2022 -- S 2953 SUBSTITUTE A | |
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LC005869/SUB A | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- BILITERACY SEAL | |
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Introduced By: Senators Cano, Kallman, Murray, and Acosta | |
Date Introduced: May 19, 2022 | |
Referred To: Senate Education | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 16-22.2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-22.2 entitled "Biliteracy |
2 | Seal" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 16-22.2-2. State seal of biliteracy. |
4 | (a) A state seal of biliteracy is established to recognize high school graduates who have |
5 | attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more |
6 | languages, in addition to English. The state seal of biliteracy shall be awarded by the commissioner. |
7 | School district participation in this program shall be voluntary. |
8 | (b) The purposes of the state seal of biliteracy are as follows: |
9 | (1) To encourage pupils to study languages; |
10 | (2) To certify attainment of biliteracy; |
11 | (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy |
12 | skills; |
13 | (4) To provide universities with an additional method to recognize applicants seeking |
14 | admission; |
15 | (5) To prepare pupils with twenty-first century skills; |
16 | (6) To recognize the value of foreign language, and native language instruction, and |
17 | multilingual education in public schools. For the purpose of this section "foreign language" means |
18 | any language other than English, including all modern languages, Latin, American sign language, |
19 | native American languages, and native languages; and |
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1 | (7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the value of diversity, and honor the |
2 | multiple cultures and languages of a community. |
3 | (c)(1) The state seal of biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a |
4 | graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English. |
5 | (2) The Seal of Biliteracy can be achieved at two (2) levels: |
6 | (i) The Rhode Island Gold Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who have |
7 | demonstrated their ability to narrate and describe in past, present, and future in a world language. |
8 | Their language functions allow them to deal effectively with unanticipated complications. The gold |
9 | level is aligned with the ACTFL "Advanced Low" Proficiency Guidelines (2012). |
10 | Students will earn a Gold Seal of "Biliteracy if they meet the performance standard on a |
11 | world language assessment from the Rhode Island department of education (RIDE)-approved |
12 | assessment list. |
13 | (ii) The Rhode Island Silver Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who have |
14 | demonstrated their ability to create with the language, ask and answer simple questions and handle |
15 | a simple transaction in a world language. The silver level is aligned with the ACTFL "Intermediate |
16 | Mid" Proficiency guidelines (2012). |
17 | Students will earn a Silver Seal of Biliteracy if they meet the performance standard on an |
18 | English assessment and the silver-level performance standard on a world language assessment from |
19 | the RIDE-approved assessment list. |
20 | (d) The council on elementary and secondary education shall promulgate such regulations |
21 | of the commissioner as may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must achieve to earn |
22 | a state seal of biliteracy, which may include, but shall not be limited to, attainment of units of credit |
23 | in English language arts and languages other than English; passage of state assessments in English |
24 | language arts and languages other than English; and passage of such additional assessments of |
25 | foreign language proficiency as may be approved by the commissioner for this purpose. |
26 | (e) The commissioner shall do both of the following: |
27 | (1) Prepare and deliver, to participating school districts, an appropriate insignia to be |
28 | affixed to the diploma and transcript of the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a state |
29 | seal of biliteracy by the commissioner. |
30 | (2) Provide other information they deem necessary for school districts to successfully |
31 | participate in the program. |
32 | (f) A school district that participates in the program under this section shall do both of the |
33 | following: |
34 | (1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify pupils who have earned a state seal of |
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1 | biliteracy. |
2 | (2) Affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma and transcript of each pupil who earns a |
3 | state seal of biliteracy. |
4 | (g) No fee shall be charged to a pupil pursuant to this section. |
5 | SECTION 2. Chapter 16-22.2 of the General Laws entitled "Biliteracy Seal" is hereby |
6 | amended by adding thereto the following section: |
7 | 16-22.2-3. Earning college credit for the Seal of Biliteracy. |
8 | (a) For admissions purposes, each public university and public community college in this |
9 | state shall accept the state Silver Seal of Biliteracy and the Gold Seal of Biliteracy as world |
10 | language coursework if taken during high school and if a student's high school transcript indicates |
11 | that he or she will be receiving or has received the state Seal of Biliteracy. The amount of world |
12 | language coursework credit awarded would be based on the discretion of the respective public |
13 | university and public community college. |
14 | (b) Each public community college and public university in this state shall establish criteria |
15 | to translate a state Silver and Gold Seal of Biliteracy into course credit based on world language |
16 | course equivalencies identified by the community college's or university's faculty and staff and, |
17 | upon request from an enrolled student, the community college or university shall award world |
18 | language course credit toward a minor, major or concentration in the language or general education |
19 | course credit to a student who has received a state Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a public |
20 | community college or public university who have received a state Seal of Biliteracy must request |
21 | course credit for their Seal within three (3) academic years after graduating from high school. |
22 | (c) The criteria required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be publicly |
23 | displayed on the website of each public university and each public community college by June 30, |
24 | 2024. |
25 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- BILITERACY SEAL | |
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1 | This act would allow high school students who receive the state Silver or Gold Seal of |
2 | Biliteracy to earn world language coursework credit toward a minor or major in the language at |
3 | each state public university and public community college if requested within three (3) academic |
4 | years after graduating high school. |
5 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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