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College Station ISD reports gains for emergent bilingual students, flags staffing and certification needs
Summary
At an Oct. 21 workshop, CSISD staff presented an annual evaluation showing language-proficiency gains and 145 students reclassified this year, while noting staffing gaps: 38 of 46 dual-language teachers are certified and some uncertified teachers will require waivers.
An administrator presented the district's bilingual and English‑learner programs on Oct. 21, saying students are making steady linguistic gains while school leaders grapple with teacher certification and staffing needs.
The presentation, given during a workshop before the regular board meeting, covered program demographics, TELPAS and STAAR performance, and program staffing. The presenter said the bilingual program's enrollment is "closely approaching" the number of students served by the ESL program and that 145 students across the district met reclassification criteria this year.
Why it matters: Reclassification and TELPAS/STAAR results affect classroom placement and state accountability. Staffing and certification shortfalls can trigger required waivers or exceptions and influence instruction quality.
Key details from the presentation included the presenter's statement that 38 of the 46 dual‑language teachers the district needs are fully certified, and that the district increased the number of elementary ESL teachers from 283 to 337 and secondary ESL teachers from 51 to 76. The presenter said uncertified teachers are participating in a district "grow your own scribe" program and that the district will file required exceptions or waivers for teachers who have not yet finished certification.
Board members asked for year‑to‑year comparisons and for clarity on how many new classrooms or seats were added. The presenter pointed to a shift under changes to chapter 89 that moved many two‑way dual‑language programs from a 50/50 composition model to a two‑thirds/one‑third participation model, which affects how seats are added and how cohorts progress through feeder patterns; the presenter noted a fourth‑grade cohort with eight classrooms that will feed Oakwood Intermediate next year.
On assessments, the presenter said many students perform at intermediate composite levels on TELPAS in K–6 and that more than half of secondary students tested at composite levels of "advanced" or "advanced high" on TELPAS. The presenter said English I and English II remain areas for growth on end‑of‑course assessments but that reclassified students are consistently meeting standard on those exams.
Next steps the presenter listed included evaluating resource effectiveness, expanding the district's summer language academy (described as distinct from remediation), and developing an emergent bilingual family advisory committee. The presenter also named teacher certification training and implementation planning for new English‑language proficiency standards as priorities.
The board did not take action on the presentation; the briefing served as an annual update and set follow‑up items for staff.
