Lawndale staff explain ELPAC, four-step reclassification and supports for English learners

Lawndale Elementary staff held an online information session for families to explain how students are identified as English learners, the four-step process to reclassify as fluent in English and the resources available to support students before and after reclassification.

School presenters said the process starts with a home-language survey and the initial ELPAC (English Language Proficiency Assessments for California) to determine whether a student needs English Language Development (ELD) services. "An English learner is a learner who entered a California school whose home language is a language other than English," a presenter said, adding that identified students receive daily designated ELD plus language supports in academic classes.

Why it matters: Reclassification changes which services a student receives and can affect class schedules. Speaker 2 summarized reclassification as a four-step checklist: (1) a Level 4 on the ELPAC in general-education cases; (2) meeting grade-level academic comparisons such as a 70% benchmark score, being "green" on iReady, or acceptable SBAC results; (3) a teacher recommendation based on report cards and classroom performance; and (4) a parent consultation in which the school team and family agree the student is ready to reclassify.

Staff outlined grade-specific rules: kindergarten through second grade rely on benchmarks or iReady (students must be at the "green" iReady level for those grades), third through fifth grade can use benchmark, iReady or SBAC evidence, and middle school students may qualify with SBAC proximity to grade level or at least a "yellow" iReady status. "They need a Level 4 on ELPAC in order to reclassify if they are in general education," Speaker 2 said.

Presenters also described alternate pathways for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Those students may take the alternate ELPAC, which has three levels instead of four; the school staff said the requirement for the alternate test is an overall Level 3 and that reclassification decisions are made by the IEP team using classroom and district assessments, IEP progress and a parent consultation.

The session covered practical details for families: the ELPAC testing window runs roughly from February through May, and schools will send letters with testing dates. Staff encouraged families to review report cards, attend parent-teacher conferences and join ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) meetings for more in-depth practice and support. Digital resources available through students' ClassLink/Chromebooks include LA County Library's Brainfuse live tutoring (accessible with a county library card and PIN, available in the evening hours) and Capstone, which offers more than 800 bilingual book choices. For middle school students, staff said Sora provides a similar digital library.

Staff said reclassified students receive monitoring for up to four years: if they fall below standards, schools will follow up with interventions and teacher check-ins. The presenters noted benefits families report after reclassification, such as not having a daily ELD period and gaining elective options in middle school. One presenter summarized the hoped-for outcome: after reclassification, "we want them to be able to do that on their own."

The session closed with a question-and-answer segment that included a clarification about dual-immersion students: because dual-immersion students typically do not take English assessments until third grade, the first opportunity to reclassify for those students is at third grade when English-based assessments begin. Staff reiterated that families should contact their teachers or EL staff with questions and that the recording will be posted to the district YouTube channel for reference.

Next steps: families should look for school letters with ELPAC dates, attend ELAC meetings for practice and resources, and consult teachers when monitoring suggests additional supports are needed.