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Mesquite ISD reports strong bilingual outcomes but flags ESL gaps in middle grades
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Summary
The district’s bilingual and ESL evaluation found bilingual students outperform peers in reading and math and rising reclassification counts; presenters noted a dip in seventh‑grade math for ESL students and described use of bilingual exceptions and waivers to staff programs.
Carolina Portillo, director of bilingual and ESL services, presented the district’s annual program evaluation, required by the Texas Education Agency, and highlighted strong performance among former bilingual students alongside areas needing attention.
Portillo said bilingual English test takers outperform other groups in reading and math across grade levels and provided reclassification counts that increase from early elementary through middle school (for example, 22 reclassifications in first grade and 196 by fifth grade at the elementary level; middle school peaks at 127 reclassifications in seventh grade). She also reported high secondary course proficiency in some subjects (for example, Algebra I and Biology pass rates above 80% in some cohorts).
At the same time, Portillo flagged a notable decline in seventh‑grade math for ESL students (a drop of 25 percentage points cited in the presentation) and lower proficiency in some language domains that require targeted intervention. She described monitoring requirements for students who reclassify (TEA requires monitoring for two years) and summarized professional development provided to teachers working with emerging bilingual students.
Portillo noted the district has used bilingual exceptions and ESL waivers to meet staffing needs: during 2024–25 the district served 541 students in Spanish bilingual programs with 24 teachers under exception and 484 ESL students with 35 teachers under waivers. She emphasized ongoing recruitment and certification efforts to maintain program quality.
Board members thanked Portillo and asked follow‑up questions about certification timelines and support. Portillo and administration said certification timelines vary by pathway and that some non‑certified staff can complete certification within months while other pathways take longer.
