Federal & Special Programs
- English as a Second Language Program
- Section 504 Program
- ESTEEM
- MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT- FAMILIES IN TRANSITION
- Federal Programs
- Pregnancy-Related Services
English as a Second Language Program
English as a Second Language
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Westwood ISD offers an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for Prekindergarten - 12th grade. Students who are identified as emergent bilingual (EB) through the assessment process are enrolled in our ESL program with parent permission. The goal of this program is to provide our students with an academic environment that is rich in second-language acquisition. The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are provided by the state of Texas to assist educators in advancing students through the stages of English language development. The ELPS are assessed on TELPAS (explained below). Our educators use the ELPS, bilingual resources, visual aids, graphic organizers, and many other tools and resources to help our students have access to the curriculum as their second language develops.
English Language Proficiency Standards
Parents, families, and educators:
Please visit https://www.txel.org/ to access additional information from TEA concerning the education of emergent bilingual students in Texas.
Parent Engagement -Sept 2025 - Spanish Recording Link / English Recording Link
Family Engagement - Nov 2025- Spanish Recording Link / English Recording Link
Community Engagement - Jan 28, 2026
Parent Event - Enhancing Educational Supports for Emergent Bilingual Students
The 2024-2025 Parent Events included classroom supports for emergent bilingual students and special education resources for emergent bilingual families.
Family Event - Empowering Families through Helpful Resources
The 2024-2025 Family Event includes literacy in everyday activities and how to support your child's journey through high school and beyond.
Community Event - Community Engagement
Parents and Families Newsletters:
Westwood ISD campus ESL Coordinators are listed below. Please feel free to contact them with campus-specific questions.
Westwood Primary - Angie Conner, aeconner@westwoodisd.net
Westwood Elementary - Kathy Elton, kaelton@westwoodisd.net
Westwood Junior High - Dustin Crawford, dacrawford@westwoodisd.net
Westwood High School - Terri Walters, tewalters@westwoodisd.net
Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) Meetings
LPAC meetings take place as part of the identification process, when an emergent bilingual student enrolls in the district, before state testing, and at the end of every school year to review progress. If your child is part of our ESL program, please be sure to attend these meetings as your input is valuable. Notice of you child's meeting will be sent from the campus.
****LPAC Parent Representative****
An LPAC Parent Representative is required to be present at each LPAC meeting to assist with the decision-making process. A parent representative must be a parent of an emergent bilingual student but they cannot be a Westwood ISD employee.
If you are interested in serving as a parent representative please contact Tiffany Carwell at tncarwell@westwoodisd.net or (903)729-1776 or the campus coordinators listed above. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)
TELPAS is an assessment designed by the Texas Education Agency to measure the progress EBs make in their English acquisition. Students who are identified as EB take the TELPAS assessment every year in the spring. TELPAS assesses the English proficiency of K-12 ELs in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Grades K-1: TELPAS includes holistically rated listening, speaking, reading, and writing assessments based on ongoing classroom observations and student interactions.
Grades 2-12: TELPAS includes online reading and listening and speaking tests and holistically rated student writing collections.
The links below provide further information about TELPAS.
Upcoming Online TELPAS - (Reading, Listening and Speaking) Dates - Spring 2025
March 3-6, 2026
Supplemental Programs - The following programs are implemented to support students English proficiency development.
All students (PK-12th grade) served through the district's ESL program have access to BrainPop ELL. This program provides lively, engaging online content to teach English to speakers of other languages. BrainPop ELL provides a personalized learning journey using movies and activities that range from simple, everyday experiences to content-related stories.
Students are provided with interactive, engaging video lessons written to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs).
Section 504 Program
WISD Section 504 Handbook
Section 504 Fact Sheet for Families: ENGLISH / SPANISH
Campus Contact for Referrals:
Westwood Primary - Lacie Sloan, Counselor - lmsloan@westwoodisd.net (903)729-1774
Westwood Elementary - Amber Linam, Counselor - adlinam@westwoodisd.net (903)729-1771
Westwood Middle School - Vicki McGill (903)723-0423 - vvmcgill@westwoodisd.net
Westwood High School - Kenneth LaFleur, Counselor - kjlafleur@westwoodisd.net (903)723-0423
ESTEEM
ESTEEM
ESTEEM is an acronym for Encouraging Students To Embrace Excellent Marriage. Westwood ISD began implementing the ESTEEM curriculum several years ago. ESTEEM helps to improve student awareness of, and tendency toward, making healthy decisions. The more teens are aware of the dangers and consequences of risky behaviors, the more prepared they will be to avoid such situations.
All of our campus counselors have been trained in this program as well as the staff who will directly teach the subject matter.
For the 2025-2026 school year, the ESTEEM curriculum will be taught in grades 5-9. The curriculum has 10 lessons. Click the following link for more information about the program. http://www.esteemjourney.com/
Please contact your child's campus counselor or Tiffany Carwell at (903)729-1776 for further information.
PARENT RESOURCES
ESTEEM Program Parent Take Home Questions:
MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT- FAMILIES IN TRANSITION
McKinney-Vento - Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless as children lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate residence. If any one of the three conditions is missing, the child is considered homeless.
- Fixed: Stationary, permanent, not subject to change
- Regular: Used on a regular (nightly) basis
- Adequate: Sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments
McKinney-Vento Information for Parents - English Version
McKinney-Vento Flyer for Parents - Spanish Version
McKinney-Vento Poster for Youth - English Version
McKinney-Vento Poster for Youth - Spanish Version
LOCAL RESOURCES
BCFS - Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support(HOPES)
Crisis Center of Cherokee and Anderson Counties
313 West Debard
Palestine, TX 75801
(903)723-5858
Confidential Hotline 1-800-232-8519
Palestine Community Food Pantry (Pantry)
1434 Court Dr
Palestine, TX 75803
(903)723-5406
St. Vincent de Paul - (pantry/thrift store)
503 N. Queen
Palestine, TX 75801
903-729-2436 or 903-729-5093
www.findhelp.org - Find free or reduced-cost resources like food, housing, financial assistance, health care, and more.
Federal Programs
District and Campus Policies
Westwood ISD Parent and Family Engagement Policy
Política de participación de padres y familias de WISD
Westwood Primary Parent and Family Engagement Policy - English
Westwood Primary Parent and Family Engagement Policy - Spanish
Westwood Elementary Parent and Family Engagement Policy - English
Westwood Elementary Parent and Family Engagement Policy - Spanish
Westwood Junior High School Parent and Family Engagement Policy - English and Spanish
Parent and Family Engagement
Parent Learning Series:
Please click the links below to register to attend these virtual opportunities for parents.
August 20, 2025 - 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Register HERE
September 10, 2025 - 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Register HERE
Mark your calendar! Spanish Parent Series coming this fall! Use the links below to register now.
October 2, 2025 06:30 - 7:00PM - Register HERE
November 6, 2025 06:30 - 7:00PM - Register HERE
December 4, 2025 06:30 - 7:00PM - Register HERE
**If you attend a session, please share feedback with us by clicking HERE.
The Parent and Family Engagement Connection Newsletter
1st Quarter 2024-25 School Year
2nd Quarter 2024-2025 School Year
3rd Quarter 2024-2025 School Year
4th Quarter 2024-2025 School Year
Federally-funded Programs
Texas Education Agency - Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Texas Education Agency
What is Title I?
Title I is the name of a government program that gives additional money to qualifying schools based on the number of low-income families.
Both Title I schools (Westwood Primary and Elementary) in Westwood ISD are schoolwide programs. This means that funds may be combined with other funds to upgrade the entire education program of the school as well as to provide additional help for all students on the campus.
How does our school receive Title I money?
First, the federal government provides funding to each state. Then, the Texas Education Agency sends money to Texas school districts. The amount each school receives is determined by the number of students attending the school who are in low-socioeconomic households.
What do Title I programs offer?
Title I programs may offer:
- Additional teachers and aides
- Opportunities for professional development for school staff
- Extra time for teaching students the skills they need
- A variety of supplementary teaching resources methods
- An individualized program for students
- Additional teaching materials which supplement a student's regular instruction
- Parent engagement opportunities
http://www.westwoodisd.net/departments/federal-special-programs/federal-programs
Pregnancy-Related Services
Pregnancy-Related Services (PRS) are support services, including Compensatory Education Home Instruction (CEHI), that a student receives during the pregnancy prenatal and postpartum periods to help her adjust academically, mentally, and physically and stay in school. These services are delivered to a student when-
- the student is pregnant and attending classes on a district campus,
- a valid medical necessity for confinement during the pregnancy prenatal period prevents the student from attending classes on a district campus, or
- a valid medical necessity for confinement during the pregnancy postpartum period prevents the student from attending classes on a district campus.
BCFS - Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support(HOPES)
Please contact your child's campus counselor or Tiffany Carwell at (903)729-1776 for further information.
Tiffany Carwell
Director of
Special Programs
District Testing Coordinator
(903)729-1776