TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System) is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. The Texas Education Agency developed TELPAS to meet state and federal requirements. Texas annually assesses the English language proficiency of students who have been identified as English Learners (ELs) in four language domains—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. TELPAS evaluates the progress that each EL makes in becoming proficient in the use of academic English. 

Students in grades K-12 who have been identified as an EL are required to take TELPAS. This includes ELs whose parents have declined bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) program services. They will stop participating in TELPAS when their Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in the English language and have met exit criteria. This applies to all English Learners, even those who are not in a bilingual or ESL program. Once a student has met the state’s exit criteria, they will no longer be identified as an English Learner and will not have to participate in TELPAS.

TEA: All About the TELPAS Test