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Tyler ISD reports steady TELPAS gains, expands newcomer and summer bilingual supports
Summary
Dr. Cassandra Chapa, Tyler ISD executive director of state and federal programs, told trustees the district served roughly 4,500 emergent bilingual students last year and is expanding summer and newcomer supports while targeting TELPAS-driven campus interventions.
Dr. Cassandra Chapa, Tyler ISD executive director of state and federal programs, gave the board the district's annual bilingual and English-as-a-second-language update, saying the district served roughly 4,500 emergent bilingual (EB) students last school year and that “we now refer to them as emergent bilingual.”
Chapa explained the assessment and standards that shape the program: TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System) drives language-acquisition growth measures, and ELPS (English Language Proficiency Standards) guide classroom instruction. She told trustees the district offers multiple program models — transitional bilingual (early-exit), dual-language (one-way and two-way immersion) and ESL delivered either as sheltered, content-based instruction in core classes or as pull-out electives. “Throughout last school year, we ended with about 4,500 EBs,” she said.
Why it matters: TELPAS growth can affect campus accountability ratings under state rules, so the district is…
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