2026 Texas ELPS: What Changed

A quick reference for educators of emergent bilingual students

Enabling Learning

TEA-approved CPE provider

Texas adopted revised ELPS in September 2024; they became effective in the Texas Administrative Code on February 2, 2025, with classroom implementation beginning in 2026-2027. The framework keeps its four language domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) and cross-curricular design. These are the key changes.

From 4 to 5 levels

2007 ELPS	2026 ELPS
(no separate level)	Pre-Production (NEW)
Beginning	Beginning (descriptors revised)
Intermediate	Intermediate (descriptors revised)
Advanced	High Intermediate
Advanced High	Advanced

Mapping per TEA’s holistic TELPAS transition crosswalk (Draft TELPAS Transition PLDs, Fall 2025). The continuum was revised, so plan instruction from the 2026 PLDs directly.

What’s new

•A fifth proficiency level, Pre-Production, formally recognizes the silent period.
•Descriptors across all five levels were revised for content-area academic language.
•Asset-based approach: builds on students’ existing language, culture, and knowledge.
•Enhanced Linguistic Support Statements clarify the support needed at each level.
•Stronger alignment between the TEKS and language proficiency expectations.
•Standards moved from 19 TAC §74.4 to Chapter 120, Subchapter B.

Why Pre-Production matters: it formally acknowledges the “silent period,” when students build receptive language (listening, reading) before producing speech. Support comprehension with visuals, realia, and gestures; do not force speech production.