Amendment #5 to H4672

Language Access for Students

Mr. Hong of Lowell moves to amend the bill by adding the following section:

SECTION XXXX. School districts or charter schools receiving funds under this act, the Education Reform Act or chapter 70 of the General Laws shall provide language access services to students whose native language is not English. Such services shall include, but not be limited to: (1) the provision of educational materials, worksheets and financial literacy curricula in the student’s native language where feasible, or with high-quality translated versions reviewed by qualified translators; (2) access to qualified bilingual educators or interpreters to support comprehension of course content in students’ native languages during instruction, discussion and assessment; (3) periodic evaluation of students’ language needs and translation support, at least annually, to identify which languages require additional resources; (4) professional development for educators on culturally responsive methods and working with multilingual learners to support access in native languages.

Not later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the department of elementary and secondary education shall issue guidelines and best practices for implementation and monitor compliance with this section. The department shall provide grants or technical assistance to districts to support these services. This section shall not limit or replace any other obligation under federal or state law regarding language access or educational equity.