LANGUAGE LEGISLATION

Higher Education Opportunity Act

This legislation was passed and signed by the President to reauthorize the the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), which was five years overdue. A major highlight of the legislation includes the addition of a Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education in the Department of Education. For further details, please visit the News page.

International Leadership Act of 2008

**Similar legislation was inserted into the Higher Education Opportunity Act (the 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act). On July 31, 2008, Congress passed their Higher Education Opportunity Act, which includes a Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education.  Please see HEA Reauthorization for more details.

Representative Rush Holt introduced a new bill, H.R. 5179, the International Leadership Act of 2008, which creates an Assistant Secretary and Office for International and Foreign Language Education within the Department of Education. We urge you to use the following points in support of this legislation to write or call your Representative urging that he/she co-sponsor H.R. 5179.

Talking Points
Sample Letter (Please remember to print on your letterhead!)

College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007

The College Cost and Reduction Act of 2007 was passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It was signed by President Bush on Thursday, September 27, 2007 and became Public Law No. 110-84. The purpose of this legislation is to increase college financial aid and reduce loan costs in order to make college more affordable. "The legislation will do more to help students and families pay for college than any federal effort since the 1944 GI Bill and comes at no new cost to U.S. taxpayers." (http://edworkforce.house.gov/) The legislation makes changes to the Pell Grant program and alters the current Higher Education Act student loan program.

Of particular interest to language professionals, this bill would provide student loan forgiveness to borrowers who serve in areas of national need as early childhood educators, nurses, foreign language specialists, librarians, certain highly qualified teachers, child welfare workers, speech language pathologists, National Service participants, and public sector employees. It also would establish a TEACH Grant program providing tuition assistance to undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching a high-need subject in a high-need school for four years.

The chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Rep. George Miller, offered the following comments regarding the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007:

"Today is a momentous day for students and families struggling to pay for college. This bill will help ensure that no qualified student is prevented from going to college because of the cost. With the College Cost Reduction and Access Act signed into law, millions of students will receive much needed help to pay for college. I am extremely proud that the Democratic Congress has provided the greatest investment to help students and parents pay for college since the GI bill and has delivered on our promise to make college more affordable and accessible for families. This legislation shows how the Congress and the President can work together to accomplish important things on behalf of American families."

To learn more about his law and to view the House enrollment ceremony video, please visit the Committee website.

America COMPETES

On August 9, 2007, the President signed into law the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act.  The purpose of this legislation is to invest in the innovation and education to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. in the global economy. The America "COMPETES" Act is an updated version of last year’s National Competitiveness Investment Act introduced by Senators Frist and Reid. This legislation is a bipartisan response to the National Academies' "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report and the Council on Competitiveness' "Innovate America" report. It would increase research investment, strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics from elementary through graduate school, and develop and innovation infrastructure. In addition to expanding AP and IB programs and funding for math, science, engineering, and technology, the America COMPETES act would develop and implement programs for bachelor's and master's degrees in critical foreign languages with concurrent teaching credentials.

It would expand critical foreign language programs in elementary and secondary schools in order to increase the number of students studying and becoming proficient in these languages.

The legislation also proposes programs to develop and train more teachers in these subject areas. This law is fairly broad in scope and creates programs in a number of federal agencies.

Foreign Language Education Partnership Program

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a partnership program in foreign languages. The Secretary of Education would be given the authority to make incentive payments to eligible partnerships to "develop and maintain model programs that support articulated language learning in kindergarten through grade 12". The funds may be used for program design and teaching strategies according to best practices and available research, curriculum and materials development, national assessment development and enhancement, teacher in-service and pre-service program development, and recruitment incentives for new teachers and students. The funds can also be used to provide opportunities for maximum language exposure for students, dual-language immersion programs, scholarships for study abroad opportunities, activities that encourage whole-school and community involvement, effective and innovative use of technology, and certification and alternative certification programs.

Further, a model program is exempt from receiving funding under this program unless it contains a research and evaluation component that would collect data regarding the effectiveness of each activity of the language program and the effect of each activity on the language proficiency of the students. This data would be analyzed and made public under standardization guidelines determined by the Secretary.

A partnership that is awarded incentive funding under this program for one fiscal year would have the opportunity to continue funding for the three succeeding fiscal years if proven effective. This requirement may be waived by the Secretary if the program relates to critical languages or if the year is used primarily for planning rather than program implementation.

Incentive payments for this bill would be appropriated in the amount of $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.

This bill has been added into Title V of the discussion draft for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as Part B of the Foreign Language Assistance Program.

 Associations officially endorsing H.R. 2111

To add your association to this list, please email Ashley Lenker.
 

Foreign Language Education Expansion Act

This legislation would provide teacher of foreign languages the same loan forgiveness opportunities as teachers of math and science. It would give teachers of foreign languages eligibility for loan forgiveness up to $17,500 if they teach in Title I elementary and secondary schools for five years. This bill addresses the teacher shortages in foreign languages and is designed to expand the number of teachers entering the field.

Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act

On February 13, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act and now must pass the full Senate
This bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on June 5, 2007.

This bill would establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation under the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. The act would require the Foundation to award grants to U.S. students and nongovernmental institutions that provide and promote study abroad opportunities in consortium with institutions of higher education. These grants would be awarded increasingly to students studying in nontraditional locations.

The legislation implements the recommendations from the Abraham Lincoln Commission's report Global Competence and National Needs: One Million Americans Studying Abroad.

Foreign Language Coordination Council

This bill was introduced in both the House and Senate early in the first session of the 110th Congress.  If passed, it would establish a national foreign language strategy to be executed by a national council.  The council would appoint a National Language Director and would consist of the Secretaries of Education, Defense, State, Homeland Security, Labor, and Commerce, among others.  The council would be responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and implementing foreign language initiatives, including the National Security Language Initiative.