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Policy committee advances bilingual-stipend policy with Rosetta Stone testing and retesting rules
Summary
Staff presented a new bilingual-stipend policy that sets proficiency standards, contracts Rosetta Stone for testing in Spanish and Mandarin, outlines a 90-day retesting grace period and leaves periodic recertification to the general manager’s discretion; estimated stipend costs were presented and the item will go to the board next week.
The Policy Committee on March 3 reviewed a proposed bilingual-stipend policy that would set explicit proficiency standards, require certification testing for Spanish and Mandarin and make stipend payments effective once the board approves the measure.
Staff member (S4) told the committee the district contracted with a vendor described as “immersion by Rosetta Stone” to administer both written and speaking tests and to certify proficiency levels. The proposal lays out the scores required for each level of proficiency and says the district will cover initial test costs.
The policy also includes rules for retesting: staff described a 90-day waiting period after a test before a retest is allowed, and said the district reserves the right to request additional testing later. Committee members asked whether the district should require periodic recertification; staff responded that periodic recertification could be required “at the general manager’s discretion,” a formulation the committee accepted as sufficient for now.
Staff estimated costs during the presentation. According to the staff presentation, a $100 stipend paid each pay period would amount to about $2,600 per year for a full-time employee; staff also referenced a $780 figure tied to purchased tests for a set of employees (the transcript phrasing about how the $780 maps to headcount and stipend levels was unclear and is recorded as reported by staff). Committee members pressed on operational details — who would be required to retest, how often, and whether the district should cover repeated retests — and staff said the district would cover an initial retest but would use discretion for additional retests.
Committee members expressed support for recognizing staff language skills and for the staff’s approach to test administration. Staff said the policy can be presented to the full board next week and be effective immediately after board approval.
The committee did not take a formal vote; the item will be forwarded to the board for final action.
