New York S 4294: Directs the commissioner of education to establish an incentive program for school districts wishing to implement programs of foreign language in the elementary schools; appropriation

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S04294 Summary:

BILL NOS04294 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORPARKER

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COSPNSRKAVANAGH, SEPULVEDA

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §819, Ed L

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Directs the commissioner of education to establish an incentive program for school districts wishing to implement programs of foreign language in the elementary schools; directs the commissioner of education to establish an incentive program for college students wishing to become foreign language teachers; makes an appropriation therefor.

Go to top S04294 Actions:

BILL NOS04294 

&nbsp

02/03/2025REFERRED TO FINANCE

01/07/2026REFERRED TO FINANCE

Go to topS04294 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04294 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS04294 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4294

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 3, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. PARKER, KAVANAGH, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and
 ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
 Finance

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to directing the commis-
 sioner of education to establish an incentive program for school
 districts wishing to implement programs of foreign language in the
 elementary schools and directing the commissioner of education to
 establish an incentive program for college students wishing to become
 foreign language teachers; and making an appropriation therefor

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 819 to
 2 read as follows:
 3 § 819. Foreign language in the elementary school program. 1. Legisla-
 4 tive intent. The students of New York state need to have skills in at
 5 least one language other than English (LOTE) and understanding of anoth-
 6 er culture in order to successfully confront the challenges of the world
 7 of today and tomorrow. They will have to compete in the global economy;
 8 work with people of diverse cultures abroad and at home, and ensure our
 9 national security.
 10 One goal of this section is to provide funding to start foreign
 11 language in the elementary school (FLES) programs for a limited number
 12 of schools in high-need districts. Participation in this program is
 13 voluntary. Relatively few school districts offer FLES Nation-wide, only
 14 six percent of students study foreign language in elementary school.
 15 These districts tend to be among the more affluent. By choosing five
 16 schools in high-need districts, we hope to demonstrate that those
 17 schools who cannot otherwise afford to have FLES programs can succeed.
 18 Children of low-income districts deserve to have the skills to succeed
 19 in the global world as well as those of more affluent areas.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD08004-01-5

 S. 4294 2

 1 According to research and the guidelines of the American Council on
 2 the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), students who begin study of
 3 LOTE at an early age and who continue that study for a long sequence of
 4 years have the best chances of attaining intermediate proficiency in
 5 that language.
 6 It is hoped that the success of these programs, which will be careful-
 7 ly monitored by the New York State Association of Foreign Language
 8 Teachers (NYSAFLT), will not only encourage the districts to find the
 9 funds to continue offering the FLES programs once funding from the bill
 10 has ended, but also will generate interest in the neighboring districts
 11 which will inspire them to implement FLES programs, thus creating a
 12 grassroots movement in favor of FLES.
 13 The second goal of this section is to provide funding to encourage
 14 college students wishing to become LOTE teachers. There is a current
 15 severe shortage of LOTE teachers in New York state. This shortage can
 16 prevent school districts from offering a variety of languages as well as
 17 from adding classes with the purpose of increasing LOTE study. The fund-
 18 ing provided would cover the cost of tuition for education courses lead-
 19 ing to certification for teaching LOTE in New York state.
 20 2.