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Ysleta ISD presents bilingual and ESL program outcomes; board hears reclassification and certification data
Summary
District academic leaders reported gains in several STAAR and EOC measures for emergent bilingual students, a net drop in TELPAS advanced‑high composite from 18% to 16%, 1,512 students met new reclassification criteria in 2024, and the district described efforts to reduce teacher waivers and support certification.
Ysleta Independent School District academic leaders presented the board with a program evaluation for bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL) services, reviewing student test results, reclassification counts and teacher certification work.
Dr. Brenda Chacon and Academic Language Programs Director Anes Quelland reported testing and proficiency results for emergent bilingual (EB) students. They said the district saw mixed results across STAAR/EOC subject areas for EB students: some subject areas showed increases while others declined. Quelland highlighted a district‑level decrease in the TELPAS advanced‑high composite from 18% in 2023 to 16% in 2024.
The presenters said state changes to reclassification criteria allowed more students to qualify in 2024. As a result, 1,512 students met the new advanced‑high composite reclassification criteria and were eligible for reclassification this year.
Leaders reviewed teacher certification and waiver data. For 2023–24, the district submitted nine bilingual exception requests covering 213 students: one teacher passed the certification, two did not pass, four did not attempt the certification test and one left the district. The district also submitted 24 ESL waivers covering 251 students; of those 24 teachers, 14 passed and applied for their ESL certificate, two passed but did not apply, five did not pass or did not attempt, two attempted but did not pass and one transitioned to a new position. For 2024–25 the department submitted 11 bilingual exception requests and 17 ESL waivers.
The board asked about lower science scores for EB students. Dr. Chacon and Quelland attributed the dip to two main factors: cohorts of students who spent kindergarten and early elementary grades learning remotely during the pandemic and thus missed hands‑on science experiences; and new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards and test items that emphasize phenomenon‑based science and are being tested for the first time. They also said recent changes to English language arts scoring (including automated scoring of extended constructed responses) contributed to statewide drops in some reading/language areas.
Trustees raised concerns about automated scoring and whether accents or dialect differences could affect AI scoring on speaking/listening components of TELPAS. Quelland said the district advocates with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), may request rescoring when appropriate and actively works to prepare students and teachers for the testing formats.
Quelland described professional development offered to teachers: instructional strategies for literacy across content areas, sheltered instruction, dual‑language program models, and test preparation sessions. She said the district provides exam preparation supports and reimburses certification costs for teachers who pass.
Board members praised the district's dual‑language model and asked for continued emphasis on vocabulary, hands‑on science instruction and professional development to address the gaps identified in these results.
