Pupil instruction: dual language programs: Pathways to Success Grant Program.

Existing law establishes the Pathways to Success Grant Program with the goal of providing pupils in preschool, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, with dual language immersion programs, developmental bilingual programs for English learners, or early learning dual language learners programs, as those terms are defined. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to administer the program and award a minimum of 10 grants of up to $300,000 to school districts and consortia of school districts in partnership with other specified entities, and additional funding of up to $20,000 to an applicant proposing to establish a dual language immersion program or developmental bilingual program for English learners in a target language other than Spanish, as provided. Existing law makes the implementation of the program contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute. This bill would revise and recast the Pathways to Success Grant Program. The bill would require the State Department of Education to instead award a minimum of 20 one-time grants of up to $750,000 per grant, as provided, and additional funding of up to $37,500 when awarding a grant to an applicant proposing to establish a dual language immersion program or developmental bilingual program for English learners in a target language other than Spanish, as provided. The bill would require the department to, among other things, determine grant award selection criteria and meet quarterly with grantees to share practices and resources and resolve implementation issues. The bill would require the department to hire a consultant to coordinate program activities and provide technical assistance to the department. The bill would require the department to contract for technical assistance and strategic planning services for grantees and would exempt those contracts from various state contracting requirements. The bill would require the department to submit to the appropriate policy and budget committees of the Legislature an annual progress report, a one-time report on or before June 30, 2025, and a one-time report on or before October 1, 2029, with specified information about the progress and outcomes of the grant program, as provided. This bill would additionally require grant applicants to include a description of how the proposed grant programs align to one or more goals included in the local educational agency's local control and accountability plan. The bill would additionally authorize grant funds to be used for attendance at the quarterly grant recipient meetings and for employment of a dual immersion teacher specialist to support program implementation, as provided.