ESL vs. Bilingual Education in Texas

What is the Difference Between ESL and Bilingual Education in Texas?

In Texas, bilingual education programs are for Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grades. ESL programs are from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grades.

ESL Programs in Texas

ESL programs are designed for students that speak a language other than English at home, and that is their primary language.  Students are evaluated and then placed in an ESL program, and parents are informed of their progress and help make decisions about their education.  Although ESL students are encouraged to maintain their home language and culture, the main goal of ESL programs is to help them learn English so they can be successful in all content areas in classes that are conducted in English.  ESL teachers are not required to speak another language, but they often learn some key words in other languages.  Classes are conducted in English.  In some ESL programs students attend all  "regular" or "mainstream" classes and have support from the ESL teacher.  In other ESL programs, students attend "regular" or "mainstream" classes for all subjects except English Language Arts.  For English Language Arts, they attend an ESL class with a certified ESL teacher.  They still receive support from the ESL teacher for other subjects.

Required Exams for ESL Teachers

ESL teachers take the exams required by their district.  For elementary school teachers,they usually take the Generalist EC-6 and ESL Supplemental, or the combined ESL Generalist EC-6.  For middle school, teachers take the Generalist 4-8 and ESL Supplemental.  At the high school level, they usually take the English Language Arts and Reading 8-12 (soon to be English Language Arts and Reading 7-12) and the ESL Supplemental exam.  Finally, they also take the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exam  (PPR), which is required of all certified teachers.

Bilingual Programs in Texas
 
Bilingual programs vary throughout the state.  They are also designed for students whose primary language is not English, and parents are informed of their progress and help make decisions about their education.  Some bilingual programs are early exit programs that quickly transition students to all English classes.  Other programs are late exit, and promote the use of their home language in many content areas.  Students will learn a lot of content in their home language, but will also learn English.  Recent research has shown this is more effective, since they are more likely to understand the advanced, cognitive vocabulary in their primary language.  As they gain fluency, they are transitioned to English classes. Some programs are dual language bilingual classes, and they include students whose native language is English, as well as English language learners.  The classes are conducted in both languages.  Usually bilingual programs are English and Spanish, but there are also Vietnamese bilingual programs in Texas.

Required Exams for Bilingual Teachers

Bilingual teachers take the Generalist EC-6, Bilingual Supplemental, and the BTLPT (required proficiency test).  As an alternative, they could take the Bilingual Generalist EC-6 and the BTLPT.  For Grades 4-8, they take the Generalist 4-8, Bilingual Supplemental, and BTLPT.  The BTLPT assesses their knowledge of the target language (usually Spanish), and includes speaking, listening, writing, and speaking.  Finally, they also take the PPR (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities) exam, which is required of all certified teachers.

Since bilingual teachers are required to know another language and take a proficiency test, it is usually harder to find and hire bilingual teachers.  As a result, many districts offer stipends for bilingual education teachers.  Some districts also offer stipends for ESL teachers, but it is not as common.

Even if stipends are not as common for ESL, it is still a great option, especially for teachers that only know English.  By passing the ESL test, teachers make themselves more marketable and more appealing.  They are also eligible for more jobs.  Some districts in the state are requiring all teachers to pass the ESL exam.

If you have any questions, email me at courtneyschonefeld@ymail.com