Program & Goals

The ESL & Bilingual Program

The ESL & Bilingual Program:

Provides instruction for Emergent Bilingual students in the most appropriate program format in accordance with Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines.
Provides instruction aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and PISD curriculum guidelines in all content areas.
Promotes acceptance of Bilingual/ESL instruction as an integral part of the whole school program.
Promotes understanding and respect for diversity among students, parents, staff, and community members.
Enhances students’ self-esteem and fosters a positive school climate.
Evaluates results and makes adjustments, as needed, to support student learning at both the campus and district levels.
Supports staff development focused on cultural and linguistic diversity and second-language acquisition strategies and methodologies.
Addresses issues related to staffing and instructional or organizational arrangements.
Communicates the successes of Bilingual/ESL programs to students, parents, the district, and the community.
Actively promotes parental involvement as an essential part of a student’s education.

The goals of the Bilingual Program are for students to:

Attain oral fluency in communication and literacy skills in their native language.
Attain high levels of academic achievement in language arts and content-area subjects in both their native language and English.
Improve their English proficiency.
Transfer concepts and skills from their native language to English.