California has changed how schools determine when students learning English are ready to be reclassified. New test results show the scale of the change, while families face a January deadline for eligible students.
For a student learning English, reaching the highest level on California’s annual proficiency test is a major milestone.
But until recently, passing that test was not always enough to change the student’s official status at school.
A new California law has changed the rules, and thousands of students across Los Angeles have already met the test standard.
An analysis of California’s 2025–26 assessment data found that 12,310 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District reached Level 4, the highest performance level on the state’s standard English-language proficiency test.
Under Assembly Bill 2555, that score is now the deciding requirement for reclassifying a student as proficient in English.
For families, the immediate question is whether a child who already met the standard has been reclassified.
How many students reached the highest English-proficiency level?
What stands out
About 1 in 5 LAUSD students with valid standard ELPAC scores reached Level 4, compared with about 1 in 6 statewide.
Source: California Department of Education, 2025–26 Summative ELPAC research file. Percentages reflect students with valid scores. Counts do not represent students newly reclassified under AB 2555.
That means roughly one in five LAUSD students with valid standard ELPAC scores reached the highest proficiency level, compared with about one in six statewide.
The figures also exclude the separate Summative Alternate ELPAC assessment, which has its own qualifying threshold for eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Why California changed the rules
Reclassification is the process schools use to officially recognize that a student who has been receiving English learner services has demonstrated sufficient English proficiency.
Previously, California required schools to consider four factors, including English-language assessment results, teacher evaluations, parent consultation and academic skills.
That meant a student could reach the highest level on the ELPAC and still remain classified as an English learner because of additional requirements.
AB 2555 removed those extra eligibility criteria.
Since September 27, 2026, schools must use the qualifying state assessment result as the sole criterion.
A student meets the requirement by achieving:
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Level 4 on the standard Summative ELPAC.
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Level 3 on the Summative Alternate ELPAC.
Schools cannot continue requiring teacher approval, grades or other former criteria as additional conditions for reclassification.
The California Department of Education’s AB 2555 guidance confirms that the new requirement took effect immediately when Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law.
This change is especially relevant in California, where Latino students make up a large majority of English learners. But the new rules apply to qualifying students regardless of their home language or background.
Schools have until January 31 to process eligible students
For students who reached the required score during the 2025–26 school year and were not already reclassified, schools must complete the administrative reclassification process as soon as possible and no later than January 31, 2027.
Districts do not have to wait for families to identify those students.
The state has made a report available through its assessment system showing currently enrolled students who met the qualifying score.
The California Department of Education also explains that students should be considered reclassified for program purposes from the day after they demonstrated proficiency, even while schools complete the required records.
This is important for students who may still be assigned to designated English language development classes or have questions about their placement.
The state plans to introduce automatic reclassification tied to assessment results beginning with the 2027–28 testing administration. That future process is separate from the immediate requirement schools must follow now.
The number of LAUSD students whose records have already been updated under AB 2555 has not been established by the public data examined for this article.
What families can check now
If your child is classified as an English learner, start with the most recent Summative ELPAC score report.
Look for the overall performance level. A Level 4 result on the standard test, or Level 3 on the Alternate ELPAC, meets the state’s new assessment threshold.
If your child reached that level in 2025–26, ask the school whether their reclassification has been completed. If it has not, ask when the school expects to update the record.
You can also ask whether the change affects your child’s classes or English language development instruction.
Reclassification does not mean a student must suddenly manage every academic challenge without support. California schools are required to monitor reclassified students’ academic progress for at least four years and provide appropriate assistance when needed.
Parents can review the California Department of Education’s family resources for more information about English learner assessments and reclassification.
If you want to know more about AB 2555 read our coverage of five California education changes families should know. The new assessment results and state guidance provide a clearer picture of what the law means right now.
For families whose children already reached the required English-proficiency level, the next step is straightforward: find out whether the school has recognized that achievement and updated the student’s status.
