| (a) Spanish and English Bilingual Standards. The standards
identified in this section are targeted for classroom teachers of
bilingual education programs (Spanish and English). The standards
address the discipline associated with the theory and practice of
teaching students who are learning two languages simultaneously. The
standards inform appropriate teaching techniques, methods, teacher
actions, judgments, and decisions by taking into consideration theories
and research of language acquisition, second language learning, understanding
the needs and strengths of bilingual learners, and the backgrounds
and interests of individual students.
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when
used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Academic language--words used in the learning of
academic matter in a formal education context that are associated
with literacy and academic achievement, including specific academic
terms, technical language, and speech registers related to each field
of study.
(2) Cultural responsiveness--the ability to learn from
and relate respectfully with people of one's own culture as those
from other cultures.
(c) Language Abilities. The bilingual education teacher
possesses the language ability to teach across the curriculum and
demonstrate proficiency in Spanish.
(1) Listening. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher understands oral communication in a variety of listening situations
relevant to bilingual education, including professional topics, academic
language, and day-to-day communication with students, parents, guardians,
colleagues, and community members.
(2) Listening. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher understands oral communication in extended academic discourse
on topics related to the profession.
(3) Speaking. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher uses appropriate formal and informal registers to communicate
with various audiences and within settings relevant to the bilingual
school context.
(4) Speaking. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher uses discourse that reflects correct grammatical and syntactical
structures to communicate information and discuss topics relevant
to the bilingual school context.
(5) Speaking. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher demonstrates the ability to use culturally and linguistically
responsive language in everyday communication.
(6) Speaking. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher understands and applies academic language related to the Texas
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) during instruction as well as discussion
of topics relevant to the school context.
(7) Reading. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher applies literal, inferential, and interpretive reading skills
to authentic materials relevant to the school context.
(8) Reading. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher understands written materials that include academic vocabulary
used to teach the TEKS in a variety of content areas.
(9) Writing. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher writes effective and coherent interpersonal discourse using
accurate standard Spanish conventions, sentence structure, orthography,
spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. (e.g., professional e-mail,
parent communication, and other school documents).
(10) Writing. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher writes extended coherent professional discourse in an appropriate
academic register using sentence structure, orthography, spelling,
vocabulary, grammar, and syntax (e.g., newsletter, memos, special
events).
(11) Writing. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher writes coherent instructional material using accurate standard
Spanish conventions, sentence structure, orthography, spelling, vocabulary,
grammar, and syntax (e.g., essays, exit tickets, exemplars).
(12) Writing. In the Spanish language, the bilingual
teacher effectively models for students how to write to explain, narrate,
and describe using accurate standard Spanish conventions, sentence
structure, orthography, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.
(d) Socio-Cultural Competence. The bilingual teacher
knows, understands, and uses major concepts, principles, and theories
related to the nature and role of culture and cultural groups to construct
a mutually adaptive learning environment for bilingual learners. The
bilingual teacher:
(1) recognizes, affirms, fosters, and leverages learners'
bilingualism, biliteracy, biculturalism, and experiences as assets
in service of their learning and is an advocate for the bilingual
program and the participating learners (e.g., serves as school and
community liaison, participates in teacher retention and recruitment
committees);
(2) promotes learners' bilingual and bicultural identity
through culturally and linguistically responsive activities;
(3) understands the socio-historical backgrounds of
bilingual learners (both past and present) and uses this information
to create an effective bilingual and multicultural learning environment;
(4) uses knowledge of major theories and research related
to the nature and role of culture to select instructional materials,
methods, and delivery techniques that facilitate learning for a multicultural
classroom;
(5) understands how to draw upon the deep personal,
familial, and communal cultural knowledge that bilingual learners
possess in order to construct new cultural knowledge;
(6) knows and understands how to create culturally
and linguistically responsive lessons and classroom environment and
advocates for a culturally and linguistically responsive school (e.g.,
takes an active role in advisory committees at the campus and district
levels, campus improvement committee, admissions committee);
(7) has knowledge of diversity within the language
and cultural groups (e.g., awareness of regional differences in languages
and cultural groups);
(8) recognizes factors that contribute to cultural
bias (e.g., stereotyping, prejudice, ethnocentrism), demonstrates
sensitivity to students' diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds,
and applies this knowledge to create a culturally and linguistically
responsive learning environment; and
(9) creates an effective learning environment that
addresses the socio-emotional, linguistic, and cognitive needs as
well as promotes the bicultural identity of bilingual learners and
ways to bridge home and school cultures (e.g., lessons and activities
embedded to the development of learners' cross-cultural and sociocultural
competence, lessons and activities designed to foster mutual appreciation
and respect for the target cultural groups, plans and designs activities
that foster mutual appreciation and respect for targeted cultural
groups among families and community members).
(e) Instructional Practice. The bilingual education
teacher understands and applies research-based components and processes
of language acquisition and biliteracy development. The bilingual
teacher:
(1) has a comprehensive knowledge of content-area instruction
in both languages;
(2) knows and understands state educator certification
standards in all content areas relevant to the certificate level;
(3) knows and understands the statewide curriculum
in all content areas as specified in the TEKS;
(4) understands the alignment of and difference between
the Spanish Language Arts and Reading (SLAR) and English Language
Arts and Reading (ELAR) TEKS and uses this information to develop
culturally and linguistically responsive lesson plans that build biliteracy
and facilitate language transfer to develop bilingualism in both languages;
(5) knows and understands how to integrate language
development and content-area instruction to meet the cognitive, linguistic,
and affective needs of students in accordance with Chapter 89, Subchapter
BB, of Part II of this title (relating to Commissioner's Rules Concerning
State Plan for Educating English Learners);
(6) uses Latino multicultural children's literature
and authentic materials to promote biliteracy, biculturalism, and
content knowledge;
(7) understands and applies methodologies and strategies
for teaching English as a second language (ESL) via an English language
development block as well as through content areas (e.g., Total Physical
Response (TPR), Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP),
pre-teaching vocabulary, and scaffolding strategies to make new information
comprehensible);
(8) understands and applies research-based differentiation
strategies to make content-area instruction comprehensible in order
to meet the academic and linguistic needs of bilingual learners;
(9) identifies, selects, or designs developmentally,
culturally, and linguistically appropriate materials, resources, realia,
technology, and assessment for use in a bilingual classroom;
Cont'd... |
