Learn the ELPS and Earn a Free Verified Digital Credential

April 8, 2026
Luis Hernández

Category: AI in Education, EdTech, Professional Development, Teaching Strategies

AI-Generated Audio Summary

If you teach in Texas, you have almost certainly encountered the English Language Proficiency Standards. The ELPS are referenced in lesson plans, classroom observations, professional development sessions, and certification exams. They are central to how Texas defines what effective instruction looks like for emergent bilingual students.

And yet, for years, the resources for actually learning the ELPS in depth have been scattered. A PDF document from the state agency. A flip book from a conference session. A workshop offered on a Tuesday afternoon when half the staff was covering classes. Maybe a book or a training from a company that charges for the session and charges again for the materials. The information was out there, but it was never in one place, never interactive, and rarely available on a teacher’s own schedule.

That is the gap the ELPS Online Helper was built to fill.

Why I Built This

I spent years teaching in bilingual and ESL classrooms in Texas. I saw firsthand how important the ELPS were for effective instruction, and I also saw how hard it was for teachers, especially new teachers and preservice teachers, to get quality training on the standards. The information existed, but it was fragmented, expensive, or locked behind schedules that did not work for people with full-time teaching responsibilities.

When I started working in instructional technology and web development, and later when AI tools became practical enough to use in education, I saw the opportunity to bring everything together: my background in bilingual education, my ability to build web applications, and the new capabilities that AI could bring to a learning experience. The result was not just a course, but an interactive platform designed to help teachers navigate the ELPS in a way that connects to the reality of their classrooms.

I chose to make it free because I believe this training should be accessible to every teacher. Not just those who can afford another paid resource or whose district happens to offer the right workshop at the right time. This is the tool I wished I had when I was in the classroom, and if it helps even one teacher serve their students better, it was worth building.

What the ELPS Online Helper Is

The ELPS Online Helper is a web-based platform that helps educators navigate the English Language Proficiency Standards and connect them to instructional practice. It is not a static PDF or a set of slides. It is an interactive tool you can access from your computer, your tablet, or your phone, whenever you have time to learn.

The platform organizes the ELPS framework into clear, navigable sections and provides AI-powered assistance to help you understand how the standards apply to specific instructional situations. This includes connections to the TEKS across content areas, so you can see how the ELPS work alongside the curriculum you are already teaching. Whether you teach science, social studies, math, or language arts, the platform helps you understand what the ELPS look like in your classroom.

On top of the platform, we built a structured 12-module course that walks you through every domain of the ELPS framework: the four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), cross-linguistic connections, academic language development, proficiency level descriptors, differentiated instruction for emergent bilingual students, assessment strategies, and ELPS integration across content areas.

Every module includes an audio introduction that sets context before you begin: what the module covers, why it matters, and what to pay attention to. You can track your progress as you complete each module, so you always know where you left off.

Veronica: Your AI Study Partner

One of the features that makes this platform different is Veronica, an AI study companion available in every module of the course.

Veronica is not a generic chatbot. She is built on a curated knowledge base specific to the ELPS framework, using the same RAG architecture we use across all of our certification preparation courses. That means when you ask her a question about a proficiency level descriptor, or how to support a beginning-level student in a content-area lesson, or how the ELPS connect to specific TEKS, she responds with accurate, domain-specific answers grounded in verified content.

She is designed to help you think through the reality of your classroom, not give you textbook definitions. If you have read our previous post about the All-Access Subscription, you already know what Veronica can do. In the ELPS Online Helper, she is available for free.

The Capstone Evaluation and Your Credential

After completing all 12 modules, the course unlocks a capstone evaluation: 32 scenario-based multiple-choice questions designed to assess your ability to apply the ELPS in realistic classroom situations.

These are not recall questions. Each one presents a classroom scenario and asks you to identify the most appropriate instructional response based on the standards. If you go through the course and engage with the material, you will be able to answer these questions. The evaluation exists because we believe that a meaningful credential should be backed by a meaningful assessment, not just seat time.

You need an 80% score to pass. If you do not pass on your first attempt, you can retake the evaluation as many times as you need; questions are shuffled each time.

When you pass, you automatically earn a verified digital credential worth 1 CPE hour, issued through POK (Proof of Knowledge). POK is a credential verification platform that issues tamper-proof digital credentials. Your credential includes a unique QR code that anyone, including a principal, a district HR department, or a potential employer, can scan to verify its authenticity. You can share it directly on LinkedIn, add it to a digital portfolio, or include the verification link on your resume. Here is what a verified credential looks like on POK.

We recently added verified digital credentials to all of our certification preparation courses, and we wanted to extend that same standard to the resources we offer for free. Every teacher who completes this course earns the same type of verifiable credential our paying students receive.

Why This Matters Now

The ELPS are about to change. The State Board of Education adopted revised English Language Proficiency Standards in September 2024, and the new standards are scheduled to be implemented in classrooms beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Among the changes: the proficiency levels are expanding from four to five, and the language continuum has been revised and differentiated across the new levels.

That means every teacher working with English learners in Texas will need to understand both the current framework and what is changing. Starting with a strong foundation in the existing ELPS is the best way to prepare for that transition. As the revised standards take effect, the ELPS Online Helper will be updated to reflect the new framework.

Who This Is For

Bilingual and ESL teachers who want a deeper, more structured understanding of the standards they use every day
Content-area teachers who have emergent bilingual students in their classrooms and need to integrate the ELPS into their instruction
Instructional coaches and curriculum specialists looking for a free resource to recommend to their teams
Preservice teachers and career changers preparing for certification exams that include ELPS content, including the ESL-154, Bilingual Education 164, and PPR-160
Campus and district administrators who want accessible, verifiable ELPS professional development for their staff

Get Started

The ELPS Online Helper is available now, completely free:

Start learning the ELPS here.

The first five modules are accessible immediately. To access modules 6 through 12 and the capstone evaluation, create a free account. No credit card, no subscription, no hidden costs. Just an email address.

Work through the modules at your own pace, take the capstone when you are ready, and earn your credential. And if you find it valuable, share it with a colleague. The more educators who deeply understand the ELPS, the better the outcomes for the students who depend on that understanding.

Enabling Learning, LLC provides AI-powered learning tools for Texas educator certification and professional development. The ELPS Online Helper is a free resource and does not constitute official professional development accredited by the Texas Education Agency. The CPE hour is issued by Enabling Learning through the POK digital credentialing platform. Veronica’s responses are grounded in expert-curated content and do not represent official guidance from TEA or any certifying body. For official information on the revised ELPS, visit tea.texas.gov.

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