World LEAP Act

The World Language Education Assistance Program Act, or World LEAP Act, aims to establish and provide assistance to the World Language Education Assistance Program. Its core purpose is to support and uplift dual language and world language programs, thereby equipping students with essential language skills for an interconnected global society. The Secretary of Education is directed to award competitive, three-year grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to either establish new programs or enhance existing ones. When awarding these grants, the Secretary will prioritize applications that demonstrate approaches leading to growth in language proficiency from kindergarten through 12th grade, are replicable, and include a plan for program sustainability and professional development. Specific priorities include programs offering intensive summer professional development for teachers, fostering partnerships with community-based heritage language schools , and providing dual language immersion programs for English learners and heritage learners. The bill also encourages consortia, especially those involving institutions of higher education, and efforts to broaden pathways for language teacher certification and recruit future language educators. Grant recipients must reserve at least 20 percent of funds for creating accessible pathways for paraprofessionals to become certified language teachers and for professional development for existing teachers. Up to 5 percent of funds can be used for evaluating program efficacy, with the remainder allocated to program establishment, improvement, and administrative expenses. LEAs are required to submit reports detailing program implementation, student enrollment, and the number of certified bilingual educators, all while protecting student privacy. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each subsequent fiscal year.