San Jose Unified moves 502 students out of English learner classes under new state law
A 2026 law lets one state English test decide when students are fluent, replacing extra local requirements.
San Jose Unified School District has reclassified 502 students as fluent in English this fall, the district said in a Nov. 9 announcement. Those students no longer take English Language Development, or ELD, classes, which are extra lessons for students still learning English.
The change comes from Assembly Bill 2555, a state law that takes effect this school year. It lets students exit English learner status by reaching the state-set score on the ELPAC, California’s yearly English proficiency test. Students need an overall Level 4, the top level, or a Level 3 on the alternate test for students with significant disabilities.
Before, students also had to pass a second skills test, get teacher input and have their parents consulted. Those extra steps varied from district to district. The district said some students stayed in ELD classes for years after earning the top ELPAC score.
Using last spring’s test results, the district found 502 eligible students. It reclassified 203 secondary students on Sept. 3 under the old rules and the rest on Oct. 16 under the new law.
“Reclassification criteria will no longer vary by District,” said Margaret Petkiewicz, the district’s manager of bilingual programs and English learner services.