Updated Guidance on Serving Emergent Bilingual Students, including Students with a Parental Denial for Program Services, and Making Assessment Decisions
| Date: | August 22, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Updated Guidance on Serving Emergent Bilingual Students, including Students with a Parental Denial for Program Services, and Making Assessment Decisions |
| Category: | Emergent Bilingual Student Programs |
| Next Steps: | Share with appropriate staff |
The purpose of this communication is to inform Texas public school systems of the requirement to provide linguistic supports and assessment accommodations to all emergent bilingual (EB) students as appropriate to the individual students’ needs in all educational settings. This includes students with a parental denial of program participation and is effective immediately.
Implications for Assessment Procedures
- All identified EB students are required to take the state standardized assessments, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) from 3rd grade to 12th grade, as appropriate, and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) each year starting in kindergarten until they meet reclassification. All EB students, including students with parental denial for program participation, shall be given linguistic supports as appropriate to ensure they are developing proficiency in the English language and mastering grade level content for each grade through their educational experience.
- For each identified EB student, including those with a parent denial of program participation, the LPAC members shall 1) monitor the academic progress of each student; 2) recommend linguistic accommodations for instruction and assessments during Middle of the Year (MOY); 3) determine if students meet reclassification criteria; and 4) monitor students that have reclassified during year 1 and year 2.
Steps for School Systems to Ensure Emergent Bilingual Student Readiness
All EB students participating in bilingual education programs (bilingual or ESL) and with parental denial for program participation will be eligible to receive Oral Administration or Content and Language Supports. Emergent bilingual students that receive designated supports for English reading language arts or English I and English II assessments recommended by the LPAC or other committees will be eligible for reclassification at the end of the school year. (See Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's Rules Concerning the Participation of English Language Learners in State Assessments, Division 1, Assessments of English Language Proficiency and Academic Content for English Language Learners.)
- All teachers serving EB students, including students with parental denial of program participation, shall deliver linguistic supports during instruction to help make content comprehensible and make data informed decisions for classroom and assessment accommodations.
- Content-based language instruction (CBLI) methods shall be employed during all levels of instruction to develop language and attain content mastery of TEKS and ELPS in all grade levels and across disciplines to impact the overall educational experience of all EB students.
- All bilingual education programs (bilingual and ESL) should implement their model with adherence to the program goals and ensure they meet students’ affective, linguistic and cognitive needs to support student success.
Important LPAC Procedures
- LPAC Guidance: Beginning of the Year (BOY) Procedures
- LPAC Guidance: Middle of the Year (MOY) Procedures
- LPAC Guidance: End of the Year (EOY) Procedures
Resources
- LPAC Standardized Letters for identification, placement, and reclassification of EB students.
- Content-Based Language Instruction (CBLI) Methods An integrated approach to language instruction in which language is developed within the context of content delivery that is culturally and linguistically sustaining.
- Program Implementation Resources and Videos for effective implementation and programming.
- Assessment Designated Supports Resources to understand eligibility for appropriate recommendations.
Contact Information
If a school system has any questions or concerns regarding linguistic accommodations for EB students, please reach out to EmergentBilingualSupport@tea.texas.gov.