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Reclassification Criteria:

The Director of School Support, in conjunction with teacher input, will specifically evaluate students who are potentially qualified for reclassification. This will occur upon release of ELPAC scores by the state.

Per California Department of Education recommendations and requirements, EL Reclassification will be based on the following four criteria:

  1. ELPAC Score - Student must have an Overall Performance Level score of 4 (the statewide standardized ELP criterion)
  2. Teacher Evaluation - Student progress as observed by the teacher, as well as student’s grades/progress indicators in math and English. Grade must be a C or higher in both courses. Progress in standards must be Meeting or Exceeding Expectations.
  3. Parent Opinion and Consultation - Parents will be invited to, and are strongly encouraged to provide input and share their opinion.
  4. English Language Proficiency - EL student’s English language proficiency will be compared with that of an English Proficient Student.

Reclassification Process

  1. The Director of School Support will initiate this process by completing the Reclassification Form for students who meet the first criteria.
  2. Form will then be sent to the teacher via the ELLevation platform for further input and completion of grades, test scores, etc.
  3. Parent opinion/feedback is gathered and entered on the form. They may also consult with the EL Designee, Director, and/or ELD teacher regarding their child’s reclassification.
  4. At this point, if everyone is in agreement, the student is then re-designated RFEP. A Parent Notification Letter of Reclassification is mailed to the parents,.
  5. If a student has not met criteria 1, 2, or 4, they will remain EL and will be reevaluated the next school year.

Reclassification Monitoring Process

Students that have moved through the RFEP process will be monitored by their HST for 4 years. Each year you will receive an RFEP Monitoring Form to fill out. You will sign this as the teacher and the parent will sign the form as well. This form will arrive via email during the month of the year that your student was first RFEP'd. For example if your student RFEP'd in May, you will receive a form each May to complete. RFEP Monitoring Forms are completed thorugh the Ellevation Platform. ELLevation Instructions for RFEP Monitoring.

RECLASSIFYING ENGLISH LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES

  1. Q: MAY IEP TEAMS MODIFY THE STANDARD FOR RECLASSIFICATION FOR CRITERIA 1?

A: No. To meet the Criteria 1 requirements for reclassification, an EL student must achieve the State Board of Education (SBE)-adopted overall performance level score on either the Summative ELPAC or the Summative Alternative ELPAC:

  • Overall Performance Level 4 on the Summative ELPAC, or
  • Overall Performance Level 3 on the Summative Alternate ELPAC.
  • There are no other pathways to satisfy reclassification Criterion 1.

Explanation: The California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities (CA Practitioners’ Guide) was made public in 2019. At that time, the Alternate ELPAC was still under development. Therefore, the guidance stated:

Once the Alternate ELPAC is operational, there will be criteria established for reclassification based on a student’s performance.

Thus, prior to May 2023, when the SBE officially approved Summative Alternate ELPAC Overall PL 3 as the statewide standardized score to satisfy Reclassification Criterion 1, IEP Teams were able to make decisions around how students with the most significant disabilities could satisfy Criterion 1, in accordance with Scenario 3 on pages 383-384 of the CA Practitioner’s Guide. However, once the Alternate ELPAC became operational, it could be used to determine Criterion 1 and Scenario 3 on pages 383-384 of the CA Practitioners’ Guide became obsolete. Accordingly, IEP teams may no longer make independent determinations regarding Criterion 1.

  1. Q: WHERE CAN I FIND GUIDANCE ON ELPAC ADMINISTRATION FOR DUALLY IDENTIFIED STUDENTS?

A: The ELPAC Information Guide provides guidance on ELPAC Administration for Students with Disabilities, including information on domain exemptions. The California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix(DOCX) displays the embedded and non-embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations (UDAs) allowed as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and ELPAC for 2024–25.

  1. Q: WHO MAKES RECLASSIFICATION DECISIONS FOR DUALLY IDENTIFIED STUDENTS?

A: The CA Practitioners’ Guide states the following:

School-site and district educators determine the process for making reclassification decisions for all students, including English learners with disabilities. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team may be designated, in accordance with local policy, to make reclassification decisions as long as team members utilize state reclassification criteria and apply those criteria to students with disabilities according to state guidelines. An English learner specialist with specialized knowledge on second language acquisition is an important member of this team. While it is not required that the IEP team make reclassification decisions, best practice suggests the following collaborative and integrative approaches.  (CA Practitioners’ Guide, Page 377)

IEP teams must utilize the state reclassification criteria as stated in question 1 above to make reclassification decisions with respect to Criterion 1. This is, of course, in addition to meeting the requirements for Criterion 2 (teacher evaluation), 3 (consultation with parents), and 4 (other assessments) in order to be reclassified.

  1. Q: DOES A STUDENT’S IEP OR SECTION 504 PLAN TAKE PRECIDENCE OVER PROVISIONS FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CODE?

A: No. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) require that an LEA provide to English learners with disabilities both the language assistance and disability-related services to which they are entitled under federal law. The LEA must inform parents of English learner students with IEPs how the language instruction education program meets the objectives of the child’s IEP. Even if the parent declines disability-related services under IDEA or Section 504, that student with a disability remains entitled to all English learner rights and services.

Closing:

The Reclassification - Multilingual Learners (CA Dept of Education) web page has been updated, and we are internally discussing how to flag obsolete information in the CA Practitioners’ Guide.