S7522A-2011 Actions

• Jun 21, 2012: SUBSTITUTED BY A10292A
• Jun 21, 2012: ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1533
• Jun 21, 2012: COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
• Jun 11, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 7522A
• Jun 11, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION
• May 31, 2012: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S7522A-2011 Meetings

S7522A-2011 Calendars

S7522A-2011 Votes

S7522A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7522A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to a state seal of biliteracy

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Establishes the criteria for the awarding of the State Seal of
Biliteracy.

JUSTIFICATION:
One of the fundamental purposes of education is to encourage students
to reach their full potential. The goal of achieving the criteria for
a State Seal of Biliteracy focuses on the acquisition of a language,
or languages, other than English. This will increase a student's
opportunities for further education and future employment

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is new legislation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become law.

S7522A-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 7522--A
 I N  SENATE
 May 31, 2012
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
 discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
 to said committee
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to a state seal of bili
 teracy
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1. Legislative intent. (a) It is the intent of the legislature
 to  encourage  excellence  for all pupils, and the legislature wishes to
 publicly  recognize  pupils  for  exemplary  achievements  in   academic
 studies.
 (b)  The  study  of  languages  other  then  English in elementary and
 secondary schools should be  encouraged  because  it  contributes  to  a
 pupil's cognitive development and to our national economy and security.
 (c) Proficiency in multiple languages is critical in enabling New York
 to  participate  effectively in a global political, social, and economic
 context, and in expanding trade with other countries.
 (d) The demand for employees to be fluent in more than one language is
 increasing both in New York and throughout the world.
 (e) The benefits to employers in having staff fluent in more than  one
 language  are  clear:  access  to  an expanded market, allowing business
 owners to better serve their customers' needs, and the sparking  of  new
 marketing  ideas  that  better  target  a particular audience and open a
 channel of communication with customers.
 (f) It is the intent of the legislature to promote  linguistic  profi
 ciency  and  cultural  literacy  in one or more languages in addition to
 English and to provide recognition of the attainment of those needed and
 important skills through the establishment of the state seal of biliter
 acy. A state seal of biliteracy would be  affixed  on  the  high  school
 diplomas  and  transcripts of graduating pupils attaining proficiency in
 one or more languages in addition to English.
 

S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 815 to  read
 as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15486-07-2
 
       S. 7522--A                          2
 

S  815.  STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY. 1. (A) THE STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
 IS ESTABLISHED TO RECOGNIZE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO  HAVE  ATTAINED  A
 HIGH  LEVEL  OF PROFICIENCY IN LISTENING, SPEAKING, READING, AND WRITING
 IN ONE OR MORE LANGUAGES IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH. THE STATE SEAL OF BILI
 TERACY  SHALL  BE  AWARDED  BY THE COMMISSIONER. SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTIC
 IPATION IN THIS PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY.
 (B) THE PURPOSES OF THE STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

 (1) TO ENCOURAGE PUPILS TO STUDY LANGUAGES.
 (2) TO CERTIFY ATTAINMENT OF BILITERACY.
 (3) TO PROVIDE EMPLOYERS WITH A  METHOD  OF  IDENTIFYING  PEOPLE  WITH
 LANGUAGE AND BILITERACY SKILLS.
 (4)  TO  PROVIDE  UNIVERSITIES  WITH AN ADDITIONAL METHOD TO RECOGNIZE
 APPLICANTS SEEKING ADMISSION.
 (5) TO PREPARE PUPILS WITH TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SKILLS.
 (6) TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF FOREIGN  LANGUAGE  AND  NATIVE  LANGUAGE
 INSTRUCTION  IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.  FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION FOREIGN
 LANGUAGE MEANS ANY LANGUAGE OTHER  THAN  ENGLISH  (LOTE)  INCLUDING  ALL
 MODERN   LANGUAGES,  LATIN,  AMERICAN  SIGN  LANGUAGE,  NATIVE  AMERICAN
 LANGUAGES AND NATIVE LANGUAGES.
 (7) TO STRENGTHEN INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIPS, AFFIRM THE VALUE OF DIVER
 SITY, AND HONOR THE MULTIPLE CULTURES AND LANGUAGES OF A COMMUNITY.
 2. (A) THE STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY CERTIFIES  ATTAINMENT  OF  A  HIGH
 LEVEL  OF  PROFICIENCY  BY A GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL PUPIL IN ONE OR MORE
 LANGUAGES, IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH.
 (B) THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL  PROMULGATE  SUCH  REGULATIONS  OF  THE
 COMMISSIONER AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH THE CRITERIA THAT STUDENTS
 MUST  ACHIEVE TO EARN A STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY, WHICH MAY INCLUDE, BUT
 IS NOT LIMITED TO ATTAINMENT OF UNITS OF CREDIT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
 AND LANGUAGES OTHER  THAN  ENGLISH,  PASSAGE  OF  STATE  ASSESSMENTS  IN
 ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  ARTS  AND LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, AND PASSAGE OF
 SUCH ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY  AS  MAY  BE
 APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THIS PURPOSE.
 (C)  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, FOREIGN LANGUAGE MEANS ANY LANGUAGE
 OTHER THAN ENGLISH (LOTE) INCLUDING ALL MODERN LANGUAGES, LATIN,  AMERI
 CAN SIGN LANGUAGE, NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES AND NATIVE LANGUAGES.
 3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DO BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

 (A) PREPARE AND DELIVER TO PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AN APPROPRI
 ATE  INSIGNIA  TO  BE AFFIXED TO THE DIPLOMA AND TRANSCRIPT OF THE PUPIL
 INDICATING THAT THE PUPIL HAS BEEN AWARDED A STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY BY
 THE COMMISSIONER.
 (B) PROVIDE OTHER INFORMATION HE OR SHE  DEEMS  NECESSARY  FOR  SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
 4.  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  THAT  PARTICIPATES  IN THE PROGRAM UNDER THIS
 SECTION SHALL DO BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

 (A) MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE RECORDS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY PUPILS WHO  HAVE
 EARNED A STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY.
 (B)  AFFIX  THE  APPROPRIATE INSIGNIA TO THE DIPLOMA AND TRANSCRIPT OF
 EACH PUPIL WHO EARNS A STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY.
 5. NO FEE SHALL BE CHARGED TO A PUPIL PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
 

S 3. This act shall  take  effect  on  the  first  of  September  next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

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