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 ELAR Newsletter - May 2026
As we approach the close of another impactful school year, we are here to provide timely updates and support for the weeks ahead. This season offers a meaningful time to honor accomplishments, support strong finishes, and prepare for future success. We celebrate your hard work and wish you a joyful, refreshing summer season.
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AP Summer Institute Registration Fees Grants Available
The College Board is offering participant grants for qualifying teachers who are new to an AP subject and plan to teach the AP course for the first time in the 2026–27 school year. The request form is open from March through June, or until all available grants have been awarded.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for an AP Summer Institute participant grant, teachers must:
- Be teaching an AP course for the first time in 2026–27
- Have not previously attended an APSI or received College Board funding for the same AP course
- Have not received professional learning funding from their school, district, or state for this purpose
What the Grant Covers
Participant grants may be used for College Board–endorsed AP Summer Institutes offered in the United States or internationally. Grants cover tuition only. Grants do not apply to the AP Annual Conference, Pre‑AP sessions, one‑day workshops, or other non‑APSI training.
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TEA ELPS Guide Session
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Target Audience: English Language Arts, English as a Second Language, Bilingual or Dual Language Stakeholders- Teachers, District Administrators, Campus Administrators, Education Service Center Specialists, Parents, Professional Organizations
Session Information: This session is designed to introduce participants to the purpose, structure, and key components of the ELPS Guide. This tool will help provide a consistent and clear interpretation of the revised ELPS so that all educators in Texas have the same understanding of the standards. Attendees will receive a high-level overview of how the guide is organized and how it can be used to support planning, instruction, and decision-making. The session will highlight major sections of the guide and clarify how the content is intended to be used in practice. Participants will leave with an understanding of the guide’s goals and where to find information to support their work.
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Upcoming Professional Development at ESC-20
We have several sessions coming up in the summer and more are being added everyday. This link will take you to our growing list. Bookmark it and revisit it frequently.
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Books We Are Reading
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Instructional Strategies to Move Learning Forward
by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Kierstan Barbee, and Sarah Ortega
Suitable for K-12 teachers. This book is grounded in the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) framework and offers over 50 strategies connected with each step in the framework. It details step-by-step guidance for trying these strategies in your classrooms.
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The Essential 25: Teaching the Vocabulary That Makes or Breaks Student Understanding
by Marilee Sprenger
Suitable for K-12 teachers. This book focuses on twenty-five Tier 2 vocabulary words that students need to understand and be able to apply in order to succeed on academic tasks and assessments. There are ideas for evaluating students' understanding of the words, activities and strategies to help students understand and be able to apply each word.
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5 Questions for Any Text: Critical Reaidng in the Age of Disinformation
by Marilyn Pryle
Suitable for 6-12 teachers. This book focuses on improving students' critical reading skills and offers five questions students can use with any text to look beyond the text itself and uncover the craft, rhetoric, intent and messages.
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For Questions or Support:
Thank you for engaging with this month's ELAR newsletter and for your work on behalf of the region's students.
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For questions or assistance, please contact:
Linda Cavazos
Consultant, English Language Arts and Reading
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