001Greetings and welcome to the bilingual education Spanish supplemental framework overview webinar. My name is Kay Jernigan and I'm a test development specialist on the educator standards and certification team. I'm responsible for leading the development of the upcoming redesign bilingual education exams. As you can see, I'm a part of a wonderful team. We're responsible for redesigning and updating educator certification exams and education standards. During our webinar, we're going to accomplish one essential objective. We're going to explore the framework for the updated bilingual education Spanish supplemental EC12 pedagogy exam. Within that scope, we're going to engage with the framework crosswalk for the updated exam to highlight key similarities and differences between the new and old exams. Here is our agenda for the webinar. We've just concluded our welcome and reviewed our objectives. Next, I'll provide a general
002overview of the bilingual education exam development and then move into the framework overview. And lastly, we'll delve into the framework crosswalk and close out our session. Currently, the agency is engaging in a series of bilingual related exam redesign through 2028. The bilingual education Spanish supplemental and core EC6 bilingual education Spanish proficiency exams are among those. Today, of course, our focus is solely on the bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam. To start our conversation, I want to discuss the history of the certification path for bilingual Spanish educators in Texas. Previously, candidates seeking bilingual certification would take two key exams. The 164 bilingual education supplemental and the 190 bilingual target language proficiency test or what we call BT LPT. These exams would ask candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in bilingual pedagogy and Spanish proficiency. Exam 164 included one
003domain, four competencies, 80 selected response questions, and was based on the bilingual education supplemental exam framework. Exam 190 included four domains, four competencies, 84 selected response items, four speaking constructed response task, and three writing constructed response tasks. TEA received feedback from stakeholders regarding the BTLPT exam. Stakeholders highlighted concerns around the exam not differentiating between Spanish proficiency and pedagogy, meaning that some items covered both skill sets, making it more difficult to navigate them and focus on what was really being assessed. There were also concerns around one of the writing tasks that asked candidates to draft a lesson plan. To address stakeholder concerns, the agency made the decision to offer a redesigned bilingual education supplemental exam that was streamlined. This exam includes three subtests that clearly and distinctly evaluate a candidate's Spanish proficiency level and pedagogy knowledge
004separately. The first subtest, 166, listening and speaking in Spanish, contains two competencies, 30 selected response items, four constructed response items, and this subtest is presented in Spanish. The second subtest, 167, reading and writing in Spanish, contains two competencies, 30 selected response items, one constructor response item, and this subtest is also presented in Spanish. The last subtest 168 is the foundations of bilingual education and instructional practice. This subtest contains two competencies, 40 selected response items, and this subtest will be presented in English. Offering a streamlined exam changed the exam pathway to achieve certification. Previously, candidates would have to take up to five exams to achieve bilingual certification, including pedagogy, STR, content pedagogy, bilingual education supplemental 164, and the bilingual target language proficiency test or BTLPT 190. Once the new bilingual supplemental exam launches, candidates will follow
005new pathways for certification. At the elementary level, candidates will take four exams, including pedagogy, STR, content pedagogy, and the new bilingual education Spanish supplemental 165. Depending on the grade B a candidate selects, they have the option of taking the core subjects EC6 exam or the 48 content exam of their choice. At the secondary level, candidates will take three exams, pedagogy, content pedagogy, and the new bilingual education Spanish supplemental 165. Less exams are more economical for candidates. In conclusion, the 165 bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam will replace the current bilingual education Spanish supplemental 164 and BTPT 190 exams. The 165 bilingual exam was streamlined to include one exam with three subtests. Candidates are able to take the subtest individually if necessary. Candidates will also have five opportunities to retake the exam if needed. And for more
006information about the framework, it can be found on the Department of Educator standards and testing website. The bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam development started in 2023 and will conclude in 2026. As of today, group one and group two of the item review conferences have been completed. If external stakeholders would like to offer input on the exam development process, they have two more opportunities this coming January 2026. They can participate in the standard setting conference or the marker selection. Resources for the exam include the preparation manual, which will be available spring 2026, the practice exam, which will be available summer 2026, and the representative exam, which will also be available in summer 2026. The exam launches September 1st, 2026. Candidates will have the option to take both exam combinations for one year after the launch of
007the redesigned exam. That means that candidates can take either 164 and the BTLPT or 165 until September 1st, 2027. Any previously passed scores on the exam from either the 164 and the BTLPT can be used until September 1st, 2028. That means programs can refer candidates for certification using passing scores that were received before September 1st, 2028. New candidates will be required to take the new exam starting September 1st, 2027. At this time, we are going to start our review of the framework in Crosswalk. We are in our last stages of development. So, the framework has been posted to the TEA website. If you would like to review the framework, you can visit the link or scan the QR code. We acknowledge that a new exam can seem overwhelming and that programs will need to update
008course content and other aspects of their programs to prepare candidates for the new exam. To help facilitate that, we created an exam framework crosswalk. The crosswalk shows the correlation between the new exam framework, Texas Administrative Code, the bilingual standards, and the old exams. in this case, the 164 bilingual education supplemental and the 190 BTLPT exams. For full details on how the 165 framework compares to the frameworks for the 164 and 190 and the bilingual standards and where similar content can be found and how it has been reorganized, please review the crosswalk. We hope this resource is helpful for you as we approach the exam transition. Now, as we review the framework and the crosswalk content, I want to provide a quick note on relevant vocabulary. The new exam framework will be categorized by subtest, competency,
009and descriptive statements. Subtests are organized collections of knowledge, skills, and abilities that serve as the foundations for the exam. A competency exam is what teacher candidates should be able to do in each subtest. And descriptive statements provide examples of how teacher candidates will demonstrate understanding of the content and competencies. Here is an excerpt from the new 165 bilingual education Spanish supplemental framework. As you can see, the framework is organized by subtest, competency, and descriptive statements. This is subtest one, listening and speaking in Spanish. For subtest 166, competency one, listening, ask candidates to demonstrate how to apply literal, inferential, and interpretive listening skills to demonstrate understanding of oral communications in Spanish and a variety of situations relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context. As I just mentioned, the competencies are the overarching
010or broad scope of skills that educators need to know and will be responsible for exhibiting in practice. The descriptive statements break down the competency into actionable statements or demonstrations of knowledge that bilingual educators should exhibit in their practice. As we prepare to review the framework, please keep the following questions in mind to frame your thinking about the new exam and candidate preparation. What key similarities do you notice between the 164 190 and the updated 165 bilingual education Spanish frameworks? Where do you notice shifts in the organization and or content of the 165 bilingual education Spanish framework? How might these shifts impact your program's preparation of bilingual education Spanish candidates? And lastly, what other questions do you have about the updated 165 bilingual education Spanish framework? At a glance, the 164 bilingual supplemental and 190 BT
011LPT exams included five domains and eight competencies. The new 165 exam is made up of three subtests and six competencies. You'll be able to see as we review how some framework content has been organized into new subtests and competencies. And you will also notice more significant shifts in the overall content of the exam. This is reflective of the updated standards that are based on the current best practice in the field for serving our students who are eligible for bilingual education services. The new bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam has three new subtests. We're going to focus on content within the exam framework that is significantly different or new when compared to the 164 bilingual education supplemental and 190 BTLBT Spanish exams to highlight key differences and what they might mean for the preparation of your candidates.
012We'll move through the exam framework subtest by subtest and review the different competencies within each. Our first subtest, subtest one, is listening and speaking in Spanish. It's made up of two competencies. Competency one, listening, and competency 2, speaking. There is some similar content here again that can be found on your full crosswalk, but we're going to focus on taking a closer look at some distinct areas of difference in the 165 and the 1641 190 exams. Subtest one of 166, listening and speaking in Spanish. For competency one, candidates will need to apply literal, inferential, and interpretive listening skills to demonstrate understanding of oral communications in Spanish in a variety of situations relevant to bilingual education in the bilingual program and classroom context. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their ability to comprehend orally communicated Spanish content.
013However, candidates will not be assessed on pedagogy knowledge and will solely focus on Spanish language proficiency. For competency two of subtest one, candidates will apply knowledge of appropriate speaking conventions to communicate in Spanish in a variety of situations relevant to the bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context. Candidates must be able to respond to constructed response items in spoken Spanish language. Candidates will not be assessed on pedagogy knowledge and will solely focus on Spanish language proficiency. Moving on to subtest two, reading and writing. We have two competencies here. Competency one reading and competency 2 writing. Subtest 2 167 reading and writing in Spanish. For competency one, reading candidates will apply literal, inferential, and interpretive reading skills to demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts in Spanish relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual
014program in classroom context, including authentic materials. Candidates must be able to read and comprehend Spanish language. However, candidates will not be assessed on pedagogy and candidates will need to understand how to accurately summarize a text. Competency two, writing. Candidates will need to apply knowledge of appropriate writing conventions to communicate in Spanish in a variety of situations relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context. Candidates must respond to a writing prompt in Spanish. Additionally, candidates will not be assessed on pedagogy and will not be responsible for submitting a lesson plan. Candidates will need to understand how to use and incorporate linguistically responsive language in written communication. Subtest three, foundations of bilingual education and instructional practice. This subtest also includes two competencies. Competency one, foundations of bilingual education and competency 2, instructional practice. Subtype
015three, competency one, foundations of bilingual education. Candidates will need to demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of bilingual education and the educational systems that create an effective learning environment that supports the effective linguistic and cognitive needs of emerging bilingual students. Candidates will demonstrate their understanding of bilingual education pedagogy. And additionally, candidates will need to understand ELPAC and how it coexists and operates in conjunction with other special programs such as special education, section 504, dyslexia, and gifted and talented. Finally, subtest 3, competency 2, instructional practice. Here, candidates will need to demonstrate knowledge of linguistically responsive research-based instruction and assessment methodologies and strategies that integrate language and content instruction and foster bilingualism, biiteracy, multiculturalism, and foster all students academic achievement. Candidates will need to demonstrate their knowledge of pedagogy. Additionally, candidates will need to demonstrate knowledge of
016strategies for engaging parents, guardians, and communities in education to foster bilingualism, biiteracy, and multiculturalism to support students and community needs. We've just reviewed the key similarities and differences for the new revised 165 bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam. This exam redesign was possible because of stakeholders like you. Before we close, I want to highlight opportunities for stakeholder engagement. We have less than a year left for exam development, but there are other opportunities for bilingual educators and programs to participate in. This coming January 2026, external stakeholders can take part in the exam standard setting and marker selection. For more information, visit the link or scan the QR code. Thank you for your time and listening to our webinar. If you have questions about the new revised 165 bilingual education Spanish supplemental exam, please contact me, K Jernigan,
017or visit the educator standards and testing website. There you can find resources for the exam and more information about the framework. Have a great day.