District reports big gains in emergent bilingual reclassification after program changes

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD presented data showing substantial increases in emergent bilingual (EB) student exits to English-proficient status following changes made to bilingual program delivery over recent years.

District staff said the number of EB students reclassified as English proficient rose by 89 percent from the 2022–23 school year to the 2024–25 school year. Presenters described the reclassification as a multi-data-point process: students must score in the advanced-high range on TELPAS across multiple domains (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and meet local STAR performance requirements before being considered for exit from EB status.

Why it matters: Reclassification reflects measurable language gains for students who receive targeted bilingual instruction. Presenters credited shifts in how core content is delivered, changes in time allotments and program structure, and campus leadership for the gains.

Trustees and presenters highlighted specific campus-level gains. Staff said third grade showed a 10 percent increase in students who met or mastered the math STAR after program changes, and Timberline increased the number of students in the grade-level cohort while improving the percent meeting approaches and above by 19 percent.

District leaders noted that increasing the EB cohort size alters percentages and that staff continue to monitor additional indicators — such as TOPAS — where some students still need further progress to reach advanced-high TELPAS levels.

Ending: Staff asked trustees to recognize campus and teacher work in these results and said they will continue targeted actions to support EB students who have not yet exited to English proficient status.