Finding the Sweet Spot for English Learner Reclassification - A Study of California's Criteria

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

The study analyzes California’s criteria for reclassifying students from English Learner status, focusing on whether the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) thresholds retain their intended meaning and relationships to other assessments. Results indicate the ELPAC thresholds remain consistent in interpretation and linkage to test scores. The report also finds that adding a basic skills assessment score as another reclassification criterion may be redundant, unnecessary, or unfair. Recommendations support maintaining ELPAC thresholds for Criterion 1 and reconsidering Criterion 4.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages57

Reading Time2 h 24 min

AccessFree to download

Context and Motivation

What Is English Learner Reclassification?

California’s Reclassification Criteria

Reclassification in Other States

Perceptions in the Field

What Is in This Report

Validating ELPAC Reclassification Thresholds and Relationships With Academic Achievement

Methods

Summary of Results

Detailed Results

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion 1: Existing ELPAC Thresholds Remain Appropriate for Criterion 1

Conclusion 2: Criterion 4 Is Likely Unnecessary and May Raise Fairness Issues

Recommendation 1: Maintain ELPAC Overall PL 4 as the Threshold for Criterion 1

Recommendation 2: Consider Removing Criterion 4 as a Reclassification Requirement

Recommendation 3: If Criterion 4 Is Removed, Engage With the Field to Consider the Value of Criterion 2 and Criterion 3

Recommendation 4: Consider Using Additional Criteria Only in Particulary, Prespecified Circumstances

Recommendation 5: Provide Support for LEAs and Schools to Reduce Opportunity Differences Between English Learner Students and Other Students

Recommendation 6: Integrate Post-Reclassification Monitoring More Meaningfully Into EL Students’ Overall Education Trajectory

Recommendation 7: Continue to Monitor the Opportunities and Achievement of EL Students, Particularly Those at ELPAC Overall PL 4

References

Appendix A. Methods Details

Appendix B. Additional Results for All Methods, Grades

Finding the Sweet Spot for English Learner Reclassification A Study of California’s Criteria by Molly Faulkner-Bond Acknowledgments The 2023–24 analyses and interpretations that are reported in this paper were completed by Min Huang, Angela Acuña, Christine Snyder, Lorna Porter, and Molly Faulkner-Bond of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center at WestEd; by Caroline Ramirez-Faghih, Shuqin Guo, Mylou Moua, Sarah Fulton, Kelly Bacher, Traci Albee, and Mao Vang of the California Department of Education (CDE) Assessment Development and Administration Division; and by Alesha Moreno-Ramirez, Geqigula Dlamini, Emily Ingram, and Gustavo Gonzalez of the CDE Multilingual Support Division. © 2026 WestEd. All rights reserved. Suggested citation: Faulkner-Bond, M. (2026) . Finding the sweet spot for English Learner reclassification: A study of California’s criteria. WestEd. WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aims to improve the lives of children and adults at all ages of learning and development. We do this by addressing challenges in education and human development, increasing opportunity, and helping build communities where all can thrive. WestEd staff conduct and apply research, provide technical assistance, and support professional learning. We work with early learning educators, classroom teachers, local and state leaders, and policymakers at all levels of government. For more information, [visit](visit WestEd.org. For)[ ](visit WestEd.org. For)[WestEd.org](visit WestEd.org. For)[. For](visit WestEd.org. For) regular updates on research, free resources, solutions, and job postings from WestEd, subscribe to the E-Bulletin, our semimonthly e-newsletter, [at](at WestEd.org/subscribe)[ ](at WestEd.org/subscribe)[WestEd.org/subscribe](at WestEd.org/subscribe). Contents Context and Motivation 1 What Is English Learner Reclassification? 2 California’s Reclassification Criteria 2 Reclassification in Other States 4 Perceptions in the Field 5 What Is in This Report 7 Validating ELPAC Reclassification Thresholds and Relationships With Academic Achievement 7 Methods 8 Summary of Results 10 Detailed Results 11 Conclusion and Recommendations 25 Conclusion 1: Existing ELPAC Thresholds Remain Appropriate for Criterion 1 25 Conclusion 2: Criterion 4 Is Likely Unnecessary and May Raise Fairness Issues 25 Recommendation 1: Maintain ELPAC Overall PL 4 as the Threshold for Criterion 1 26 Recommendation 2: Consider Removing Criterion 4 as a Reclassification Requirement 26 Recommendation 3: If Criterion 4 Is Removed, Engage With the Field to Consider the Value of Criterion 2 and Criterion 3 27 Recommendation 4: Consider Using Additional Criteria Only in Particular, Prespecified Circumstances 27 Recommendation 5: Provide Support for LEAs and Schools to Reduce Opportunity Differences Between English Learner Students and Other Students 27 Recommendation 6: Integrate Post-Reclassification Monitoring More Meaningfully Into EL Students’ Overall Education Trajectory 28 Recommendation 7: Continue to Monitor the Opportunities and Achievement of EL Students, Particularly Those at ELPAC Overall PL 4 28 References 29 Appendix A. Methods Details 31 Appendix B. Additional Results for All Methods, Grades 34 Overview and Key Takeaways In 2024, WestEd1 and the California Department of Education analyzed the state’s criteria for exiting students from English Learner status. The primary goal was to confirm that the state’s reclassification thresholds on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) have maintained their originally intended meaning and relationships to other assessments. The results of these analyses suggest the following: 1. The reclassification thresholds on the ELPAC remain consistent in their meaning and relation to other test scores. 2. The use of a basic skills assessment score as an additional criterion for reclassification

FAQs

What was the primary goal of the 2024 analyses in this report?

To confirm that California’s reclassification thresholds on the ELPAC maintain their originally intended meaning and relationships to other assessments.

What do the results say about the ELPAC reclassification thresholds?

The thresholds remain consistent in meaning and relation to other test scores, preserving their intended interpretation.

Why does the report recommend reconsidering Criterion 4?

It suggests Criterion 4 is likely unnecessary and that using an additional basic skills assessment score may be redundant, unnecessary, or possibly unfair for English Learner students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang