Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2555 on Sunday, changing state policy so a level‑4 score on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) alone is enough to reclassify a student as English‑proficient.
- The law applies retroactively to spring 2026 ELPAC results so districts can begin reclassifying eligible students as early as this fall, and the California Department of Education will automate the process statewide in 2027–28.
- Under the old rules students needed a top ELPAC score plus teacher approval, parent consultation and a district‑determined basic‑skills check, which research shows produced long delays—an average wait of 220 days and thousands who stayed labeled an English learner after demonstrating proficiency.
- About 925,907 students were classified as English learners in 2025–26 and are potentially affected; advocates say the change will free students to take electives and higher‑level courses that many lost while awaiting reclassification.
- The law keeps a four‑year monitoring period for students who exit EL status, aligns California with roughly 44 states that rely mainly on one proficiency test, and will require districts to update local procedures as the state shifts to automated reclassification.