What's happening
This bill requires New York public school districts with significant non-English-speaking populations to provide language assistance programs for limited English proficient parents.
Why it matters
Promotes equal access for parents. By requiring that all key communications and events be accessible in parents’ primary languages, the bill aims to ensure that limited English proficient parents can fully participate in their children’s education, potentially improving student outcomes and parental engagement.
Mandates accountability and transparency. School districts must track and annually report the number of parents served, complaints received, and bilingual staff utilized, which could drive improvements, reveal gaps, and provide public insight into how well schools are serving diverse communities.
Standardizes and expands language assistance. Sets clear definitions for “primary language” and “limited English proficient parents,” and creates a uniform statewide standard for when language assistance is required (districts where more than 5% of residents are non-English speakers), potentially reducing inconsistencies between districts.
Provides recourse for non-compliance. Directs the state education commissioner to set up complaint procedures, giving parents a formal way to address schools’ failures to provide required language services, which could increase accountability and responsiveness.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help for Non-English Parents
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8634
IN SENATE
May 10, 2018
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public school districts to provide language assistance to limited English proficient parents of students
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 57 to read as follows:
57. a. All school districts shall establish a language assistance program where limited English proficient parents would have effective access to communicate with teachers and school personnel. This comprehensive program shall include, but is not limited to:
(1) Providing that all frequently used forms and other written materials that are sent home to limited English proficient parents are in their primary language;
(2) Providing language assistance to limited English proficient parents in their primary language who call or come into school with concerns related to their child's schooling;
(3) Providing language assistance services to limited English proficient parents in their primary language to facilitate parent attendance at school-sponsored programs designed for communication with parents including, but not limited to, parent-teacher conferences, workshops and school fairs.
b. A notice of the availability of the language assistance programs for limited English proficient parents established pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision shall be mailed to the homes of such limited English proficient parents in a notice written in their primary language.
c. Each school district shall keep a record documenting its language assistance program and shall submit a summary report annually to the commissioner. Such record and report shall include, but not be limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00511-04-8
S. 8634 2
(1) The number of limited English proficient parents who receive such assistance;
(2) The number of limited English proficient households where one parent is English language proficient; and
(3) The number of complaints filed by limited English proficient parents; and
(4) The number of bilingual personnel used to assist in the language assistance and translation services.
d. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to implement the provisions of this subdivision, including but not limited to, the methodology to be used by each school district to determine or assess the primary languages, the number of limited English proficient parents, the percentage of limited English proficient parents to students and the native language of such limited English proficient parents, and a complaint procedure for any parent who alleges a school's non-compliance with the provisions of this subdivision.
e. For purposes of this subdivision:
(1) "Primary language" means one of the five most common languages in a school district, other than English, spoken and used to communicate, by limited English proficient parents.
(2) "Limited English proficient parents" means parents or parent of a minor child who attends public school and such parents or parent is unable to communicate effectively in English with teachers and school personnel at the school attended by his or her child.
f. Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit a school district from entering into a cooperative agreement with other school districts to jointly establish such a language assistance program.
g. This subdivision shall only apply to school districts where non- English speaking residents or limited English proficient parents constitute more than five percent of the residents of such school district, as determined by data from the two most recent federal decennial censuses.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public school districts to provide language assistance to limited English proficient parents of students
Purpose
To ensure that parents who cannot speak English proficiently have adequate access to education related documents and procedures.
Summary of provisions
Section I amends section 305 the education law by adding new section 44 to require all public school districts to establish a language assist- ance program where a limited English proficient parents would have effective access to communicate with school regarding their children's education.
Section II sets forth the effective date.
Justification
The bill is necessary to better serve those parents in the state of New York who cannot understand the English language. Many parents are immi- grants who come to this country seeking educational opportunities for their children. Studies have shown that parental involvement is impor- tant to a student's success in school. However, parents with limited English proficiency cannot be involved in their children's education. In order to better facilitate communication between children and their parents, it is imperative to implement language assistance programs that will enable parents to full participant in their children's education.
Fiscal impact on the state
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.