English Learners

When your child is an English Learner, it can be confusing and difficult to understand whether they are progressing normally toward proficiency in the language and what they need to do be reclassified as fluent and English proficient. Here is some information to how schools classify students as English Learners, what they have to provide students to learn English, what criteria they take into account in reclassifying them as proficient in English and why reclassification matters. 

Why was my child classified as and English learner?

When children are first enrolled in school, their parents or guardians are asked to fill out a survey about which language the child learned when they first began to talk, which language they most frequently speak at home and which language parents and guardians use most frequently when speaking with them.
If a language other than English is spoken at home, the school is required to assess the student's level of English within 30 days of enrollment by giving them at test called the English Language Proficiency Assessment of California, or ELPAC. The test measures students' abilities in reading, writing, speaking and understanding. 

If the test results show the child speaks, listens, writes and reads English fluently, at an age-appropriate level, the school classifies them as "initial fluent English proficient". If the results show they do not speak, listen, read and write English fluently, thee school classifies them as an English learner. 

Students classified as English learners must retake the ELPAC each spring until the school determines that they have reached proficiency in English.