My goal is to be a resource to you with monthly tips that support you and your English learners within an ever-changing, diverse classroom.

Education Service Center Region 11| ESSA Team Lead | English Learner Support

Email: myocom@esc11.net
Website: https://www.esc11.net/Page/719#calendar13881/20200304/month
Phone: 817-740-7563
Twitter: @myocomesc11

It's that time of year...testing season!

Although only grades 3-12 participate in STAAR, English learners in K-12 participate in the TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System).

Did you know that TELPAS is a federal requirement? Did you realize that TELPAS is considered a state assessment just like STAAR? Did you know that the integration of the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) is a requirement in district/charter school curriculum and instruction?

We are all aware of the TEKS for our grade level/content and how they are measured through the STAAR state assessment. For English learners, the ELPS are also integrated into curriculum and instruction to address language proficiency and assessed through the TELPAS.

As you browse the resources below, consider how the ELPS and intentional practice of listening, speaking, reading, and writing will increase language proficiency in your content for ALL of your students.

TELPAS is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language.

• The letters in TELPAS stand for the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System.
• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed TELPAS to meet state and federal requirements.
• Texas annually assesses the English language proficiency of students who have been identified as English learners (ELs) in four language domains—listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• TELPAS evaluates the progress that each EL makes in becoming proficient in the use of academic English.
  

1. Share an image with your students.
   
2. Discuss the image by asking questions: What? Where? When? Why? How?
   
3. Provide a prompt connected to the image to respond to orally or in written form.
4. Students respond to prompt using academic language.
5. Some students may need a simplified version of the prompt and sentence or paragraph frames.
6. Allow students to discuss their response with a partner or group.

Tips:

• It is helpful for beginner English learners to talk about a topic before responding in writing.
  
• Select images connected to current learning, or select an image for free writing.
• Use an image to introduce a new concept/topic.

• Texthelp https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/free-for-teachers/
• TalkingPoints - Reach all your students' families in their home language https://talkingpts.org/
• Read, Write, Speak https://thinkalong.org
• Make Beliefs Comix https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
  
• Digital Tool https://www.tes.com/lessons
  
• Digital Tool https://padlet.com
• Promote listening & speaking https://flipgrid.com/
  
• Create class lists, activities, assignments, and assessments https://www.vocabulary.com
• Classroom Screen https://classroomscreen.com/
• Interactive classroom in real time https://www.classkick.com
  
• K-5 Reading Student Centers http://www.fcrr.org/resources/resources_sca.html
• Free Content Power Points & Interactive activities http://www.pppst.com/
• Transform lessons to make learning impactful and engaging, or allow students to create animated products to show mastery https://www.powtoon.com/edu-home/
• Current event articles to promote critical reading, writing, and speaking http://wordgen.serpmedia.org/
  
• English Learner Teacher Support http://www.colorincolorado.org/
  
• Writing Guru Gretchen Bernabei http://trailofbreadcrumbs.net/
  
• Free reading passages & literacy resources https://www.commonlit.org/
  
• 2,000+ multidisciplinary wonders https://wonderopolis.org/
  
• Free reading passages by lexile level and content https://www.readworks.org/
  
• Lead4ward.com http://lead4ward.com/resources/

I am not perfect, so if you see errors or find broken links, please give me grace.

NS 02-16-21