SF 3588

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing a pilot program to use child-relevant American
sign language to facilitate young children's development of second language
learning and stronger literacy and verbal skills; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin PILOT PROGRAM TO FACILITATE YOUNG CHILDREN'S
SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING AND STRONGER LITERACY AND
VERBAL SKILLS.
new text end

new text begin (a) A pilot program for fiscal year 2007 is established to allow school districts to
use child-relevant American sign language to encourage children in kindergarten through
third grade to learn a second language and develop stronger literacy and verbal skills and
better classroom attention. School districts that have (i) child care centers or Head Start
classrooms, (ii) English language learners, foreign language classrooms or language
immersion programs, (iii) resident families with internationally adopted children or (iv)
classrooms in which children with special needs are served may apply to the education
commissioner, in the form and manner the commissioner determines, for a pilot program
grant. School districts that receive a grant under this section must use the grant to train
education staff who work with children in kindergarten through grade three, including
at least classroom teachers, teachers' assistants, ESL teachers and special education
teachers, to use 600 child-relevant signs in sign language to help hearing students
acquire vocabulary quickly and easily, become better problem solvers, creative thinkers
and communicators and better prepared academically, and to use effective strategies to
incorporate sign language into classroom instruction.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may awards grants to qualified school districts on a
first-come-first-served basis to allow training for 1000 education staff under this section.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall provide for an independent evaluation of the efficacy
of the pilot program under this section and shall recommend to the education policy and
finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2008, whether or not the program
should be continued and expanded.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2006-2007 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $225,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2007 to the education
commissioner to contract with a qualified provider for the pilot program to train
education staff to use child-relevant American sign language to facilitate young children's
development of second language learning and stronger literacy and verbal skills under
section 1. Of this appropriation, $150,000 is for actual training costs, $35,000 is for
an independent evaluation of the efficacy of the pilot program and $40,000 is for
administrative and marketing costs incurred by the education department.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2006.
new text end