Our Projects
Tyler Independent School District
The Challenge
Tyler ISD serves a linguistically diverse student population, with approximately 25% of students classified as emergent bilingual students. As the district sought to strengthen support for these students, it faced challenges related to program consistency, instructional effectiveness, and compliance with state mandates. The Board of Trustees commissioned an independent review of the Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) Department to assess the effectiveness of existing services and identify areas for improvement.
Our Support
Gibson, in partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), conducted a comprehensive review of Tyler ISD’s Bilingual/ESL programs. The evaluation aimed to assess program implementation, service delivery models, and student outcomes.
Key components included:
Stakeholder engagement, including surveys and interviews with teachers, administrators, and families;
Review of program models, service allocation, and alignment to best practices in dual language and ESL instruction;
Analysis of student performance data, including English language proficiency and academic achievement across student groups;
Examination of staffing structures, instructional support, and professional development opportunities.
Results
The review found that the existing bilingual program was inconsistently implemented and did not fully align with research-based best practices. Based on Gibson’s findings, the district:
Adopted a new dual language model for elementary grades, designed to promote bilingualism and biliteracy while maintaining English development support;
Increased instructional time in Spanish for emergent bilingual students in early grades, reversing the prior trend of early English transition;
Standardized the service model across schools to ensure consistency and improve program fidelity;
Enhanced teacher training and support, focusing on effective strategies for language acquisition and content instruction.
According to local reporting (Tyler Morning Telegraph), the new approach was developed in direct response to Gibson’s evaluation. As Superintendent Marty Crawford stated, the goal was to ensure that the bilingual program was "rigorous and uniform across campuses" – a shift that reflected the review's core recommendations.