Improving the Reclassification Process for Long-Term English Learners in California - Policy Implications from Research with Nine School Districts Engaged in Reform

Oct 15, 2026

California’s SB 141 requires districts to report outcomes for Long-Term English Learners (LTELs), defined by not achieving English proficiency within seven years of entering U.S. schools. Drawing on Stanford’s John W. Gardner Center research with nine Sequoia Collaborative districts, the brief examines how multilingual learners labeled as English Learners entering high school fare worse than peers who reclassify. It highlights key risks, documents state criteria for reclassification, and presents lessons from district reforms aimed at reducing barriers and preventing LTEL designation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

English learner reclassification in California

State policy context: English Learner reclassification

Long-Term English Learners face particularly acute risks to academic success

Common barriers prevent many students from reclassifying

July 2025 Improving the Reclassification Process for Long-Term English Learners in California Policy Implications from Research with Nine School Districts Engaged in Reform Sebastian Castrechini and Laurel Sipes Summary In 2023, California passed SB 141, which requires school districts to report outcomes for Long-Term English Learners ( LTELs), defined as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years of entering U.S. schools ( rather than six years as previously defined) . Districts must now report disaggregated data about LTELs on the California School Dashboard (California School Dashboard, 2024), including key indicators like chronic absenteeism; suspension and graduation rates; college/career success; and English Language Arts, Math, and English Learner ( EL) progress. Since 2017, the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (Gardner Center) at Stanford University has conducted research focused on improving the educational outcomes and experiences of multilingual learners1 ( MLLs) within the Stanford-Sequoia K–12 Research Collaborative (Sequoia Collaborative), a partnership that includes a high school district and its eight feeder elementary districts in southern San Mateo County. Our research, along with prior literature, highlights that multilingual learners who are still labeled as English Learners entering high school are less likely to complete high school—or to do so college-ready—than peers who do reclassify. These findings point to an opportunity to improve thereclassification process for multilingual learners as a way to support their learning and achievement. 1 We intentionally use the term multilingual learners rather than English learners to describe students so as to highlight their assets rather than define them by a deficit ( Martínez, 2018) . We use the term “English learner”only when referencing oﬀicial designations. English learner reclassification in California 2 In spring 2023, the nine partner districts agreed to key changes that (a) oﬀered more ways for eighthand ninth grade English Learners to demonstrate basic skills for the purpose of reclassification; (b) improved the process for reclassification; and (c) removed administrative hurdles to reclassification. In this brief, we oﬀer lessons learned about reclassification from research conducted with the Sequoia Collaborative to understand new patterns we might observe in the California School Dashboard in the coming years. We conclude with recommendations based on our research about how districts may prevent students from being designated as LTEL by removing barriers to reclassification. State Policy Context: English Learner Reclassification In 2023–24, California's public schools served approximately two million students who were once designated by their school districts as an English Learner ( EL) . Nearly half (924,460) of those students reached a level of skill in English to be reclassiﬁed as ﬂuent (California Department of Education, 2024) . An EL student is reclassiﬁed to Fluent English Proﬁcient ( RFEP) through a process established by each local education agency, adhering to four criteria listed in the California Education Code, Section 313 (California Department of Education, 2024): ● English Language Proﬁciency Assessments for California ( ELPAC) ● Teacher evaluations ● Parent consultations ● Assessment of "basic skills" relative to English Proﬁcient students Long-Term English Learners face particularly acute risks to their academic success Our longitudinal research with the nine Collaborative districts, now in its eighth year, has consistently shown that LTELs are vulnerable to low academic outcomes relative to students who reclassify. Consistent with other recent research about LTEL students, Sequoia Collaborative LTEL students'academic engagement and assessment performance was lower than that of their RFEP or English Only ( EO) peers (Table 1) . While Englis

FAQs

What does California SB 141 require districts to report about LTELs?

Districts must report disaggregated outcomes for Long-Term English Learners on the California School Dashboard, including indicators such as chronic absenteeism, suspension and graduation rates, college/career success, and progress in English Language Arts, Math, and English Learner performance.

How is an English learner reclassified to Fluent English Proficient in California?

Reclassification to RFEP follows local processes aligned with four California Education Code Section 313 criteria: ELPAC assessments, teacher evaluations, parent consultations, and assessment of “basic skills” relative to English Proficient students.

Why are LTELs at higher risk academically compared with reclassified students?

The research shows LTELs have consistently lower academic engagement and assessment performance than RFEP or English Only peers. Relative to students who reclassify, LTELs exhibit lower GPAs, higher chronic absence, higher likelihood of exiting before 12th grade, and reduced attainment of A–G requirements.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood