160.075. American Sign Language courses, treatment as a foreign language, when.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

160.075. American Sign Language courses, treatment as a foreign language, when.

American Sign Language courses, treatment as a foreign language, when.

160.075. 1. Any public school or public institution of highereducation in this state may offer one or more courses in American SignLanguage (ASL). American Sign Language shall be treated as a foreignlanguage for academic credit granting and receiving purposes when ASL isoffered by a public school or public institution of higher education inMissouri.

2. Any student enrolled in a public school or public institution ofhigher education in this state that offers an American Sign Language courseor courses as part of the school's or institution's regular curriculumshall receive academic credit for such course or courses if such school orinstitution provides academic credit for a course or courses in any otherforeign language. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a school orinstitution from offering nonacademic credit ASL classes as part of theschool's or institution's educational program.

3. Any student enrolled in a public school or public institution ofhigher education in this state that offers an American Sign Language courseor courses may earn academic credit for such course by completing thecourse with a passing grade or by demonstrating a proficiency in ASL at alevel of competence equal to that taught in such course.

4. Academic credit received for taking an ASL course or demonstratingproficiency in ASL shall be counted toward satisfaction of any foreignlanguage or language arts requirements of the public school or publicinstitution of higher education, including any foreign language or languagearts entrance requirements of any public institution of higher education.

5. Nothing in subsection 4 of this section shall be construed aslimiting the ability of individual departments in public institutions ofhigher education located in the state of Missouri from establishingspecific departmental language requirements for majors that cannot be metby American Sign Language.

6. The Missouri commission for the deaf and hard of hearing and theMissouri American Sign Language teachers association shall provideassistance, advice, and guidance on the development, establishment, andteaching of American Sign Language courses in Missouri public schools andpublic institutions of higher education as needed and requested.