From Compliance to Impact: Reframing TELPAS as an Instructional Tool

If you’re a Texas educator, TELPAS—the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System—is likely always on your radar. Designed to assess English learners in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, TELPAS gives us valuable data about our students’ language development.

But let’s be honest—how many times has TELPAS season crept up in mid-January, sending your campus into scramble mode?

We’ve all been there. With so many competing priorities, TELPAS prep can often feel rushed, reactive, and disconnected from day-to-day instruction.

But what if TELPAS wasn’t just a test to prepare for, but a tool to teach with?

What if teachers were equipped not only to understand what TELPAS is, but how to integrate its language expectations into instruction all year long?

That’s where the Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) come in—not just as a rubric for scoring, but as a roadmap for effective teaching. When teachers align their instruction to students’ language levels using the PLDs, they can:

• Differentiate and scaffold instruction with purpose

• Set clear, measurable language goals

• Provide targeted support across all four language domains

Most TELPAS-related professional development focuses solely on test logistics or post-assessment data dives. But the real impact happens when educators learn how to use TELPAS instructionally—every day, not just in February.

The Power of the How

When TELPAS strategies are embedded into instruction year-round:

• Language objectives become part of daily planning

• Students practice all four domains regularly

• TELPAS becomes a natural integration of instruction—not an added stressor

This shift empowers both teachers and students. It moves us from a place of compliance to a place of meaningful, language-rich teaching that supports Emergent Bilinguals in every content area.

Let Us Help You Make the Shift

At Espericueta Bilingual Education Consultancy, LLC, we specialize in job-embedded professional learning that helps educators:

• Understand the structure and purpose of TELPAS

• Apply PLDs to design linguistically responsive instruction

• Integrate language-building strategies across all subject areas

• Use TELPAS data to inform and support student growth—not just report it

Let’s stop letting TELPAS sneak up on us. Let’s make it part of our year-round instructional vision—and a powerful tool for helping students thrive.

Ready to learn more? 

 Visit www.bilingualeducationconsultants.com to explore our services on Integrating TELPAS Strategies Across Content Areas and schedule your next professional learning session today!

Sincerely,

Michelle Silva

Espericueta Bilingual Education Consultancy