Over-tested and held back: California eases rules for students learning English

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Set us as preferred In a major overhaul of a decades-old practice, nearly 1 million California students designated as English learners will no longer have to pass a battery of tests and benchmarks to move out of a program that advocates say has long been holding back their education, under a new law signed by Gov.Gavin Newsom on Sunday.

Assembly Bill 2555 dismantles and streamlines an aging system that some researchers said kept far too many students classified as English learners months or even years after mastering the language.Under the new law, students will have to pass only one state-approved English assessment to show they are proficient.“It is a big win,” said Nancy Villarreal, executive director of Parent Organization Network, an advocacy group for families.

“This bill will … remove all the extra hoops they have to jump through, but also make sure that the students will continue having some extra support.”There are just under a million designated English learners in California schools — roughly 1 in 6 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.This formal classification means that students receive specialized English language instruction during the school day, largely funded by the state.Engage with our community-funded journalism as we delve into child care, transitional kindergarten, health and other issues affecting children from birth through age 5.The problem, supporters of the new law said, is that it has been far too difficult to pass out of the program — with different requirements in districts throughout the state — and has caused confusion for parents and families.Between 2022 and 2024, an estimated 37,000 California students scored at the highest level on the standardized English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, known as the ELPAC, but remained classified as English learne...