English Language Arts Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing to the TEA English language arts newsletter.
Today's newsletter provides information related to the following topics:
- 2024-2026 Interactive Online Learning Grant, Cycle 1: Application Due April 4, 2024
- English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) Review
- State Board of Education Meeting, April 9-12
- Development of the 2026–2027 Student Assessment Testing Calendar and Public Comments
- Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) Reviewers
- Early Learning Assessments: Updates to Commissioner-Approved Instruments for the 2024-2025 School Year
- Apply for Assessment Educator Committees
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is providing a competitive grant opportunity to award funding to support the implementation of an effective cross-curricular interactive online learning model(s) in middle school and/or high school for instruction in English language arts and U.S. history and/or Texas history.
All Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools have the opportunity to apply for funding to support the implementation of an interactive online learning model(s) in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
The 2024-2026 Interactive Online Learning Grant, Cycle 1 application is available on the TEA Grants Opportunities web page.
Key Dates
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Date
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Timeline Events
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March 5, 2024
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Informal Discretionary Competition (IDC) application available window opens
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March 12, 2024
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Last day to submit FAQs to TEA contact person
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March 21, 2024
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FAQs are posted to the TEA Grants Opportunities web page
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April 4, 2024
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IDC application due by 11:59 p.m. (CST)
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May 16, 2024
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Anticipated award announcement
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May 17, 2024
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Beginning date of grant (if selected for funding)
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August 1, 2025
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Status report due
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February 2, 2026
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Final report due
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April 30, 2026
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Ending date of grant (if selected for funding)
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Recommendations for revisions to the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) from the State Board of Education’s 2023–2024 ELPS review work groups are currently available for review and feedback on the English Language Proficiency Standards Review web page. Comments on the drafts can be submitted to TEA at teks@tea.texas.gov.
Last year, TEA began convening ELPS work groups to review and provide recommendations for revisions to a preliminary draft of revised ELPS. The work groups’ draft recommendations for revision to the ELPS are scheduled to be presented to the SBOE for discussion at its April 2024 meeting.
Feedback from educators is an important part of the SBOE’s review and revision process for the state curriculum standards. Please share this information with anyone you know who may be interested.
The next meeting of the SBOE will occur April 9-12, 2024. An agenda is published prior to each meeting. The TEA provides meeting webcasts for people interested in watching from a computer or device. Archived webcasts are also available.
A draft version of the 2026–2027 Student Assessment Testing Calendar has been posted on the Test Administration Resources webpage of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website.
This calendar has minor changes to the format but maintains:
- two-week online testing windows for all State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) assessments,
- the five-week testing window for STAAR Alternate 2, and
- the six-week testing window for the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) and TELPAS Alternate.
TEA is accepting public comments on the draft version of the 2026–2027 Student Assessment Testing Calendar. Public comments on the draft calendar should be sent to Test.Calendar@tea.texas.gov by Friday, April 12, 2024.
If you have general questions about the Texas Assessment Program, contact TEA using the Student Assessment Help Desk.
TEA is seeking educators and subject-matter experts across Texas to serve as instructional materials reviewers for the new IMRA review process.
Anyone with relevant content expertise for K–5 English and Spanish language arts and reading, K–3 English and Spanish phonics, or K–12 mathematics is encouraged to apply.
Selected reviewers will earn extra income while making a statewide impact. Reviewers will work in small teams to conduct quality reviews and collaborate with other educators to produce ratings and reports for assigned reading language arts, phonics, and mathematics products.
Learn more about IMRA, the review cycle, and the available roles through an information session. Fill out a registration form to join a meeting on one of these dates:
If you or your colleagues want to participate in the IMRA review process, please apply today! To learn more about the IMRA process, visit our website.
Prekindergarten
Districts and open-enrollment charter schools are required to administer a commissioner-approved prekindergarten student progress monitoring instrument. The Texas Education Agency has published a new list for districts and open-enrollment charter schools to choose from.
The new 2024-2025 through 2026-2027 Commissioner's List of Approved Prekindergarten Assessment Instruments will go into effect starting with the 2024-2025 school year.
The following progress monitoring instruments are on the current Commissioner’s List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments but are not included on the new list and are no longer options for use starting in the 2024-2025 school year:
- BASC-3 BESS by Pearson
- DIAL-4 by Pearson
- ISIP Early Reading by Istation
- LAP-3 by Kaplan Early Learning
The following progress monitoring instruments have been added to the new Commissioner’s List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments and will be the options available for districts and open-enrollment charter schools to use starting in the 2024-2025 school year:
- CPALLS+STEM by Children’s Learning Institute administered through TANGO Software (formerly on the list as CIRCLE Assessment by Liberty Source)
- COR Advantage by Highscope Educational Research Foundation
- LION for Prekindergarten by Liberty Source
School districts and open-enrollment charter schools interested in a new prekindergarten tool are strongly encouraged to begin instrument selection and preparations now.
Kindergarten
To meet statutory requirements under Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006 (b), school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must use one of the two assessments listed below as the required beginning-of-year reading instrument for kindergarten students.
Districts and open-enrollment charter schools can use either of these instruments to conduct the required beginning-of-year reading instrument administration for the 2024-2025 school year.
Please Note: The authorization period for mCLASS Texas as a free, commissioner-selected reading instrument for kindergarten has been extended through August 2025.
Grades 1 and 2
There are two free approved reading instruments for grades 1 and 2. To meet statutory requirements under Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006 (c), districts and open-enrollment charter schools can use any of the following instruments to conduct the required beginning-of-year reading instrument administration for the 2024-2025 school year:
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TPRI/Tejas Lee (Children's Learning Institute) (All versions are considered approved by the Commissioner) (Free option)
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mCLASS Texas (Amplify) (Free option)
- Districts may also use a reading instrument approved by a district-level committee, as outlined in TEC §28.006.
Please Note: The authorization period for mCLASS Texas as a free, commissioner-selected reading instrument for grades 1 and 2 has been extended through August 2025
Each year the Texas Education Agency (TEA) invites Texas educators to provide feedback on the development of state assessments (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS) through educator committees across all assessed grades and content areas. Developing high-quality, aligned questions relies on the expertise and experience of Texas educators. Participants collaborate with other educators from across the state to review, edit, and approve each potential question for state assessments. TEA is specifically looking for educators from your region!
The commitment is generally two to three days in Austin with all travel, accommodations, and substitute coverage paid for by TEA. All participants will earn Continuing Professional Education credits. If you are interested or know other educators who would like to participate in a committee, fill out the application form here: https://www.texasassessment.gov/educator-committees.html.
Thank you for your commitment to serving Texas students.
Reading Language Arts Team
Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division
(512) 463-9581
For questions or additional information, please visit the English language arts and reading webpage or submit a Curriculum Request Form through the TEA Help Desk.
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