PRINTER'S NO. 230
No. 221 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY BATTISTO, COWELL, LANGTRY, COLAFELLA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, ARGALL, TIGUE, TRELLO, GEIST, STISH, MIHALICH,
JOSEPHS, TANGRETTI, PISTELLA, VAN HORNE, DALEY, BELARDI,
SCHULER, LINTON, PERZEL, CAPPABIANCA, HERMAN, ROEBUCK,
STABACK, SAURMAN, WOGAN, HAYDEN, LESCOVITZ, FREEMAN, NAHILL,
D. R. WRIGHT, COY, MELIO, PRESTON, OLASZ, CAWLEY, BUNT,
JOHNSON, ITKIN, ALLEN, PETRARCA, LAUGHLIN, CORRIGAN, McCALL,
WOZNIAK AND SEMMEL, FEBRUARY 4, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 4, 1991
AN ACT
1 Providing for the establishment of a summer foreign language
2 academy program for secondary school students throughout this
3 Commonwealth; and providing for powers and duties of the
4 Department of Education.
5 The General Assembly finds and declares that, due to the
6 demands of a very competitive world economy and vast
7 governmental changes in Europe along with the rapid advances in
8 telecommunications systems worldwide, it is necessary to be able
9 to communicate with people of diverse cultures in order to
10 successfully survive in a global economy. The youth of Europe,
11 Asia and Africa are often fluent in several languages, whereas
12 the vast majority of American students speak and write only
13 English.
14 The Commonwealth, through the Department of Education, has a
15 commitment to the students of Pennsylvania to prepare them to
16 meet the challenges of the future.
1 It is the intention of the General Assembly in enacting this
2 act to require the Department of Education to establish a
3 Statewide system of summer foreign language academies which will
4 provide students with concentrated instruction in certain
5 foreign languages and acquaint them with diverse cultures.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Foreign
10 Languages Academies Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Department." The Department of Education of the
16 Commonwealth.
17 "Student." A person who is enrolled in a public or private
18 secondary school in this Commonwealth and has completed the 9th,
19 10th or 11th grade.
20 Section 3. Powers and duties of department.
21 (a) Establishment of program.--The department shall
22 establish a summer foreign language academy program for students
23 in this Commonwealth. To the greatest extent possible, the
24 department shall work with the universities and colleges within
25 the State System of Higher Education, local school districts,
26 intermediate units, teachers and administrators to develop the
27 administrative and academic portions of the program. Those
28 students who are to participate in the program shall be selected
29 by the local school districts.
30 (b) Commencement of program.--At least one summer foreign
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1 language academy shall be in operation by the summer of 1991.
2 Section 4. Guidelines.
3 The department shall, in the manner prescribed by law,
4 establish the guidelines necessary to carry out this act.
5 Section 5. Annual report.
6 The department shall prepare an annual report of the summer
7 foreign language academies program which shall be submitted to
8 the Governor, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
9 Section 6. Effective date.
10 This act shall take effect immediately.
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