(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...