Rebranding Reclassification: From finish line to first step

One of my 9th-grade ELA honors students was given a medal this week from our Title 1 testing coordinator for qualifying to reclassify by passing the ELPAC. Throughout the week, I saw a number of other students in my classes at different grade levels receive the same medal. It was a nice gesture to recognize the accomplishment that, for some students, has been a long time in the making. In our district, a large percentage of our EL students are LTELs who have been in our school system since elementary school and have failed to demonstrate English fluency year after year. Research shows that “multilingual learners who are still labeled as English Learners entering high school are less likely to complete high school—or to do so college-ready—than peers who do reclassify” (Castrechini & Sipes, 2025). As a result, our district has made reclassification a board priority. For the honors student, however, reclassifying so late was somewhat embarrassing, and he was reluctant to show his medal to his classmates. Some of his friends gave him a hard time. This whole interaction spotlighted two important realizations for me.

The first realization was in how differently students view reclassification. For some of our students, reclassification is seen as a finish line, while for others it is merely another step in their educational journey. In my time helping with ELPAC administration and pulling students out of class to take the test, I have seen the defeated look in students' eyes who have taken the test every year and failed to master it. The longer a student takes to reclassify, the more daunting the task becomes, and the less motivated students are to try. “Reclassification rates generally peak at 5th grade, decrease in subsequent grades, and eventually stall in high school (Hsieh, 2024). On the other hand, some students reclassify quickly and set their sights on other academic achievement goals. Ideally, reclassification should not be a finish line, and if we are going to emphasize reclassification by the end of elementary school, then we need to continue to motivate our students to set goals for their language acquisition and literacy development beyond fluency. 

The second realization that occurred to me was one of resilience. You see, the student in my honors class was taking ELA Honors even though he obviously struggled in English. It is not a unique situation. I have known a number of EL and newcomer students over the years who have excelled in AP and honors courses despite language barriers, thanks to their perseverance and determination. Unfortunately, many of these students are successful not because of the support they receive in the classroom, but because of their own desire to grow. My wife, for example, is the daughter of two Mexican immigrants and struggled with English in grade school. When I met her in college, she was an English Major. Eventually, I asked her why she chose English as a major if it was so hard for her, and she told me she chose it because she saw an area of weakness and wanted to improve. 

Both English Learner Progress and Academic Performance in English are metrics on the California Dashboard, and as similar as they may sound, they are not connected. Our school has grown leaps and bounds in reclassification while at the same time declining in English proficiency. This is because they measure two different things. One metric measures fluency, and the other measures academic language. If we continue to make reclassification the be-all and end-all, we will put so much pressure and importance on the test that we will fail to create lifelong learners who are intrinsically motivated. If ELs are reclassified too soon, their academic performance may falter because their lack of mastery in English may impede their understanding of course materials.  But if ELs are reclassified too late, their academic progress may also falter” (Betts Et Al., 2020). Currently, we end up with two types of students: those who fail to reclassify but work extra hard to develop the academic skills to succeed in school, and those who reclassify and then lose all motivation to continue their literacy development. By failing to recognize the outcomes, we do both of these students a disservice. 

Is reclassification important? Absolutely. Should we encourage students to always give their best effort on the exam? Without a doubt. Do we need to continue to support students in their language development after reclassification? More than ever. 

Castrechini, S., & Sipes, L. (2025). Improving the Reclassification Process for Long-Term English Learners in California: Policy Implications from Research with Nine School Districts Engaged in Reform. John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED676041.pdf

Hsieh, H. (2024). To reclassify or not to reclassify: The how is as important as the when. Stanford Sequoia K-12 Research Collaborative. https://www.caedpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Hsieh.-H.-To-Reclassify-or-Not-Reclassify_-The-how-is-as-important-as-the-when-Lit-Review-2024.pdf

Betts, J., Hill, L., Bachover, K., Hayes, J., Lee, A., & Zau, A. (2020). Effects of English Learner Reclassification Policies on Academic Trajectories. NBER Working Paper Series. 28188. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28188/w28188.pdf