CSHB 24(FIN): "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(FIN) 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 and the instruction is provided only to students who are 12 enrolled in a language immersion program. 13 (b) A person may apply for a limited language immersion teacher certificate 14 under this section if the person is the subject of a request made under (c) of this
01 section and demonstrates, as required by regulations adopted by the board, 02 instructional skills and subject matter expertise sufficient to assure the public that the 03 person is competent as a teacher. The board may require a person issued a limited 04 language immersion teacher certificate under this section to undertake academic 05 training as may be required by the board by regulation and make satisfactory progress 06 in the academic training. 07 (c) The department may issue a limited language immersion teacher certificate 08 under this section if the school board of the district or regional educational attendance 09 area in which an applicant for a limited language immersion teacher certificate will be 10 teaching submits a request to the department for the limited language immersion 11 teacher certificate to be issued to the applicant. A request for a limited language 12 immersion teacher certificate under this section must specify the school district or 13 regional educational attendance area, subject, and instructional language for which the 14 certificate is valid. 15 (d) The board may adopt regulations necessary to implement this section. The 16 regulations may not require an applicant for a limited language immersion teacher 17 certificate under this section to achieve a minimum score on an examination unless the 18 examination is given in the instructional language for which the certificate is valid. 19 (e) A limited language immersion teacher certificate issued under this section 20 is initially valid for one year. The department may, in accordance with (f) of this 21 section and regulations adopted by the board, extend or renew a limited language 22 immersion teacher certificate issued to a person under this section if the school board 23 of the district or regional educational attendance area in which the person is or will be 24 teaching requests that the certificate be extended or renewed and certifies that the 25 person has demonstrated skills in classroom instruction and student assessment. 26 (f) If a person meets the requirements for an extension or renewal of a limited 27 language immersion teacher certificate under (e) of this section, the department may 28 extend or renew a limited language immersion teacher certificate for instruction in 29 (1) a language that is not an Alaska Native language for a cumulative 30 period not to exceed four years; 31 (2) an Alaska Native language for a cumulative period that may exceed
01 four years. 02 * Sec. 2. AS 44.33.520(a) is amended to read: 03 (a) The Council for Alaska Native Languages [ALASKA NATIVE 04 LANGUAGE PRESERVATION AND ADVISORY COUNCIL] is established in the 05 department for the purpose of recommending the establishment or reorganization of 06 programs to support the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of Alaska Native 07 languages. 08 * Sec. 3. AS 44.33.520(c) is amended to read: 09 (c) The governor shall appoint to the council established in this section seven 10 [FIVE] voting members who are professional language experts and who represent 11 diverse regions of the state. In addition, one member of the senate appointed by the 12 president of the senate and one member of the house of representatives appointed by 13 the speaker of the house of representatives shall serve on the council as nonvoting 14 members. In appointing the nonvoting members of the council, the president of the 15 senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint a member of the 16 bush caucus, if a bush caucus exists. In this subsection, "bush caucus" means a group 17 of legislators that represents rural areas of the state. 18 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 REVISOR'S INSTRUCTIONS. The revisor of statutes is requested to consider 21 changing the 22 (1) heading of art. 9 of AS 44.33 from "Alaska Native Language Preservation 23 and Advisory Council" to "Council for Alaska Native Languages"; 24 (2) catch line of AS 44.33.520 from "Alaska Native Language Preservation 25 and Advisory Council" to "Council for Alaska Native Languages."