Washington Revised Code Title 28A. Common School Provisions § 28A.300.577. Dual and tribal language education programs--Grants and further support--Rules--Definitions

(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must award grants to school districts and state-tribal education compact schools applying to: (i) Establish a dual language education program that begins in kindergarten; or (ii) expand an established dual language education program.

(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must identify criteria for awarding the grants, evaluate applicants, and award grant money. Establishment grants must be prioritized to schools in the educational opportunity gap, with the first priority to schools with over 50 percent students of color.

(c) Recipients of the grants awarded under this subsection (1) must: (i) Convene an advisory board to guide the development and continuous improvement of the dual language education program, including addressing enrollment considerations and staff hiring; (ii) prioritize offering the program in the language that the majority of its English learner students speak; (iii) conduct outreach to the community; and (iv) submit data to the office of the superintendent of public instruction identifying which grade levels and which courses are part of the dual language education program and which students are enrolled in those courses. Grant recipients must actively recruit to the advisory board parents of English learner students and current or former English learner students, with a goal of filling at least half of the advisory board seats with these individuals; the other members of the advisory board must represent teachers, students, school leaders, governing board members, and community-based organizations that support English learners.

(a) The office of Native education within the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall administer a grant program to support school districts and state-tribal education compact schools establishing and expanding tribal language education programs.

(b) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must award grants to school districts to: (i) Establish a tribal language education program; or (ii) expand an established tribal language education program.

(c) The office of Native education within the office of the superintendent of public instruction must identify criteria for awarding the grants, evaluate applicants, and award grant money.

(d) Recipients of the grants awarded under this subsection (2) must submit data to the office of the superintendent of public instruction identifying which students are enrolled in tribal language education programs.

(e) The office of Native education within the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene biannually up to 20 tribal language educators to develop and share best practices, resources, and knowledge.

(a) “Dual language education” means an instructional model in which public school students are taught subject matter in both English and a world language other than English. “Dual language education” includes heritage language education, in which students develop and maintain grade level literacy and language use in the language of their communities, homes, and families.

(b) “Tribal language education” means the revitalization of and instruction in tribal languages in public schools, developed in consultation with Washington's federally recognized tribes and federally recognized tribes with reserved treaty rights in Washington, and provided by a certificated teacher with a Washington state first peoples' language, culture, and oral tribal traditions endorsement established under RCW 28A.410.045.

(c) “World language other than English” includes sign languages, for example American sign language, and indigenous languages.