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Proficiency levels provides framework for assessing Els students' language skills and help determining their current proficiency level in English. Through different assessments, teachers are able to identify students strengths, areas of improvement, and individual learned needs.

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The grammar translation method approaches language learning by focusing on grammar rules that can help students develop analytical skills; students will be able to understand how grammar works in the target language and it could improve their ability to decode and comprehend accurately, translation of texts, and memorization/ practice of vocabulary that can help students acquire foundation of words and phrases for their fluency.

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Teaching English: The Grammar Translation Approach—Friend or Foe?

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Direct method is important for ELs/EBs students because it promotes the complete use of the target language for instruction and communication which helps students develop their language skills more efficiently by constantly been expose to the language, and it focuses on developing the students ability to communicate in a effective manner using discussions or simulations. This method focus on mimicking the acquisition of first language in the concept of listening and speaking which later would help writing and reading.

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What is the Direct Method of Teaching ESL/EFL? | Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching

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Words in two languages that have similar pronunciation, meaning, and spelling. Important because 30%-40% of English words have a related Spanish words and is helpful because 70% of Els are native Spanish speakers, the cognate awareness accelerates their understanding on a second language.

Examples: triangle/triangulo or appreciate/ apreciar

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Allows students to interactively engage in writing process which is helpful when beginner proficiency level by creating a collaborative classroom environment.

Activities:

collaborative storytelling

Peer collaborations

Writing centers

Digitals tools for writing

Feedback and Reflections

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Interactive writing makes the writing process visual to the whole class. Reading literature is an excellent way to initiate interactive writing in the class, and the teacher can continue using literature as the class does interactive writing with any new book that is read throughout the year.

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Word Walls help ELs students with their vocabulary acquisition by providing visuals of key words that are relevant to their lesson. Visuals aids supports their comprehension and allows them to make connections of the new vocabulary with an image. Word walls can be customized to meet different needs or proficiency levels.

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Math Word Wall 2nd Grade - Vocabulary Cards

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Sentence frames and sentence starters are "fill in the blank" phrases and sentences that provide the structures or patterns that students need to express themselves. Using sentence starters not only helps their language development but increases students confidence, by allowing them to express themselves fluently and helping them to participate.

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Strategy OverviewHow This Strategy Supports Language DevelopmentSentence frames and sentence starters are a helpful way to support students’ academic language development both in their writing and speaking by prompting students to discuss content with more complex structures and thinking. Using these structures allows students to focus on the content concepts or skill without providing the answers. They also indirectly teach how content-specific language appears in context.Sentence frames can be used for writing and in discussions.

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Scaffolds designed to support the students comprehension and engagement in classroom:

Visual aids

Graphic organizers

Guided notes

Pre-teaching vocabulary

Word banks

Sentence frames

Peer Collaboration

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These scaffoldings helps with language proficiency and communication skills of ELs students:

Interactive writing

Peer Collaboration

Immediate Feedback and Reflections

Word banks

Sentence Starters

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Enhances comprehension, cultural understanding, and retention. Can include images, diagrams, videos, graphs, and more.

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Connection of new topics to existing memory 

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Connection of new topics to existing memory 

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ELs learners can connect new information to what they already know, expands their understanding and their are allow to apply this knowledge effectively. Learners need to be able to recall prior knowledge.

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Exit Tickets help teachers gather students information about their class comprehension, teachers can identify areas where students may need additional language support or clarification. ESL student are able to demonstrate their English comprehension by responding to the short prompts provided.

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Exit slips are written student responses to questions teachers pose at the end of a class or lesson. These quick, informal assessments enable teachers to quickly assess students' understanding of the material.

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With the think- pair-share assessments, teachers can pair ELs with a peer that would help them gain immediate feedback and would help them with their fluency. This activity can work in varied size classrooms and any subjects.

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Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Focuses on students intervention within the areas of academics, behavior, and socio-emotional supports. The goal of MTSS is to find struggling students early and quickly provide intervention.

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The RTI approach gives Texas students opportunities to learn and work at their grade level. Students who may have a disability should be referred for a full and individual evaluation for special education services.

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Response to Intervention (RtI) is an approach that schools use to help all students, including struggling learners. The RtI approach gives Texas students opportunities to learn and work at their grade level. The idea is to help all students be successful.

Students who may have a disability should be referred for a full and individual evaluation for special education services. States and LEAs have an obligation and requirement under federal law (34 CFR § 300.111 Child Find) to see that evaluations of children suspected of having a disability are not delayed or denied because of schools using an RtI strategy. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) clarified this issue.

The following sections provide more information:

Headstart and RtI

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not require or encourage a school to use an RtI approach before a referral for evaluation. A Head Start program may refer a student for evaluation to determine if the student is eligible for special education and related services. When a school receives a referral from a Head Start program, the school must begin the evaluation process to determine if the child has a disability. The IDEA and its regulations at 34 CFR §§300.301-300.311 specify the requirements that public schools (not non-LEAs such as other community-based early childhood programs) must use to conduct an initial evaluation to determine if a child has a disability under Part B. For additional information, see Head Start letter.

Behavior and RtI

RtI is also a way to address behavioral concerns. The Texas Behavior Support Initiative is a resource designed to build capacity in Texas schools for them to provide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to all students. PBIS uses a range of school-wide and individualized strategies to achieve social and learning results. Problem behaviors are reduced and students learn. For more information, see Positive Behavior Support.

Coordinated Early Intervening Services

A school may choose to fund a campus RtI program using Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) funds. CEIS funds may be used to provide services to students who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services. These students need additional academic or behavior support to succeed in general education program in kindergarten through grade 12 (with emphasis on student in kindergarten through grade 3). See Coordinated ;Early Intervening Services (EIS) Guidance for CEIS funding information.

Learning Disability Eligibility

Schools may choose to use an RtI process as one of a variety of measures for evaluating students for learning disability (LD) eligibility. The use of RtI in determining LD eligibility was included in the reauthorization of the IDEA of 2004 due to concerns with models of LD identification that use IQ tests. Additional information regarding the use of RtI in determining LD eligibility is available in a question and answer format from OSEP. In addition, guidance regarding evaluation of LD may be found at Response to Intervention (RtI) and Learning Disability (LD) Eligibility.

Notice and Frequently Asked Questions Relating to Response to Interventions for Children Not Eligible for Special Education

Senate Bill (SB) 1153, 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, changed Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 26.0081. The changes require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to update the Student Handbook Statement, which is found here in English and in Spanish.

The changes also require local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide parents with notice whenever their child begins to receive intervention strategies. The notice must contain specific requirements. TEA has created a template that LEAs can use that meets the statutory requirements. The notice is available in English and in Spanish.

Finally, TEA has developed a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document to assist LEAs and parents in understanding the requirements of SB 1153. That FAQ can be found in English and in Spanish.

If you have additional related questions, please contact the Division of Special Education at 512-463-9414.

State Resources

Below are links to state resources:

Statewide Leadership Functions and Projects

Below are links to statewide leadership functions and projects which have information about RtI:

Institutes of Higher Education

The University of Texas in Austin and the University of Houston have information about RtI:

National Resources

These are national resources regarding RtI:

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Response to Intervention (RtI) is an approach that schools use to help all students, including struggling learners. The RtI approach gives Texas students opportunities to learn and work at their grade level. The idea is to help all students be successful.

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Advantages of ESL:

Allow students to express their thoughts, share experiences and communicate, helping them to develop their writing skills.

Blogging encourages students to write regularly which can improve their language fluency, students are able to expand their vocabulary and develop their own writing styles.

Students are able to receive immediate feedback from teachers and peers.

Provide with self-reflection and personal growth

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Game base learning provides students engagement, where students are able to encounter different situations. Games offer the opportunity to practice language skills in a low pressure environment and repetition. Games provide immediate feedback and can be accommodated to different needs by adjusting settings or difficulty levels in order to provide appropriate challenges for students.

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(a) Introduction. (1) The English language proficiency standards in this section outline English language proficiency level descriptors and student expectations for English language learners (ELLs). School districts shall implement this section as an integral part of each subject in the required curriculum. The English language proficiency standards are to be published along with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for each subject in the required curriculum. (2) In order for ELLs to be successful, they must acquire both social and academic language proficiency in English. Social language proficiency in English consists of the English needed for daily social interactions. Academic language proficiency consists of the English needed to think critically, understand and learn new concepts, process complex academic material, and interact and communicate in English academic settings. (3) Classroom instruction that effectively integrates second language acquisition with quality content area instruction ensures that ELLs acquire social and academic language proficiency in English, learn the knowledge and skills in the TEKS, and reach their full academic potential. (4) Effective instruction in second language acquisition involves giving ELLs opportunities to listen, speak, read, and write at their current levels of English development while gradually increasing the linguistic complexity of the English they read and hear, and are expected to speak and write. (5) The cross-curricular second language acquisition skills in subsection (c) of this section apply to ELLs in Kindergarten-Grade 12. (6) The English language proficiency levels of beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high are not grade-specific. ELLs may exhibit different proficiency levels within the language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The proficiency level descriptors outlined in subsection (d) of this section show the progression of second language acquisition from one proficiency level to the next and serve as a road map to help content area teachers instruct ELLs commensurate with students' linguistic needs. (b) School district responsibilities. In fulfilling the requirements of this section, school districts shall: (1) identify the student's English language proficiency levels in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in accordance with the proficiency level descriptors for the beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high levels delineated in subsection (d) of this section; (2) provide instruction in the knowledge and skills of the foundation and enrichment curriculum in a manner that is linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student's levels of English language proficiency to ensure that the student learns the knowledge and skills in the required curriculum; (3) provide content-based instruction including the cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills in subsection (c) of this section in a manner that is linguistically accommodated to help the student acquire English language proficiency; and (4) provide intensive and ongoing foundational second language acquisition instruction to ELLs in Grade 3 or higher who are at the beginning or intermediate level of English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and/or writing as determined by the state's English language proficiency assessment system. These ELLs require focused, targeted, and systematic second language acquisition instruction to provide them with the foundation of English language vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and English mechanics necessary to support content-based instruction and accelerated learning of English. (c) Cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills. Cont'd...

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(a) Introduction. (1) The English language proficiency standards in this section outline English language proficiency level descriptors and student expectations for English language learners (ELLs). School districts shall implement this section as an integral part of each subject in the required curriculum.

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Formative assignments like self and peer assessments help provide feedback, monitor students progress, and guide instruction. Encourages students to reflect on their own work and evaluate their performance. Peer assessment provides ESL students with valuable feedback from their peers on their comprehension, fluency, grammar and help with suggestions or constructive criticism.

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Allows students to develop their language skills in a dynamic and engaging way. Teachers are able to observe students participation, communication, and collaboration during the activities.