Spanish is the predominant language among GISD students who are non-English speakers, followed by Telugu, Vietnamese, Arabic and Urdu.
Current situation
In an update provided to the GISD board of trustees Oct. 7, Janna Jackson, district director of state and federal programs, said more than 30 languages are spoken among students.
With this increase in students qualifying for English as a second language, or ESL, and bilingual education services, Jackson said her department is working to provide additional professional development and support to these educators.
"The biggest thing I wanted to point out is I have added a secondary ESL coach, and then I have a dual-language elementary coach," Jackson said. "We're really focusing on them being in [professional learning communities] and supporting teachers."
The details
Last year, Jackson said 173 students tested met new exit criteria for the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System, or TELPAS, implemented for the 2023-24 school year, although only 14 met the official criteria in place when they took the test, which required higher performance.
For the 2024-25 school year, the number of students meeting exit criteria under the new standards is 134, she said.
Explained
In order to meet exit criteria and be deemed proficient in English, GISD students receiving bilingual and ESL services must:
- Achieve and advanced high composite score on the TELPAS
- Receive a score of approaching or above on the English State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness with no accommodations or score 40% or above on the IOWA reading and language assessments
- Be recommended for reclassification by a teacher
