English learners were not progressing into general education classes as quickly as needed to ensure they were successful after high school. The district was looking for a way to teach English learners subject area content knowledge while filling in their gaps in English language vocabulary and comprehension.
YISD has seen a 12% decrease in the number of English learners whose Lexile measures fall below grade-level college and career readiness expectations. YISD now has a systemic approach to differentiated instruction with the flexibility teachers and students need to adjust and adapt learning content, process, and environment to effectively differentiate instruction and impact growth for English learners.
“We’re bound by law to provide an individual educational plan for each student based on their cognitive abilities or disabilities, whichever way you want to look at that … Differentiated instruction is finding all of the cognitive and linguistic and kinesthetic ways to make knowledge accessible and comprehensible to children.”
Louisa Aguirre-Baeza, Director of Academic Language Programs, Ysleta Independent School District, TX
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