115.95 Legislative findings and declaration of policy.

(1) The legislature finds that:

(a) There are pupils in this state who enter elementary and secondary school with limited or nonexistent English speaking ability due to the use of another language in their family or in their daily, nonschool environment.

(b) Classes conducted in English do not always provide adequate instruction for children whose English language abilities are limited or nonexistent.

(c) It is beneficial to pupils from bicultural and monocultural backgrounds to participate in bilingual-bicultural programs where such programs are available in order to instill respect for non-English languages and cultures in all pupils.

(2) It is the policy of this state to provide equal educational opportunities by ensuring that necessary programs are available for limited-English proficient pupils while allowing each school district maximum flexibility in establishing programs suited to its particular needs. To this end, this subchapter establishes bilingual-bicultural education programs for pupils in school districts with specified concentrations of limited-English proficient pupils in the attendance areas of particular schools.

(3) It is the policy of this state to reimburse school districts, in substantial part, for the added costs of providing the programs established under this subchapter.

(4) It is the policy of this state that a limited-English proficient pupil participate in a bilingual-bicultural education program only until such time as the pupil is able to perform ordinary classwork in English.

(5) It is the policy of this state that fundamental courses may be taught in the pupil's non-English language to support the understanding of concepts, while the ultimate objective shall be to provide a proficiency in those courses in the English language in order that the pupil will be able to participate fully in a society whose language is English.

(6) Furthermore, it is the policy of this state to encourage reform, innovation and improvement in graduate education, in the structure of the academic profession and in the recruitment and retention of higher education and graduate school faculties, as related to bilingual-bicultural education, and to give special recognition to persons who possess a reading ability and speaking fluency in a non-English language and an understanding of another culture.

History: 1975 c. 395; 1987 a. 159; 1999 a. 19.