The Midland Independent School District (ISD) recently reported a significant achievement for its English Learner’s (EL) department, with almost four times as many students passing their English Language proficiency assessment.
The assessment is typically conducted in the spring, the Midland district said in an October release. However, COVID-19 safety measures delayed the evaluation, and the Texas Education Agency gave Midland ISD a waiver to hold the assessment in the fall.
“We are really proud of each of these kids,” Lety Amalla, EL program director, said in a release about the results. “It took a lot of work and dedication to prepare them for this.”
According to the post, this year’s classes had 185 students pass the English language proficiency assessment, compared to 49 in 2019. Passing the examination enables students to move from bilingual classroom instruction to English-only instruction with their classmates.
Of those who passed, 102 are at the elementary school level, the district detailed in the post. Only 21 elementary-level students passed the assessment at the required level to enter English-only instruction in the previous school year.
“You have to be proficient in English in every category,” Amalla said in the district release. “This is a very difficult test to get through. We make sure the kids and their parents know the importance and take it seriously.”
The students have to achieve a minimum score of “Advanced High” in listening, speaking, reading and writing to move on to English-only instruction, according to the post.
“This will enable those students more academic opportunities, as well as the ability to improve on their English by being around other English-speaking students,” Ana Sanchez, EL program specialist, said in the release about the results. “Junior high is a critical time, especially for those who have now been in the EL program since kindergarten.”