S. 1419 · 114th Congress

Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act

Stage
Reported from committee
Sponsor
Jon Tester
Introduced
2015-05-21
Latest action
2016-02-29 · Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-215.

Summary

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.