California Relaxes Rules for English Language Learners

California reformed a system that had been in place for decades for students learning English. The new law eliminates tests and additional requirements to exit the program. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the reform on Sunday.

What changes with the new AB 2555 law?

Previously, students had to pass multiple assessments and meet additional requirements. This included parent meetings and district-specific exams.

With the new law, they will only need to pass one state English language assessment. That test is known as ELPAC (California English Language Proficiency Assessment).

According to reform advocates, the previous system kept many students unnecessarily classified. This happened even months or years after mastering the language.

How many students are affected by this category?

California has just under one million students designated as English learners. This represents approximately 1 in every 6 students in the school system.

This classification involves specialized English instruction during the school day. The state largely funds this additional educational program.

How serious was the problem of delays?

According to research from the University of Oregon, between 2022 and 2024 approximately 37,000 students achieved the highest score on the ELPAC. However, they remained classified as English learners the following year.

Data about the previous system	Figure
Average days to be reclassified	More than 220 days
Cases that waited at least	532 days
Duration of a school year in California	180 days
Students classified for 6 years or more	Nearly 200,000

According to research cited by the Assembly Education Committee, almost half of those long-term students already mastered the language. They simply had not been reclassified in time.

What do reform advocates say?

Nancy Villarreal, executive director of Parent Organization Network, celebrated the new law. She stated: «It is a great victory» for families affected by the previous system.

According to her, the reform eliminates additional obstacles without removing necessary support from students. Additionally, she explained that many parents mistakenly assumed their children had already exited the program.

Meanwhile, Araceli Simeón, from California’s Family Participation Network, backed the change. She affirmed that «the current system does not work and creates many obstacles for reclassification.»

According to Simeón, the legislative process was based on more than a year of research. It included extensive conversations among various stakeholders on the issue.

What experience did a Los Angeles teacher relate?

David De La Cruz Rosales, a teacher at Young Oak Kim Academy, described the impact of the previous system. She stated that «our students are some of those who take the most exams» during the year.

According to her, many students faced discouragement while waiting for their reclassification. Additionally, she said that fear of immigration enforcement operations affected the attendance of some students last year.

She explained that factors such as a bad day or a difficult exam also affected results. That is why she considered it unfair that those factors defined so much time in the program.

What testimony did a former student of the system share?

Maryana Khames arrived in the United States from Iraq at 12 years old.