[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1948 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 538
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1948
To promote the academic achievement of American Indian, Alaska Native,
and Native Hawaiian children with the establishment of a Native
American language grant program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 16, 2014
Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Begich, Mr. Johnson of South
Dakota, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Ms. Murkowski, Ms.
Heitkamp, Mr. Walsh, and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
August 26, 2014
Reported, under authority of the order of the Senate of August 5
(legislative day, August 1), 2014, by Mr. Tester, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
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 program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Native Language Immersion
Student Achievement Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Reports from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and
tribal, public, charter, and private schools and colleges that
use primarily Native American languages to deliver education,
have indicated that students from these schools have generally
had high school graduation and college attendance rates above
the norm for their peers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) There is a critical need that requires
immediate action to support education through Native American
languages to preserve these languages.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``PART D--NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 7401. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) to establish a grant program to support
schools using Native American languages as the primary language
of instruction of all curriculum taught at the school that will
improve high school graduation rates, college attainment, and
career readiness; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) to further integrate into this Act, Federal
policy for such schools, as established in the Native American
Languages Act (Public Law 101-477).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Program Authorized.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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 languages as the primary language of instruction of
all curriculum taught at the schools.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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 develop and maintain,
or to improve and expand, programs that support schools using
Native American languages as the primary language of
instruction of all curriculum taught at the schools.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Application.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that desires
to receive a grant under this section shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require,
including the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) The name of the Native American
language to be used for instruction at the school
supported by the eligible entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) The number of students attending
such school.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) The number of present hours of
Native American language instruction being provided to
students at such school, if any.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(E) A statement that such school--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) is engaged in meeting
targeted proficiency levels for students, as
may be required by applicable Federal, State,
or tribal law; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) provides assessments of
student using the Native American language of
instruction, where appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(F) A list of the instructors, staff,
administrators, contractors, or subcontractors at such
school and their qualifications to deliver high quality
education through the Native American language of the
school.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) A certification from a Federally
recognized Indian tribe, or a letter from any Native
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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Awarding of Grants.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) determine the amount and length of each
grant;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) ensure, to the maximum extent feasible, that
diversity in languages is represented; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) require the eligible entities to present a
Native language education plan to improve high school
graduation rates, college attainment, and career
readiness.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(e) Activities Authorized.--An eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section shall carry out the following
activities:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) Support Native American language education
and development.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Develop or refine instructional curriculum
for the school supported by the eligible entity, including
distinctive teaching materials and activities, as
appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) Fund training opportunities for teachers
and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, that would
strengthen the overall language and academic goals of such
school.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) Other activities that promote Native
American language education and development, as
appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(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.''.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Native Language Immersion Student
Achievement Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(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 languages to deliver education, have
indicated that students from these schools have generally had
high school graduation and college attendance rates above the
norm for their peers.
(3) Such successful schools include Native American
language medium schools focusing primarily on children who
enter school speaking Native American languages and immersion
schools that focus primarily on teaching Native American
languages to children who enter school with little or no
knowledge of a Native American language, as well as programs
combining features of both types of schools, such as Native
American Language Nests and Native American Language Survival
Schools.
(4) 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.
(5) There is a critical need that requires immediate 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 Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``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 primary language of
instruction of all curriculum taught at the schools 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 sites and streams, using Native
American languages as the primary language of instruction of
all curriculum taught.
``(2) Eligible entities.--In this section, the term
`eligible entity' means a tribe, Tribal College or University
(as defined in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of
1965), tribal education agency, school, or a private or tribal,
nonprofit organization, which has a plan to develop and
maintain, or to improve and expand, programs 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 desires to
receive a grant under this section shall submit 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 instruction in
or through 1 or more Native American languages being
provided to targeted 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
required by applicable Federal, State, or
tribal law; and
``(ii) provides assessments of student
using the Native American language of
instruction, where appropriate.
``(F) A list of the instructors, staff,
administrators, 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 recognized
Indian tribe, or a letter from any Native 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.
``(B) A statement that such school will collect
data relative to high school graduation, college
attendance, or other data relevant to student
achievement, career readiness, or community
participation of students who matriculate through its
programs, and 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 that integrates high achievement in the
Native American language with improved student academic
achievement, high school graduation rates, college attainment,
and career 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 education and
development.
``(2) Develop or refine instructional curriculum for the
school supported by the eligible entity, including 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) Develop a Native Language alignment plan to create or
refine assessments of student proficiency on State or tribally-
developed academic standards for Native American language
schools, aligned with the Native language of instruction in
such schools, as appropriate.
``(5) Other activities that promote Native American
language education and development, as appropriate.
``(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.''.
Calendar No. 538
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1948
_______________________________________________________________________
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 program.
_______________________________________________________________________
August 26, 2014
Reported with an amendment