Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Corsicana ISD reviews rise in emergent bilinguals and special education trends
Loading...
Summary
District staff told the board that 1,773 students—more than a quarter of enrollment—are now classified as emergent bilinguals, outlined newcomer-class supports and 504 accommodation guidance, and described a local special education caseload of 1,559 amid statewide increases.
Corsicana ISD staff presented a special programs update to the board on Dec. 8, outlining rapid growth in emergent bilingual enrollment, recent 504 guidance, and trends in special education.
At the meeting, the presenter said the district now counts 1,773 emergent bilingual students, "We are well over a quarter of our students are emergent bilinguals," and highlighted newcomer classes launched this year at the middle and high school levels to support recent arrivals. The presentation credited Molly Corrington as the leader of the emergent bilingual team and noted classroom staffing strategies intended to increase ESL/bilingual-certified teachers.
On 504 accommodations, staff explained that Section 504 covers students whose physical or mental impairment substantially limits major life activities and emphasized that 504 plans provide accommodations rather than specially designed instruction. The presenter said 504 enrollment has declined since 2021 in part because dyslexia screenings and classifications are increasingly processed under special education categories.
District staff reviewed special education numbers and state context, reporting 1,559 students currently served in special education. The presenter described a statewide 72% increase in special education since 2014–15 and said the district is monitoring identification rates to avoid over- or under-identifying students. The presentation also summarized data points the district uses—English EOC pass rates and TELPAS proficiency—for tracking emergent bilingual progress and described the district's use of MTSS/RTI interventions to support students before referring for evaluation.
Board members praised staff for program work and noted that the district avoided corrective action this year. A board member asked whether languages other than Spanish require programs; staff responded that no other language has met thresholds for a formal program but cited American Sign Language, Chuuk/Chuukese and occasional Mandarin-speaking families and said the district uses interpreters and translation technology as needed.
The board received the report with no formal action attached; staff indicated ongoing training and certification efforts for teachers and continuing monitoring of student outcomes.
