SEC. 5491. SHORT TITLE.

This subpart may be cited as the 'Foreign Language Assistance Act of 2001'.

SEC. 5492. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to make grants, on a competitive basis, to State educational agencies or local educational agencies to pay the Federal share of the cost of innovative model programs providing for the establishment, improvement, or expansion of foreign language study for elementary school and secondary school students.

(2) DURATION- Each grant under paragraph (1) shall be awarded for a period of 3 years.

(b) REQUIREMENTS-

(1) GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES- In awarding a grant under subsection (a) to a State educational agency, the Secretary shall support programs that promote systemic approaches to improving foreign language learning in the State.

(2) GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES- In awarding a grant under subsection (a) to a local educational agency, the Secretary shall support programs that —

(A) show the promise of being continued beyond the grant period;

(B) demonstrate approaches that can be disseminated and duplicated in other local educational agencies; and

(C) may include a professional development component.

(c) FEDERAL SHARE-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Federal share for each fiscal year shall be 50 percent.

(2) WAIVER- Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary may determine the Federal share for any local educational agency which the Secretary determines does not have adequate resources to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of the activities assisted under this subpart.

(d) SPECIAL RULE- Not less than 3/4 of the funds made available under section 5401 to carry out this subpart shall be used for the expansion of foreign language learning in the elementary grades.

(e) RESERVATION- The Secretary may reserve not more than 5 percent of funds made available under section 5401 to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year to evaluate the efficacy of programs assisted under this subpart.

SEC. 5493. APPLICATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Any State educational agency or local educational agency desiring a grant under this subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.

(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION- The Secretary shall give special consideration to applications describing programs that —

(1) include intensive summer foreign language programs for professional development;

(2) link nonnative English speakers in the community with the schools in order to promote two-way language learning;

(3) promote the sequential study of a foreign language for students, beginning in elementary schools;

(4) make effective use of technology, such as computer-assisted instruction, language laboratories, or distance learning, to promote foreign language study;

(5) promote innovative activities, such as foreign language immersion, partial foreign language immersion, or content-based instruction; and

(6) are carried out through a consortium comprised of the agency receiving the grant and an elementary school or secondary school.

SEC. 5494. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

(a) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS- From amounts made available under section 5401 to carry out this subpart, the Secretary shall make an incentive payment for each fiscal year to each public elementary school that provides to students attending such school a program designed to lead to communicative competency in a foreign language.

(b) AMOUNT- The Secretary shall determine the amount of the incentive payment under subsection (a) for each public elementary school for each fiscal year on the basis of the number of students participating in a program described in such subsection at such school for such year compared to the total number of such students at all such schools in the United States for such year.

(c) REQUIREMENT- The Secretary shall consider a program to be designed to lead to communicative competency in a foreign language if such program is comparable to a program that provides not less than 45 minutes of instruction in a foreign language for not fewer than 4 days per week throughout an academic year.

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