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S.B. 57

             1     

INSTRUCTION IN MANDARIN CHINESE IN

             2     
PUBLIC SCHOOLS

             3     
2001 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6      This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Public Education by S [ requiring ]
             6a      allowing s the
             7      State Board of Education S and the State Board of Regents s to develop and implement a
             7a      concurrent enrollment course on
             8      Mandarin Chinese to be taught over EDNET. The act takes effect upon approval.
             9      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             10      ENACTS:
             11          53A-15-101.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             12      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             13          Section 1. Section 53A-15-101.5 is enacted to read:
             14          53A-15-101.5. Concurrent enrollment instruction in Mandarin Chinese.
             15          (1) (a) As used in this section, "category IV languages" means those languages designated
             16      the most difficult to learn by the Defense Language Institute as provided in training to members
             17      of the United States Military.
             18          (b) The Legislature recognizes:
             19          (i) the importance of students acquiring skills in foreign languages in order for them to
             20      successfully compete in a global society; and
             21          (ii) that the acquisition of category IV languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic,
             22      Korean, and Japanese, by students in the state's public schools requires extended sequences of
             23      study to acquire useful proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
             24          (2) (a) As a component of the concurrent enrollment program authorized under Section
             25      53A-15-101 , the State Board of Education S AND THE STATE BOARD OF REGENTS s , in
             25a      consultation with the Utah Education Network, S [ shall ] MAY s
             26      develop and implement a concurrent enrollment course of study in the category IV language of
             27      Mandarin Chinese.
             28          (b) The course shall be taught over EDNET, the state's two-way interactive system for
             29      video and audio, to high school juniors and seniors in the state's public education system.
             30          (3) (a) The concurrent enrollment course in Mandarin Chinese authorized in Subsection
             31      (2) S [ shall ] MAY s use paraprofessionals in the classroom who:
             32          (i) are fluent in Mandarin Chinese; and
             33          (ii) can provide reinforcement and tutoring to students on days and at times when they are
             34      not receiving instruction over EDNET under Subsection (2)(b).
             35          (b) The State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
             36      and professors who teach Chinese in the state system of higher education shall jointly ensure that
             37      the paraprofessionals are fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
             38          (4) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall make joint rules
             39      on the concurrent enrollment course authorized under this section in accordance with Title 63,
             40      Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to include:
             41          (a) notification to school districts on the times and places of the course offerings; and
             42          (b) instructional materials for the course.
             43          (5) Students who successfully complete the concurrent enrollment course offered under
             44      this section shall receive tuition reimbursement for a sequential Mandarin Chinese course they
             45      successfully complete at an institution within the state system of higher education under rules
             46      made by the State Board of Regents in accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative
             47      Rulemaking Act.
             48          (6) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall jointly track and
             49      monitor the Mandarin Chinese language program and may expand the program to include other
             50      category IV languages, subject to student demand for the courses and available resources.
             51          Section 2. Effective date.
             52          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this act takes effect
             53      upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
             54      Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the
             55      date of veto override.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 12-12-00 9:21 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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