CSHB 24(L&C): "An Act relating to instruction in a language other than English; establishing limited language immersion teacher certificates; renaming the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council as the Council for Alaska Native Languages; and relating to the membership of the Council for Alaska Native Languages."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 24(L&C) 01 "An Act relating to instruction in a language other than English; establishing limited 02 language immersion teacher certificates; renaming the Alaska Native Language 03 Preservation and Advisory Council as the Council for Alaska Native Languages; and 04 relating to the membership of the Council for Alaska Native Languages." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 14.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 14.20.023. Limited language immersion teacher certificates. (a) 08 Notwithstanding AS 14.20.020(b), the department may issue a limited language 09 immersion teacher certificate, valid only in the area of expertise for which it is issued, 10 to a person qualified under (b) of this section to teach any subject if the language of 11 instruction is not English. 12 (b) A person may apply for a limited language immersion teacher certificate 13 under this section if the person is the subject of a request made under (c) of this 14 section and demonstrates, as required by regulations adopted by the board,
01 instructional skills and subject matter expertise sufficient to assure the public that the 02 person is competent as a teacher. The board may require a person issued a limited 03 language immersion teacher certificate under this section to undertake academic 04 training as may be required by the board by regulation and make satisfactory progress 05 in the academic training. 06 (c) The department may issue a limited language immersion teacher certificate 07 under this section if the school board of the district or regional educational attendance 08 area in which an applicant for a limited language immersion teacher certificate will be 09 teaching submits a request to the department for the limited language immersion 10 teacher certificate to be issued to the applicant. A request for a limited language 11 immersion teacher certificate under this section must specify the school district or 12 regional educational attendance area, subject, and instructional language for which the 13 certificate is valid. 14 (d) The board may adopt regulations necessary to implement this section. The 15 regulations may not require an applicant for a limited language immersion teacher 16 certificate under this section to achieve a minimum score on an examination unless the 17 examination is given in the instructional language for which the certificate is valid. 18 (e) A limited language immersion teacher certificate issued under this section 19 is initially valid for one year. The department may, in accordance with (f) of this 20 section and regulations adopted by the board, extend or renew a limited language 21 immersion teacher certificate issued to a person under this section if the school board 22 of the district or regional educational attendance area in which the person is or will be 23 teaching requests that the certificate be extended or renewed and certifies that the 24 person has demonstrated skills in classroom instruction and student assessment. 25 (f) If a person meets the requirements for an extension or renewal of a limited 26 language immersion teacher certificate under (e) of this section, the department may 27 extend or renew a limited language immersion teacher certificate for instruction in 28 (1) a language that is not an Alaska Native language for a cumulative 29 period not to exceed four years; 30 (2) an Alaska Native language for a cumulative period that may exceed 31 four years.
01 * Sec. 2. AS 44.33.520(a) is amended to read: 02 (a) The Council for Alaska Native Languages [ALASKA NATIVE 03 LANGUAGE PRESERVATION AND ADVISORY COUNCIL] is established in the 04 department for the purpose of recommending the establishment or reorganization of 05 programs to support the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of Alaska Native 06 languages. 07 * Sec. 3. AS 44.33.520(c) is amended to read: 08 (c) The governor shall appoint to the council established in this section seven 09 [FIVE] voting members who are professional language experts and who represent 10 diverse regions of the state. In addition, one member of the senate appointed by the 11 president of the senate and one member of the house of representatives appointed by 12 the speaker of the house of representatives shall serve on the council as nonvoting 13 members. In appointing the nonvoting members of the council, the president of the 14 senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint a member of the 15 bush caucus, if a bush caucus exists. In this subsection, "bush caucus" means a group 16 of legislators that represents rural areas of the state. 17 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 18 read: 19 REVISOR'S INSTRUCTIONS. The revisor of statutes is requested to consider 20 changing the 21 (1) heading of art. 9 of AS 44.33 from "Alaska Native Language Preservation 22 and Advisory Council" to "Council for Alaska Native Languages"; 23 (2) catch line of AS 44.33.520 from "Alaska Native Language Preservation 24 and Advisory Council" to "Council for Alaska Native Languages."