 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts made 
available to carry out this section, the Secretary may 
award grants to eligible entities to develop and 
maintain, or to improve and expand, programs that 
support schools, including prekindergarten through 
postsecondary education, using Native American lan-
guages as the primary language of instruction of all 
curriculum taught at the schools. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this section, the 
term ‘eligible entity’ means a school or a private or 
tribal, nonprofit organization that has a plan to de-
velop and maintain, or to improve and expand, pro-
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grams that support schools using Native American 
languages as the primary language of instruction of 
all curriculum taught at the schools. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that de-
sires to receive a grant under this section shall sub-
mit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require, including the following: 
‘‘(A) The name of the Native American 
language to be used for instruction at the 
school supported by the eligible entity. 
‘‘(B) The number of students attending 
such school. 
‘‘(C) The number of present hours of Na-
tive American language instruction being pro-
vided to students at such school, if any. 
‘‘(D) The status of such school with regard 
to any applicable tribal education department or 
agency, public education system, indigenous 
language schooling research and cooperative, or 
accrediting body. 
‘‘(E) A statement that such school— 
‘‘(i) is engaged in meeting targeted 
proficiency levels for students, as may be 
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required by applicable Federal, State, or 
tribal law; and 
‘‘(ii) provides assessments of student 
using the Native American language of in-
struction, where appropriate. 
‘‘(F) A list of the instructors, staff, admin-
istrators, contractors, or subcontractors at such 
school and their qualifications to deliver high 
quality education through the Native American 
language of the school. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL APPLICATION MATERIALS.— 
In addition to the application described in paragraph 
(1), an eligible entity that desires to receive a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary the 
following: 
‘‘(A) A certification from a Federally rec-
ognized Indian tribe, or a letter from any Na-
tive American entity, on whose land the school 
supported by the eligible entity is located, or 
which is served by such school, indicating that 
the school has the capacity to provide education 
primarily through a Native American language 
and that there are sufficient speakers of such 
Native American language at the school or 
available to be hired by the school. 
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‘‘(B) A statement that such school will 
participate in data collection conducted by the 
Secretary that will determine best practices and 
further academic evaluation of the school. 
‘‘(C) A demonstration of the capacity to 
have speakers of its Native American language 
provide the basic education offered by such 
school on a full-time basis. 
‘‘(d) AWARDING OF GRANTS.—In awarding grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) determine the amount and length of each 
grant; 
‘‘(2) ensure, to the maximum extent feasible, 
that diversity in languages is represented; and 
‘‘(3) require the eligible entities to present a 
Native language education plan to improve high 
school graduation rates, college attainment, and ca-
reer readiness. 
‘‘(e) ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED.—An eligible entity 
that receives a grant under this section shall carry out 
the following activities: 
‘‘(1) Support Native American language edu-
cation and development. 
‘‘(2) Develop or refine instructional curriculum 
for the school supported by the eligible entity, in-
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cluding distinctive teaching materials and activities, 
as appropriate. 
‘‘(3) Fund training opportunities for teachers 
and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, that 
would strengthen the overall language and academic 
goals of such school. 
‘‘(4) Other activities that promote Native Amer-
ican language education and development, as appro-
priate. 
‘‘(f) REPORT TO SECRETARY.—Each eligible entity 
that receives a grant under this section shall provide an 
annual report to the Secretary in such form and manner 
as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and such sums as may 
be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
Æ 
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