AN ACT concerning

Education - Funding of Non- and Limited English Proficient Student Programs

FOR the purpose of funding programs for students enrolled in non- and limited-English
proficient student programs in public schools; defining certain terms; requiring the
Department of Education to establish certain program guidelines; requiring the
county boards to expend certain funds for the programs; requiring the county
boards to prepare certain reports to be submitted to the Department; funding a
targeted poverty grant; requiring the county boards to submit certain plans to the
State Board; establishing a method for allocating funds for a certain grant; limiting
the amount of each grant; establishing certain priorities; providing that the grant
may not supplant existing funding for certain programs; specifying a certain funding
level for the grant by a certain year; requiring a certain report from the
Department; and generally relating to funding non and limited English proficient
student programs certain education funding,                                                    

BY adding to

Article - Education

Section 5-203.1 and 5-203.2

Annotated Code of Maryland                                                                        .

(1992 Replacement Volume and 1993 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:                 

Article - Education

5-203.1.                                                                                               

(A) (1) (I) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.                                                                                   

(II) "NON- AND LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENT STUDENT" MEANS
A STUDENT :                                                                                                      

1. WHOSE DOMINANT HOME LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH;

AND

2. WHO FAILS TO MEET ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF
PROFICIENCY AS SET BY REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION AND AS DETERMINED BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT TOOL APPROVED BY
THE DEPARTMENT. IDENTIFIED AS NON- OR LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENT UNDER
THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S MARYLAND SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. THIS DEFINITION SHOULD
BE CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF
STUDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, AS DEFINED BY THE FOLLOWING

- 2430 -

Ch. 510

1994 LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 510

(Senate Bill 720)