HOUSE BILL 219

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

Joy Garratt and Christine Trujillo

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; REQUIRING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY A BILITERACY AND ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--BILITERACY AND ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK WORKING GROUP--MEMBERS-- PURPOSE--DUTIES.--

          A. The public education department shall convene a "biliteracy and oral language development framework working group" that includes local experts in culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, tribal language experts designated by participating tribes, service providers, including special education providers, universities, school districts, charter schools and other education providers

and administrators that are successfully implementing a biliteracy and oral language development framework. The working group shall function from the date of its appointment until December 1, 2021.

          B. Members of the working group who are not paid with public money are entitled to per diem and mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

          C. The purpose of the working group is to:

                (1) study potential statewide frameworks that will provide all public school students with access to a culturally and linguistically responsive education;

                (2) identify a biliteracy and oral language development framework that will improve the biliteracy rate and indigenous oral language development comprehension levels in New Mexico and help students become college and career ready;

                (3) identify research-based pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade biliteracy frameworks in English and Spanish for public school students in developmental bilingual multicultural education programs in New Mexico;

                (4) identify best practices for oral language development that respect, honor and promote indigenous languages; and

                (5) study biliteracy framework implementation and oral language development practices for indigenous language instruction so as to provide guidance on the biliteracy framework and appropriate professional development to support school districts and charter schools that are implementing or choosing to implement developmental bilingual multicultural education program models.

          D. In carrying out its charge, the working group shall:

                (1) identify and study biliteracy and oral language development frameworks that align with the state's pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade English and Spanish language arts standards and that are culturally and linguistically responsive and have proven successful in developing language and academic proficiency in English and Spanish;

                (2) for indigenous languages:

                     (a) identify and study biliteracy frameworks for indigenous languages that utilize indigenous literacy; and

                     (b) identify and study approaches that are used for indigenous languages that focus primarily on oral language development with input from tribal language experts and tribal communities; and

                (3) focus on how and why identified frameworks have been successful, and identify which culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum, assessment, instructional materials and professional development have best supported the implementation of biliteracy and oral language development frameworks that provide biliteracy skills and indigenous oral language skills for public school students.

          E. The working group shall publish a final report regarding biliteracy and oral language development frameworks in New Mexico, including why identified frameworks have been successful and how state standards for Spanish language arts should align with the state's pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade biliteracy and oral language development framework. For indigenous languages, the report shall identify key findings regarding instructional approaches that best meet the purposes for indigenous language instruction including native literacy, where an indigenous language is used for that purpose, and native languages that focus primarily on oral language instruction. The report shall provide recommendations on the biliteracy and oral language development frameworks and appropriate professional development to support school districts and charter schools implementing bilingual multicultural education program models.

          F. The working group shall report its findings and recommendations to the public education department, the legislative education study committee, the governor and the deans of the colleges of education and the presidents of the state universities by December 1, 2021 and to New Mexico Indian nations, tribes and pueblos that have approved language programs in the public schools by December 1, 2021.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the public education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2022 to pay the expenses of and staffing for the biliteracy and oral language development framework working group, including paying for state or national biliteracy experts and in-depth research and publication of the working group's report. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2022 shall revert to the general fund.

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