Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman today praised the signing of SB 1014 into law, which eliminated the stringent 4-hour state-mandated block of English-language instruction. The law also provides schools and teachers of English Learner (EL) students more flexibility to develop instructional models that best fit their individual needs.
“For the past two decades, Arizona’s multilingual students have suffered from a misguided policy that has left them isolated, undereducated and unprepared to enter the workforce,” Superintendent Hoffman said. “The passage of this legislation will give tens of thousands of EL students a greater chance at success in school and in life, and their success will benefit all Arizonans. I applaud the governor and legislature for supporting this bill, as well as the advocates who fought so hard to make this happen.”
During Superintendent Hoffman’s campaign for office, eliminating the 4-hour block was one of her foundational issues. The Superintendent’s research into bilingualism, as well as the unlimited feedback she has received from educators and students, consistently cited the 4-hour EL block as the biggest hindrance of academic success.
SB 1014, which was sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer and Representative Michelle Udall, was passed with unanimous support by the legislature. The increased flexibility of the law will allow public schools and teachers to develop their own research-based models, which will be determined by the individual needs of their students.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is currently working with EL stakeholders throughout the state to develop guidance that will enable a seamless transition to this less-restrictive approach. In addition, ADE will be charged with collecting data and analyzing the effectiveness of how schools implement their language instruction programming so best practices can be shared among educators throughout the state.