From the ECS State Policy Database Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary LA Adopted 09/2012 P-12 American Sign Language in Foreign Languages Offered in High Schools LAC 28:CXV.2345 Adds American Sign Language (ASL) III and IV to the list of foreign language courses that may be offered for graduation credit in public hig... More... CA Signed into law 08/2012 P-12 Heritage Schools S.B. 1137 From bill summary: Requires each heritage school's electronic registration form filed with the superintendent of public instruction to inclu... More... NY Signed into law 07/2012 P-12 State Seal of Biliteracy A.B. 10292 Establishes purposes of the state seal of biliteracy. Confers a state seal of biliteracy (district participation is voluntary) to high schoo... More... LA Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 International Language Immersion School at ULL S.B. 712 Creates an exploratory committee to develop a plan regarding the creation and establishment of an international language immersion school at... More... AK Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council S.B.130 Establishes the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council to advise both the governor and legislature on programs, policies, ... More... FL Signed into law 04/2012 Community College Postsec. Foreign Language in Associate Degree Programs H.B. 7135 - Foreign Language in Associate Degree Programs Requires students seeking an associate of arts degree to demonstrate competency in a foreign language. Page 18 of 31: http://myfloridahouse... More... CO Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Indigenous Language Instruction S.B. 57 Indicates the circumstances under which the education department may issue a Native American Language and Cultural instruction authorization... More... CA Signed into law 10/2011 P-12 State Seal of Biliteracy on High School Diplomas and Transcripts A.B. 815 From bill summary: Establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency... More... CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Genocide Education/Sign Language is Foreign Language H.B. 6499 - Sec. 1 and 2 Includes genocide education in the materials provided by the Department of Education to school districts for student curriculum and educator... More... LA Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Foreign Language Immersion Programs S.B. 104 Requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop and implement a process to certify foreign language immersion educ... More... VA Signed into law 02/2011 P-12 American Sign Language H.B. 1435 Provides that if a local school board offers an elective course in American Sign Language, it must grant academic credit for course completi... More... CA Signed into law 09/2010 P-12 Heritage Schools S.B. 1116 Applies specified background check procedures to heritage schools, which serve children between the ages of 5 and 18 who attend a public or ... More... TN Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Foreign Language Proficiency H.B. 209 Before graduating from high school, students who have completed coursework in a foreign language are required to take a foreign language pro... More... TN Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Foreign Language Instruction S.B. 1075 Requires the state board of education to develop guidelines and criteria for the inclusion of foreign language instruction in grades kinderg... More... OR Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Chinese Language H.B. 3628A Authorizes Superintendent of Public Instruction to enter into contract for purpose of ensuring that Chinese language is available to public ... More... DE Signed into law 02/2010 P-12 American Sign Language as World Language H.B. 245 Recognizes American Sign Language as a World Language for purposes of school curriculum. http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis145.nsf/vwLegislat... More... IL Signed into law 12/2009 P-12 Postsec. American Sign Language Courses H.B. 725 Encourages school boards to include American Sign Language courses in schools' foreign language curricula. Provides that the foreign languag... More... CA Signed into law 10/2009 P-12 American Indian Languages Teaching Credential A.B. 544 Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentials to issue an American Indian Languages eminence credential to a candidate who has demonstrated... More... WI Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Tribal Language Revitalization Grants A.B. 75 Permits a school board or cooperative educational service agency, in conjunction with a tribal education authority, to apply to the state de... More... LA Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 Foreign Language Opportunities S.B. 549 Requires, by a specified time, that all children attending public schools shall have the opportunity to study the critical languages in addi... More... CT Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 High School Foreign Language Credit H.B. 5820 Concerns high school credit for private world language courses; provides that students may earn up to two credits toward high school graduat... More... TN Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Guidelines for Foreign Language Fluency S.B. 2980 Directs the State Board of Education to develop guidelines for Develop guidelines for the use of LEAs to foster foreign language fluency as ... More... CA To governor 09/2007 P-12 Foreign Language A.B. 280 Establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have mastered languages in addition to English. Requires the... More... LA Adopted 08/2007 P-12 Duration of Foreign Language Specialist Certificate PK-8 LAC 28:CXXXI.311 Allows the Foreign Language Specialist Certificate PK-8 to be valid for six years due to changes in the visa requirements. Page 10 of 79: ht... More... NC Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Postsec. Community College American Sign Language H.B. 915 Encourages the public schools, the community college system and the University of North Carolina to offer American Sign Language for credit ... More... WV Adopted 06/2007 P-12 Foreign Language Standards Title 126, Series 44G Amends rules regarding foreign language content standards and objectives for West Virginia schools. ... More... GA Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 American Sign Language S.B. 170 Provides that any student, not just a deaf student, may fulfill the foreign language requirements for a college preparatory curriculum seal ... More... MN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 World Languages Pilot Program Grants H.F. 2245 [World Languages] Creates a pilot program to award five world languages grants to develop and implement sustainable, high-quality model world languages progra... More... MN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Bilingual/Multilingual Certificates H.F. 2245 [Multilingual/Bilingual] Directs the Department of Education to develop and recommend to the legislature by February 15, 2008, the standards and process for awarding... More... ID Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Official State Language S.B. 1172 Amends existing law to declare English to be the official state language. Provides that English is the sole language of government, subject ... More... UT Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Critical Languages Program S.B. 80 Establishes the Critical Languages Program, which includes languages described in the federal National Security Language Initiative, includi... More... WY Signed into law 02/2007 Postsec. Community College Foreign Language Teacher Loan Repayment Program H.B. 182 Amends the teacher shortage loan repayment program to include students pursuing degrees to become foreign language teachers; transfers admin... More... MD Adopted 11/2006 P-12 American Sign Language as Foreign Language Credit COMAR 13A.03.02.04 Amends rules to the Board of Education. Allows students to use American Sign Language as an alternative to foreign language in fulfilling gr... More... CA Vetoed 09/2006 P-12 Graduates with Multiple Language Skills A.B. 2445 Establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have mastered speaking, reading, and writing skills in one o... More... TX Adopted 07/2006 P-12 Foreign Language Courses and Tech Prep Progam 19 TAC 2.74.D.74.43, .44 Allows for students who are at higher proficiency levels to meet the graduation requirements by taking higher level language courses. Clarif... More... IL Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Arts and Foreign Language Education Grant Program S.B. 176 Creates an arts and foreign language education grant program to fund arts education and foreign language education programs in the public sc... More... OH Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Postsec. Community College Ohio Core Support H.B. 115 Appropriates funds for support of the Ohio Core Program. Funds will be used to: (1) Support the participation of teachers licensed in Ohio a... More... SC Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 American Sign Language S.B. 1107 Relates to high school courses in American sign language; provides that a school district may give credit as a foreign language to a pupil w... More... MN Signed into law 05/2006 P-12 Chinese Language Program H.B. 4162 Authorizes the commissioner of education to contract with the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota or other Minnesota public enti... More... AL Signed into law 07/2005 P-12 American Sign Language S.B. 94 Amends Section 16-6B-2 to specify that American Sign Language is a foreign language for purposes of satisfying certain curriculum requiremen... More... MO DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR 05/2005 P-12 American Sign Language H.B. 530 This bill treats American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language for the granting of academic credit at public schools and public higher ... More... MS Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Italian language classes H.B. 1163 Italian language classes; establish a pilot program to offer to students in grades K-12. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2005/ht... More... DE Rule Adoption 06/2004 P-12 Foreign Language and Bilingual Teacher Regulations 14 DAC 1528, 1529, 1533, 1537, and 1558 Amends regulations that apply to the requirements for Standard Certificates for Foreign Language and Bilingual Teachers. These amendments re... More... CO Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Postsec. Community College American Sign Language H.B. 1037 Concerns the treatment of American Sign Language as a foreign language in education that counts toward graduation requirements. http://www.s... More... WY Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Public Schools Foreign Language Pilot Project H.B. 170 Relates to public schools; establishes a pilot project for expansion of foreign language instruction through grade six; imposes requirements... More... CA Signed into law 10/2003 P-12 Postsec. Curriculum: Foreign Languages S.B. 5 Requires the department of education, by June 1, 2009, to adopt content standards for teaching foreign languages in grades K-12 pursuant to... More... HI Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Education S.B. 1326 Allows the Department of Education to adopt a program for grades 3- 12 which provides opportunities for competency in a second language. htt... More... FL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Postsec. American Sign Language S.B. 162 Requires school boards to advise students taking American Sign Language as a foreign language that post-secondary schools outside of Florida... More... KY Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Integration of Arts and Foreign Languages into Elementary School Curriculum S.B. 154 Requires the department to create a program to promote the integration of the arts and foreign languages into the elementary school program.... More... MA Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 Foreign Language Instruction to Be Required in Elementary Schools H.B. 5010 "[W]ithin five years of the effective date of this act, any foreign language classes required by the department [...] or by a school distric... More... FL Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Education Code Re-Write: District K-12 Foreign Language Curriculum Required S.B. 20E Requires every local board to create a plan for a K-12 foreign language curriculum, to be submitted to the commissioner by June 30, 2004. Se... More... OR Signed into law 06/2001 P-12 Student Bill of Rights, Dual Enrollment S.B. 65 Eliminates the 2-year second language requirement for students who have completed grade 12; requires all students who have met the requireme... More... VT Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 American Sign Language S.B. 25 Authorizes schools to offer American Sign Language (ASL) as a course of foreign language credit; directs the Board of Education to establish... More... UT Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Postsec. Mandarin Chinese Course S.B. 57 Modifies provisions related to the State System of Public Education by requiring the State Board of Education to develop and implement a con... More... CA Signed into law 07/2000 P-12 Language Education and Testing S.B. 1667 Relates to existing law which requires a school district with pupils who are English learners to conduct annual assessments on the pupils En... More...