Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a California law Sunday allowing nearly 1 million English learners to exit language programs after one state-approved English test, eliminating three other requirements. Students who leave will be monitored for four years.
Previously, students needed a qualifying English score plus a positive teacher evaluation, a school consultation with a parent and a district-selected basic-skills assessment. University of Oregon research estimated that 37,000 students who scored at the highest ELPAC level between 2022 and 2024 remained classified the following school year. Reclassification took an average of more than 220 calendar days, according to the California Department of Education; one in 10 students waited at least 532 days.
ELPAC level 4 remains sufficient under the law, which applies retroactively: students who passed in spring 2026 will be reclassified for the current school year, Assemblymember Darshana Patel said. Schools must now explain the designation process to families when a student first enters the program.
