LOTE Timely Topic – Endorsements

To support Texas LOTE educators and stakeholders, each newsletter will highlight a commonly asked question. This edition’s question is –

“Are students able to earn endorsements if they use an exception to fulfill the LOTE graduation requirement?”

LOTE Timely Topic – LOTE Graduation Requirement

“Can a student combine one credit of Spanish with one credit French to satisfy the LOTE graduation requirement?”

In general, no. Students may not combine credits from different languages to meet the LOTE requirement. Two credits of any two levels of the same language are required for graduation on the Foundation High School Program (19 TAC §74.12).

An exception to this rule may apply to a student who has successfully completed the first LOTE credit but is determined by an appropriate committee to be unlikely to successfully complete the second LOTE credit. In such a case, the committee of persons identified in rule may substitute the second credit with another LOTE credit selected from 19 TAC Chapter 114 (19 TAC §74.12(b)(5)(C) and (D)).

Division Highlight – Emergent Bilingual Support

The Emergent Bilingual Support Division within TEA is a team that works closely with LOTE education and provides support in many common areas to serve emergent bilingual students statewide. The Emergent Bilingual Support Division provides guidance, technical assistance, and leadership with the effective implementation of all state-approved Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs to serve EB students.

Stakeholders can find LOTE support for many topics through the Emergent Bilingual Support Division such as the following:

• Program Implementation resources for all grade levels PK-12 and for EB families 
• Bilingual/ESL Program Videos
• Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework, Transitional Bilingual Education Rubric, ESL Rubric
• Guidance in starting and implementing an effective dual language immersion (DLI) program for elementary - high school students 
• Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework
• Guidance regarding exit criteria required for the performance acknowledgment for outstanding performance in bilingualism and biliteracy
• Support related to other EB topics to better serve EB students and families reach academic success

For questions related to EB students and families support, please email the Emergent Bilingual Support Division at EmergentBilingualSupport@tea.texas.gov or call (512) 463-9414.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (Military Compact) exists to strengthen transitions and close educational gaps as military families and their children move to a new school district in another state. Key issues encountered by military families that the Military Compact addresses include:

• Educational records and enrollment
• Course and program placement and attendance
• Eligibility (student enrollment and extracurricular participation)
• Graduation

Graduation requirements for languages other than English (LOTE) often vary across state lines and may lead to transition hurdles for military-connected students in grades 9-12 transferring to a new school.

The Military Compact establishes that local education agency (LEA) administrative officials shall waive specific courses required for graduation if similar coursework has been satisfactorily completed in another LEA or shall provide reasonable justification for denial. Should a waiver not be granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from the sending school, the LEA must provide an alternative means of acquiring required coursework so that graduation may occur on time (TEC §162.001 Article VII).

For a military connected student who transferred before or during their senior year, if the receiving district has determined that the student cannot graduate on time, the district may enter into a reciprocity agreement with the sending district to graduate the student under the requirements of the sending state.

For more information about the Military Compact, please visit the MIC3 website or TEA’s Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children website. For questions about the Military Compact, please reach out to Sheri Messer at sheri.messer@tea.texas.gov.