This article first appeared in EdSource.
Thousands of California students remain classified as English learners even after they reach proficiency in English, according to new research. Several studies suggest the state’s reclassification rules may be holding students in language support programs longer than necessary to their detriment.
A new state bill, Assembly Bill 2555, aims to fix the problem by automatically reclassifying English learners as “fluent and proficient” when they score 4 on the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California, beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
“California’s English learners deserve excellent instruction to help them learn English, and a clear and fair pathway to reclassify when they reach the goal of proficiency in English,” said Assemblymember Darshana Patel, D-San Diego, chair of the Assembly Education Committee, who introduced the bill Tuesday.
“Our reclassification process, which was established 50 years ago, needs reform to make it clear, consistent, fair and easy to implement.”
Students are classified as English learners when they enter school if they speak a language other than English at home and do not pass the ELPAC, a test they must continue to take each year until they are reclassified as “fluent English proficient.”
California now requires students who are English learners to meet four different criteria before a school can “reclassify” them: the student must get a 4, the highest score, on the ELPAC, a teacher must agree the student is proficient in English, the parents must be consulted, and the student must also show they have “basic skills” that are comparable to those of their peers who are proficient in English.
In addition to eliminating the last three criteria for reclassification, AB 2555 would allow students with disabilities to show proficiency in other ways. It would also require school districts to meet with parents when their children are first classified as English learners to explain what their children should be receiving under the law and how the reclassification process works.
In 2021-22 and 2022-23, about 18,500 students statewide annually scored 4 on the ELPAC but remained English learners the following year — about 18% of the students who scored 4, according to research from the University of Oregon.
Researchers recommend removing ‘basic skills’ requirement
Researchers from Stanford University, WestEd and the University of Oregon recommended during a recent webinarthat California eliminate the “basic skills” requirement because their studies show it appears to be a major barrier to reclassifying students, even after they score a 4 on the ELPAC.
“It’s not clear it’s needed, and it’s not clear it’s fair,” said Molly Faulkner-Bond, research director for English learner and migrant education services at WestEd. She and other researchers also said the state should consider removing the requirements for teacher and parent input.
The three studies are not yet published, but the researchers shared the results at the webinar. A separate report from the Public Policy Institute of California also recommends that the state consider either using a single criterion or allowing students to meet just one of the existing criteria rather than all four.
Districts measure basic skills in different ways. Some require students to meet or exceed the standard on the Smarter Balanced Assessment for California (SBAC) in English Language Arts; others accept lower scores on that test; others require another assessment, like a reading test; and some require both.
Researchers from Stanford University worked with nine districts near the university and found that 39% of students in those districts who scored 4 on the ELPAC were not reclassified the next year. Diana Mercado-Garcia, director of the Stanford-Sequoia K-12 Research Collaborative, said this was surprising for district leaders.
“A key assumption had been that EL and LTEL students were simply not performing well on measures of English language proficiency, and we were finding that for a good chunk of them that actually wasn’t the case,” Mercado-Garcia said. (EL stands for English learner, and LTEL stands for long-term English learner, a term for students who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for more than six years and have not yet achieved proficiency.)
Ilana Umansky, associate professor of education at the University of Oregon, examined student data from the California Department of Education from 2021-22 and 2022-23 for about 112,077 students in 76 districts, a sample she said was representative of the state, and found that the students most likely to be held back because of the basic skills criteria, even though they had achieved a 4 on the ELPAC, were middle and high school students and those in rural areas.
When students are not reclassified, they may be locked out of accessing advanced courses and electives, particularly in middle and high school. Umansky said it also can affect students’ motivation and engagement in school.
“Being held in EL status once English proficient can impact you in different ways,” said Umansky. “Your sense of belonging in school, whether you feel like you’re valued, whether you want to be there, whether you think the instructional settings you’re in are challenging and exciting, whether you’re allowed to enroll in electives, all these things.”
In her research, she also found that students held in English learner status after reaching proficiency on the ELPAC were more likely to be truant.
Umansky said she is excited about the new bill.
“It simplifies reclassification criteria for the state and focuses on English proficiency, which is what reclassification by definition should be evaluated on,” she said. “We know from our research and from lots of other research that the larger the number of criteria and the more complex the criteria, the more likely students are going to be held in EL status past when they’re benefiting from the services and past when they’re English proficient.”
One reason some advocates have pushed to keep more criteria in the past is that they were concerned that students could lose services they need and may not do as well in school. But a report from WestEd analyzed how well students performed on standardized tests after achieving a score of 4 on the ELPAC and found that these students outperformed peers who only spoke English at home with similar levels of parent education and family income.
“What these data suggest is that English learners who can meet ELPAC overall level 4 are already showing that they can meet academic standards,” said Faulkner-Bond.
WestEd and University of Oregon researchers found no academic benefit to remaining in English learner status after achieving proficiency.
California has had these same criteria since 1976. Forty-four other states have only one criteria — English language proficiency, according to WestEd.
“The fact that California is so out of step is notable,” said Faulkner-Bond. She said the idea behind having four criteria is to make sure services aren’t removed that can help students do better in school.
“But I think that the evidence today overwhelmingly suggests that that is not really how this policy is functioning,” she said. “I think it is worth considering making a change.”
Reclassification system is overly complicated
The Los Angeles-based Parent Organization Network recommended in a 2023 report that the state simplify the reclassification system by using only one criterion rather than four. After working for several years with parents of English learners in three school districts, the group found the reclassification system overly complicated for students and parents to navigate. The group said the requirement to get input from parents before reclassifying was unhelpful when parents were unaware what reclassification meant.
“What we saw is that it becomes another barrier and another excuse to not reclassify the child even though they have all the scores,” said Araceli Simeón, strategic adviser to the organization.
Californians Together, a coalition that advocates for English learners statewide, also supports changing the reclassification process, said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, the organization’s strategic adviser. She said it made a difference to see the studies showing students who scored a 4 on the ELPAC did reasonably well on academic tests compared to native English speakers.
“We wanted to make sure that not having the [basic skills] criteria wouldn’t mean that we would be reclassifying students who were not prepared to do well academically,” Spiegel-Coleman said. “We think many more kids will probably be reclassified. Especially for students going into high school, that opens up their schedules, and we think that’s a good thing.”
EdSource is California’s largest independent newsroom focused on education.
Hence then, the article about many california students still labeled english learners despite testing as fluent was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Many California students still labeled English learners — despite testing as fluent )
Also on site :
- Scammer posed as ‘well-known adult film star’ to defraud NFL and NBA players online from behind bars, feds say
- Video: What we know about Israel’s assault on southern Lebanon
- Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals who’s to blame for ‘Buffy’ reboot cancellation