The Multilingual Programs Compliance Team works very hard to make sure all GISD students are promptly and accurately identified, placed, accommodated, assessed, and reclassified according to the guidelines in Texas Administrative Code Chapter 89: Subchapter BB.

The law instructs public schools to provide bilingual/ESL education so that English can be taught to students who are developing proficiency in English. These programs will assist them in functioning in an all-English school environment. Every student who is identified as Emergent Bilingual will be provided an opportunity to participate in a special language program to ensure equal educational opportunities.

Identifying and placing students

We conduct a home language survey and proficiency testing to make sure student needs are met.

1. Home language survey

The purpose of the Home Language Survey is to identify those students who use a language other than English in the home.

The form should be completed by the student's guardian when they register (or by the student in grades 9-12). A student may only have one finished Home Language Survey on file. If the Home Language Survey shows that a language other than English is used at home, then the student must be tested for English proficiency.

2. Language proficiency testing

An oral language proficiency test will be used to determine English proficiency.

At prekindergarten through first grade, only the oral language test will be administered (preLAS). At grades two through twelve, students will be tested in listening, speaking, reading and writing (LAS Links).

If the language other than English is “Spanish”, a Spanish oral test will be given in grades PreK-6 along with the English oral test.

3. Eligibility and placement

The Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) will review all information on previous or possible emergent bilingual students and decide on the current or initial EB status. The LPAC will recommend the best instructional setting for all identified emergent bilingual students based on their program eligibility. Parental approval will then be requested. The student will be placed in the appropriate program pending parental approval.

4. Available programs

TEA's EB Portal provides descriptions of all the state-approved EB instructional program models. Program participation is ultimately determined by parent approval. GISD currently offers the following bilingual education programs:

• Spanish Dual Language Immersion (SDLI) One Way - this program is offered for PreK-5th grade EB students with Spanish on their home language surveys (offered at select campuses).

• Spanish Dual Language Immersion (SDLI) Two Way - this program is offered for K-5th grade EB students with Spanish on their home language surveys and non-EB students via magnet program (only offered at Vial).

• Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion (VDLI) One Way - this program is offered for PreK-5th grade EB students with Vietnamese on their home language surveys (offered only at Parsons for Pre-K, Lister for PreK-5, and Hickman for K-5).

• English as a Second Language (ESL) Content-Based - this program is offered at all campuses to PreK-1st grade EB students with languages other than Spanish and Vietnamese.

• English as a Second Language (ESL) Pull-Out - this program is offered at all campuses to 2-12th grade EB students with languages other than Spanish and Vietnamese.