Tomball ISD disclosed its required report on the district's bilingual program and the overall progress of its students.
About the department
TISD currently offers one- and two-way dual language tracks for grades K through 6, with the one-way path also available to pre-K students. Both programs are bilingual models, with the one-way program providing instruction in English and the student's home language. The two-way model provides instruction in English and Spanish.
According to its website, the main goal of the program is for students to “develop a high academic and linguistic proficiency in two languages by participating in a rigorous academic program.”
The district also offers content-based English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for grades PK-8, and ESL pull-out for grades 9-12. Students' progress is assessed through the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), which focuses on the English proficiency of bilingual students in public and charter schools.
More than 77 languages are currently spoken throughout the district, including:
Spanish
Vietnamese
Mandarin
Portuguese
Urdu and Arabic
Enrollment in the language programs includes 1,192 students in dual language programs and 2,282 students in ESL programs. An additional 83 students are enrolled in alternative language studies, which enable students with disabilities to learn in self-contained settings.
Currently, emergent bilingual students make up 14% of the TISD population. The breakdown by campus is as follows:
Early Excellence Academy: 143 students
Canyon Pointe Elementary School: 384 students
Rosehill Elementary School: 315 students
Tomball High School: 338 students
Tomball Memorial High School: 243 students
Based on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test scores, 76% of bilingual students in the district scored at or above the approaching level in all subjects.
