Celebrating Educators of Emergent Bilingual Students Across Texas

Bilingual/ESL Educator Spotlight:

Do you know an outstanding educator of emergent bilingual students or an LEA (school districts or open-enrollment charters) that you’d like to nominate to be spotlighted in our newsletter? We would love to share instances of teachers, administrators and LEAs that demonstrate commitments to EB students by going above and beyond. Submit this nomination form today!

Educator Spotlight:

TABE Bilingual Teacher of the Year Luz Álvarez - Sims Travis Heights Elementary, Austin ISD

TABE ESL Teacher of the Year Christina Varughese Berry Miller Jr. High, Pearland ISD

Administrator Spotlights:

Alessandra Tooley Argyle ISD The EL Support Division honors Alessandra’s initiative to involve Argyle ISD in the Newcomer Community of Practice, seeing the importance based on community needs and not just the number of immigrant students from her district. About Alessandra “Ally”: She started her journey as an emergent bilingual student herself at age 8 from Brazil. She was brought into education by a friend that saw her passion for different cultures in 2001. She started her career as a 4th grade bilingual teacher in Irving ISD. She has served as an educator in many capacities since then, including teaching third, fourth, and fifth grade bilingual students as well as gifted & talented bilingual students and ESL pull-out teacher K-5. She is a long-time educator of multilingual students from around the globe and most recently ESL Instructional Support for Lewisville ISD in elementary and secondary campuses prior to coming to Argyle ISD in 2020 as an ESL Coordinator. Her own experience inspired her to become a strong advocate for our all emergent bilingual students and their families as she has a deep understanding of the challenges they face in learning a second language.

LEA Spotlights:

Congratulations to Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, an in-district charter school in San Antonio ISD, for being recognized as one of the US Best Elementary Schools and ranking #401 in Texas elementary schools, #1 in San Antonio ISD, and #17 in Texas charter elementary schools. The ranking is based on their performance in state assessments, graduation, and preparation for high school.  Mark Twain Dual Language Academy prepares PK-7th grade students develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and socio-cultural competence in their two-way dual language program.  İFelicidades!

87th Texas Legislation Updates

Senate Bill 15 was passed on September 9, 2021 and allows LEAs to receive ADA funding for students enrolled in a local remote learning program that meets specific criteria described in SB 15. General information on SB 15, such as attendance reporting, past and upcoming webinars, and an FAQ can be found on the agency’s Remote Learning page. Questions 38-42 in the FAQ were written by the English Learner Support Division and relate specifically to bilingual and ESL program services. The same information can be accessed via a stand-alone document entitled SB 15 Guidance on Remote Learning for Emergent Bilingual Students/English Learners.   Texas passed House Bill 4545 which requires accelerated learning for students who do not perform satisfactorily or did not test on STAAR grades 3-8 or EOC Assessments. HB 4545 goes on to require an Accelerated Learning Committee (ALC) for students who did not perform satisfactorily on Reading and/or Math STAAR for grades 3, 5, and 8. Guidance pertaining to the ALC for an emergent bilingual (EB) student is that the ALC must have an LPAC representative. In other words, the LPAC cannot serve as the EB student’s ALC. For more information on this please see this FAQ or email accelerated.instruction@tea.texas.gov.

LPAC Guidance & Resources

Have questions on the components of the LPAC Framework? The newly updated FAQ for LPAC and Emergent Bilingual Students/English Learners provides detailed answers on common questions related to general LPAC decisions, identification, placement, programs for EB students, review and reclassification, and monitoring and evaluation, as well as links to data and resources. Remember, the LPAC Framework site also provides comprehensive training resources, including video modules. As LPACs prepare for state assessment decisions, the newly released 2021-2022 Middle-of-Year (MOY) LPAC Guidance Checklist provides a quick guide for LPAC members to conduct responsibilities related to assessment. Remember, the 2021-2022 Beginning-of-Year (BOY) LPAC Guidance Checklist has important reminders as students enroll throughout the school year.   Other recently updated resources include: LPAC/ARD Committee Collaboration: Guidance on Identification and Reclassification of Dual-Identified Students Guidance on Identification and Placement of Students Prior to Kindergarten EB Student/EL Decision Chart for the LPAC (with PEIMS codes) 2021-2022 Emergent Bilingual Student/English Learner Reclassification Criteria Chart(Revised statement related to EB students who are blind/visually impaired)

Title III Guidance & Resources

Accountability & Compliance Visit our Accountability & Compliance page on txel.org to access state policy and Title III, Part A statute. Within ESSA Reporting and Guidance section, the 2021-2022 federal consolidated application documents can easily be accessed when needed.

Have Title III Questions? Check out the Title III, Part A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for common questions from the field as it relates to general purpose, English language acquisition, immigrant students, and funding. For additional funding guidance, explore our Side-by-Side Guidance and Title III, Part A Allowable Use of Funds documents.

TAA Letter: Approved ESSA Fiscal Waivers Impacts to Grantees: This waiver relates to the 2019-2020 ESSA funds that would have otherwise expired on September 30, 2021 TEA is extending the end date to June 30, 2022 LEAs will have two open grant applications running concurrently Any 2019-2020 funds not drawn by June 30, 2022, will be forfeited by the LEA and returned to the federal government The budget amendment deadlines for these two grant applications have also been extended to April 1, 2022

Calculation of Federal Formula Grant Entitlements

Have you ever wondered how TEA calculates the ESSA allocation? TEA developed an ESSA Funding Reference Manual to explain the calculations process for grant programs. Title III, Part A - ELA and Title III, Part A – Immigrant formulas can be found on page 45. If you have clarifying questions after reviewing the manual, please email entitlements@tea.texas.gov.

2021-2022 Title III Funding Amounts 

LEAs can access their ESSA consolidated amounts for SY 2021-2022 at Entitlements.

Title III, Part A Reminders

• There is not a limitation on the amount of carryover for either of the Title III Part A funding sources. However, LEAs are encouraged to expend the funds during the year in which they were awarded.
• Supplement, Not Supplant rules do apply to Title III, Part A
• Title III funds cannot be used for stipends, but can be used for supplemental pay
• Identification assessments are not an allowable expense with Title III funds

Division Announcements

2021-2022 English Learner Support Division Live Meetings Our “Live Meetings” are intended for education service centers (ESCs), school district staff and open-enrollment charter school staff – we encourage all to attend if possible. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to engage with the TEA English Learner Support Division. Visit the Division Support Meetings page for upcoming dates.

Multilingual Outreach Advisory Council

The English Learner Support Division is excited to initiate the Multilingual Outreach Advisory Council to assist in developing and enhancing awareness of statewide multilingual resources to support multilingual families in Texas. The Advisory Council is intended to be composed of a diverse group of stakeholders who support multilingual families (e.g., educators, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations focusing supports on multilingual families, and family members) who will share valuable knowledge and expertise in promoting and bridging connections among multilingual families, schools, and the community. Through a partnership with the Advisory Council, the English Learner Support Division will provide schools with training opportunities to assist and support educators in strengthening their understanding, communication, and awareness of their multilingual populations.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Advisory Council, please complete the short application available through this link. Applications will be accepted until January 17, 2022, 5:00p.m. CST.

Content-Based Language Instruction (CBLI) Framework A comprehensive Content-Based Language Instruction Framework and related TEALearn online courses are currently in development. Check out this newly released CBLI Quick Guide that provides an overview of the framework, which will include components on Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices, Second Language Acquisition, Instructional Methods, and Diversified Support.

Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework (TxEDLIF)

The English Learner Support Division is pleased to announce that the Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework (TxEDLIF) has been completed and ready to support LEAs implementing DLI programs increase effectiveness statewide. Sixteen campuses across the state are currently piloting the TxEDLIF. The TxEDLIF overview can be located on our txel.org program implementation page.

ELPS Academy Online Modules

Now available on TEALearn, you can access the previously offered Texas Gateway ELPS Academy online courses. For additional resources visit the ELPS Resource Tools page.

Resources for Families of English Learners

The TEA EL Support Division publishes parent and family newsletters that are coupled with our EL Web Portal to inform families of English learners of educational resources to increase the language proficiency and academic success of their child. Winter Edition / October / September / August

The Process for Serving English Learners Take a few minutes to watch this helpful video that will guide you through understanding the process for Serving English Learners.

Adult Education and Literacy Providers Easily locate adult education and literacy services provided by counties by visiting our Family Supports page.

Helpful Websites for At-Home Learning The TEA English Learner Support Division has compiled a variety of helpful websites to support families with emergent bilingual children at home. These websites will help strengthen English proficiency skills in listening, Reading, speaking, and writing.

Community Partners Resources Visit our Community Partners page in our txel.org website to learn about resources to help facilitate collaboration between community partners, schools, and families of emergent bilingual students to positively impact academic success.

We encourage educators to subscribe to txel.org to receive monthly parent and family newsletters and other helpful resources targeted to parents and families of emergent bilingual students.

Special Populations Monitoring Updates

The Division of Special Populations Monitoring focuses on the effectiveness of federal and state program areas, specifically, Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language (BE/ESL), and Other Special Population (OSP) (OSP includes the combined subgroups of students experiencing homelessness, military-connected students, and students in foster care) in a Local Education Agency (LEA). Additionally, the Division of Special Population Monitoring also conducts Methods of Administration (MOA) Audits and Reviews of identified Local Education Agency’s (LEAs) based on requirements from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

Preparations are underway for the 2021-2022 school year. The following trainings regarding the BE/ESL and OSP Self-Assessment requirements and supporting documents for this year will be conducted on November 9, 20201 for BE/ESL and OSP ESC staff and on December 1, 2021, for LEA BE/ESL and OSP staff in LEAs who received a DL3 or DL4 in BE/ESL and/or OSP. Registration information has been sent to the BE/ESL and OSP ESC contacts for the November 9, 2021, training. Local Education Agency’s (LEAs) superintendents and identified BE/ESL and OPS contacts will receive registration information for the December 1, 2021, mid-November based on information in AskTed.

Information regarding Results Driven Accountability (RDA) can be found at https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/review-and-support/review-and-support-resources. The Division of Special Populations Monitoring website can be accessed at the following link: https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/review-and-support/special-populations-monitoring

TEA News & Resources

Gifted/Talented Education The Equity in Gifted/Talented Education revised website is now available. The goal is to encourage equitable representation of student populations in G/T programs throughout the state by providing tools and resources that inform and support families and educators. Visit gtequity.org to review the current resources. The web address will remain the same.

To help LEAs navigate the new legislative requirements, TEA has launched the following resources to help guide the implementation of the new state law requirements. Accelerated Learning Resources Parent Back to School Resources Texas Tutoring Supports

Did You Know?

To learn more about statewide data and facts related to English learners, check out our recently released Fact Sheets provided by the English Learner Support Division. EL Demographics Program Models Certification Funding

Texas Bilingual Certification Initiative

TEA English Support Division recognizes the bilingual teacher shortage continues to impact some of the 1 million emergent bilingual students being served in bilingual education programs statewide. Educators interested in becoming bilingual certified will be able to participate in newly developed FREE self-paced resources to prepare them pass the Bilingual Supplemental (164) and BTLPT (190).

The preparation resources will have an interactive manual and modules to equip educators with the knowledge to pass the exams and empower them to teach in bilingual education classrooms.  The training online courses will be available in the EL Web portal very soon.

Preparing to get ESL certified? Register for our free ESL Certification Training online course at txeslprep.org! Check out this video and flyer for more information.