ELPAC Reclassification Guide (RFEP)

When an English learner shows that their English is strong enough to take full part in a regular curriculum, their district can reclassify them as Reclassified Fluent English Proficient, usually written RFEP on school records.

A reclassified student no longer takes the annual Summative ELPAC and no longer needs designated English Language Development (ELD) instruction.

Districts continue to monitor each reclassified student's progress for four years afterwards, to make sure they keep doing well and to provide support if they do not.

California Education Code Section 313 and Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 11303, set out four criteria that every district must use when deciding whether a student is ready to reclassify. A student must meet all four.

The first criterion is standardized statewide: an Overall Performance Level 4 on the Summative ELPAC. The other three are carried out through each local educational agency's own reclassification policy, so the details, such as which basic skills test is used and what score counts, vary from district to district.

For many students, reclassifying before the move to middle or high school opens up their schedule. In many schools, students still classified as English learners in grades 6 to 12 take a designated ELD class as one of their periods.

Because that class takes up a slot in the day, English learners can have less room for electives such as a world language, music, art or computer science.

In high school, that flexibility also makes it easier to fit in the A–G courses required for admission to the University of California and California State University. Practices vary by school, so ask how ELD is scheduled at yours.

Reclassification can take place at any point in the school year, as soon as a student meets all four criteria. In practice, many districts work to an annual rhythm built around the spring testing window, but the exact steps and dates are set locally.

Spring (February to May): Students take the Summative ELPAC, and most also take the state CAASPP tests, during the state's testing windows.

After testing: Results go from the state's testing contractor to the district, not directly to families. Districts then have to send each family its child's Summative ELPAC results, within 30 calendar days of receiving them, or within 15 working days of the start of the new school year if the results arrive over the summer break.

Once results are in: Districts identify the students with an Overall Level 4, gather teacher evaluations and basic skills results, and contact parents for consultation before a decision is made. Ask your district for its written reclassification policy to see its own timeline.

Look at your child's ELPAC report as soon as it arrives. If the overall level is Level 4, contact the school's English learner coordinator or your child's teacher and ask where your child stands on the other three criteria.

Ask specifically about Criterion 4, the basic skills comparison. A student can reach Level 4 on the ELPAC but fall just short of the district's cut-off on the basic skills measure. Knowing this early gives teachers time to provide targeted support.

If your child's school has an English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), consider taking part. California requires one at schools with 21 or more English learners, and it advises the principal and staff on programs for English learners.