As used in the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act:

A. "bilingual multicultural education program" means a program using two languages, including English and the home or heritage language, as a medium of instruction in the teaching and learning process;

B. "culturally and linguistically different" means students who are of a different cultural background than mainstream United States culture and whose home or heritage language, inherited from the student's family, tribe or country of origin, is a language other than English;

C. "district" means a public school or any combination of public schools in a district;

D. "English language learner" means a student whose first or heritage language is not English and who is unable to read, write, speak or understand English at a level comparable to grade level English proficient peers and native English speakers;

E. "heritage language" means a language other than English that is inherited from a family, tribe, community or country of origin;

F. "home language" means a language other than English that is the primary or heritage language spoken at home or in the community; and

G. "standardized curriculum" means a district curriculum that is aligned with the state academic content standards, benchmarks and performance standards.

History: 1953 Comp., § 77-23-2, enacted by Laws 1973, ch. 285, § 2; 2004, ch. 32, § 3; 2006, ch. 94, § 57; 2015, ch. 108, § 14.

Compiler's notes. — The public school finance division of the department of finance and administration was abolished by Laws 1977, ch. 246, § 69. Laws 1977, ch. 246, § 3, established the public school finance division of the educational finance and cultural affairs department. Laws 1977, ch. 246, § 63, compiled as 22-8-3 NMSA 1978, designated the administrative and executive head of the public school finance division of the educational finance and cultural affairs department as the director of public school finance. Laws 1980, ch. 151, § 58, abolished the educational finance and cultural affairs department, § 4 of that act created the department of finance and administration and § 47 of that act created the public school finance division of the department of finance and administration. Laws 1983, ch. 301, § 83, abolished the public school finance division of the department of finance and administration and § 69 of that act created the office of education of the department of finance and administration and designated the administrative and executive head of the office of education as the director of the office of education. Laws 1983, ch. 301, § 83 also provided that all references to the director or chief of public school finance shall be construed to be references to the director of the office of education.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, amended and removed certain definitions from the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act; deleted Subsection C, which defined "department", and redesignated former Subsections D through G as Subsections C through F, respectively; and deleted Subsection H, which defined "school board" and redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection G.

The 2006 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, added charter school in Subsection D and added governing body of a state-chartered charter school in Subsection H.

The 2004 amendment, effective May 19, 2004, in Subsection A, revised the definition of "bilingual multicultural education"; deleted Subsection B; redesignated Subsection C as Subsection B and changed the definition of "culturally and linguistically different", changed the definition of "department" to the public education department and revised the definition of "district"; and added new Subsections E through G and I.