Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act

Bill: 114-s-1419
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2015-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government information and archives
Minority education
Student records
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: 

Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act

 
 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal colleges or universities, tribal education agencies, specified schools, Regional Corporations, private or tribal nonprofit organizations, and consortia of any such entities to develop and maintain, or improve and expand, programs that support the use by schools, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, of Native American languages as their primary language of instruction.
 
Requires grant applicants to present the Department with specified assurances and demonstrations that the schools they will support have an endorsement to provide education primarily through a Native American language.
 
Requires grantees to: 
 
 
support Native American language education and development;
 
develop or refine instructional curricula for the schools they support, including distinctive teaching materials and activities;
 
fund training opportunities for school staff that strengthen the overall language and academic goals of their schools;
 
develop a Native Language alignment plan to create or refine assessments of student proficiency; and 
 
engage in other activities that promote Native American language education and development. 
 

action_date: 2016-02-29
text: 

Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act

 
 (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal colleges or universities, tribal education agencies, local education agencies, specified schools, regional corporations, private or tribal nonprofit organizations, and consortia of any such entities to develop and maintain, or improve and expand, programs that support the use by schools, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, of Native American languages as their primary language of instruction.
 
Grant applicants must present ED with specified assurances and demonstrations that the schools they will support have an endorsement to provide education primarily through a Native American language. 
 
Grantees must: 
 
 
support Native American language education and development;
 
develop or refine instructional curricula for the schools they support, including distinctive teaching materials and activities;
 
fund training opportunities for school staff that strengthen the overall language and academic goals of their schools;
 
develop a Native Language alignment plan to create or refine assessments of student proficiency; and 
 
engage in other activities that promote Native American language education and development.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 376.
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-215.
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-215.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2015-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate