Bilingual/ESL Department
The mission of the Edinburg CISD ESL/Bilingual Program is to ensure that Emergent Bilingual students acquire and develop English language proficiency, empowering them to succeed academically and thrive as contributing members of society.
The vision of the Edinburg CISD ESL/Bilingual Program is to provide differentiated instruction that supports the linguistic, affective, and cognitive needs of all Emergent Bilingual students.
Edinburg CISD offers a Bilingual and ESL Program for students in grades PK3–12 who speak a language other than English at home and are developing English proficiency. In our Early Exit Bilingual Model, academic instruction begins in the student’s primary language while systematically building skills in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
As students demonstrate readiness, instruction transitions fully to English, ensuring both a strong academic foundation and continued language development. All bilingual and ESL teachers receive specialized training to address the unique linguistic and academic needs of Emergent Bilingual learners.
For grades 6–12, Edinburg CISD provides an ESL Program designed specifically for secondary students. Across all secondary campuses, Content-Based Language Instruction (CBLI) and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) are implemented to make content instruction both accessible and academically rigorous for Emergent Bilingual students.