Bilingual/ESL/Title III/Migrant

We hope you had a wonderful and restful summer and are ready for another great year! Please ensure to thoroughly read the newsletter as it contains important updates and information concerning emergent bilingual students in your district. Feel free to share with colleagues who benefit from the content.

19 TAC §89.1215(b), to be effective August 9, 2023, states school districts shall administer a home language survey, translated into the primary language whenever possible, and shall ask the three questions listed below:

1. What language(s) is/are used in the child’s home most of the time?
2. What language(s) does the child use most of the time?
3. If the child had a previous home setting, what language(s) was/were used for communication in that home setting? If no previous home setting, answer Not Applicable (N/A).

Per the rule, LEAs will be required to use the Texas Education Agency (TEA) produced form available in English and Spanish. Translations of the form in multiple other languages will be made available on txel.org, as translation work is completed.

Note that these changes apply only for surveys administered to parents of students enrolling on or after August 9, 2023.

**If an LEA has administered the prior version of the HLS on or after August 9th, 2023, the LEA must readminister the newly released HLS per 19 TAC §89.1215(b).

TEC, §29.056(g), states that the LPAC may reclassify an EB student as English proficient at the end of the school year in which the student meets the reclassification criteria and it is determined that the student can successfully participate in an English instructional program with no second language acquisition supports. 19 TAC §89.1226(i) describes the specific performance criteria an EB student must demonstrate on the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) and the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading test, as well as the teacher subjective letter using the state’s standardized rubric.

LPACs making reclassification determinations on or after the August 9, 2023 effective date of approved revisions to 19 TAC §89.1226(i) referenced in this letter will make those determinations for EB students, as appropriate, following the new TEA reclassification criteria. Emergent bilingual students must demonstrate a composite rating of reading, writing, listening, and speaking on the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment Systems (TELPAS).

Refer to the TAA dated April 20, 2023 regarding the additional 45 calendar days in the fall of the 2023-2024 school year for some 2022-2023 reclassification decisions.

Please take a look at the below for clearer guidance. If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: Friday, September 1, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 9/1/23 Registration (Registration is open - Registration required to receive link).

The TEA Emergent Bilingual Support Division is excited to offer four additional live webinars this school year! Click on this link 2023-2024 LEA Live Webinars so LEAs can engage with TEA and hear responses to some of the LEAs most pressing questions.

Flyer below

Thursday, September 7, 2023 (Session #605235)

Laying the Groundwork: Essential Foundations for EB Achievement

Thursday, September 14, 2023 (Session #605239)

Pathways to Proficiency: Second Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

Thursday, September 21, 2023 (Session #605243)

Pedagogy Playbook: Strategies to Strengthen EB Instruction

Session # 605314: November 8, 2023 (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) - This session is for all districts serving emergent bilingual students/English learners. We will discuss important topics such as federal compliance, planning for EB/EL services, and program implementation.

**Title III LEA contact attendance is required.

Session #605322: November 8, 2023 (1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.) - This session allows districts with emergent bilingual students/English learners the opportunity to reflect on program implementation with the goal of program improvement and enhancement.

As we go into a new school year, the TEA Emergent Bilingual Support Division will be launching 2 brand new Communities of Practices (CoP) based on the feedback of educators across the state.

Both the Leadership Systems of Support CoP and Effective Program Monitoring CoP will meet five times over the course of the school year. Please click on the hyperlinked titles to see those dates and times and then click “Register Now” to join the opportunity to engage with other educators across the state

Join the TEA Emergent Bilingual Support Division as they host the 2nd annual Leadership Academy. This year, the Leadership Academy is being delivered in a 3-part series that will provide guidance and resources that are timely at those points of the school year. Don’t miss this opportunity check out our Leadership Academy Series flyer for additional information and how to register.

Thank you to the Title III leads who attended our LPAC TOT earlier this year. Please remember that if you were the only LPAC member who attended one of our TOT, you must train all LPAC members in your district/campus. A person who has not been trained can not sit in and participate in LPAC meetings.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

• Identification of potential English learners within the first four calendar weeks of the student's enrollment
• Communication to parents/guardians on English learner's progress and continued program participation decisions within the first 30 calendar days of the 2023-2024 school year to parents of:

- Emergent bilingual students continuing bilingual or ESL program services and

- Emergent bilingual students with parent denial

Note: Within this communication, it is important to provide an explanation for a program change when the student has participated in a bilingual program in elementary grades and will be participating in a secondary ESL program if the bilingual program has not extended into secondary.

• Attend required annual ESC LPAC Framework Training
• Review teacher certifications, credentials, and renewal contracts
• Provide LPAC Framework training for faculty and designated parents
• Review student records and disseminate them appropriately:

- Pending state assessment results for Exit/Reclassification* of ELL

- Review End-of-Year (EOY) LPAC documentation

- Transitioning to another campus - Proper program placement

- ELPS/TELPAS proficiency level descriptors (PLDs)

- ELL Instructional Accommodation Checklist

- First (F), Second (S) year monitoring, and parent denials

- Personal Graduation Plans in grades 8 to 12

• Collaborate with counselors and administrators to create class schedules for new ELLs
• Review campus improvement plan to identify and schedule staff professional development activities accordingly
• Identify staff in need of ELPS or other types of Bilingual/ESL professional development
• Add Bilingual/ESL TEA TETN dates to the calendar.

• LPAC for new enrollees within four calendar weeks of initial enrollment
• Monitor linguistic and academic progress
• On-going collaboration with special programs such as Special Education, Advanced Academics-Gifted and Talented, etc. to ensure student success
• Ensure PEIMS is up-to-date and accurate
• On-going professional development

With more districts starting earlier, we are asking that family surveys with a "yes" response be submitted as soon as possible or by September 1st to migrantservices@esc9.net.

Remember that the target return rate is 90% with many reaching 100% with a mandatory form. We appreciate you using the Region 9 form to stay in compliance but please contact me if you are using another vendor form by sending a copy to migrantservices@esc9.net. Also, we will need the following information:

Total student enrollment

Total number of family surveys returned