ELPAC overall PL 4 remains the appropriate Criterion 1 reclassification threshold, with 2017-18 and 2022-23 data converging on the same level¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Replication analyses with 2022-23 data yielded results similar to the original 2018-19 analyses, with both datasets identifying ELPAC overall PL 4 as the level at which EL students have similar chances of being proficient or not proficient on the SBAC ELA. → Faulkner-Bond 2026

Evidence¶

Faulkner-Bond 2026¶

Faulkner-Bond, M. (2026). Finding the sweet spot for English Learner reclassification: A study of California's criteria. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED681359

q2 · i? · associational · r3

Replication analyses conducted by WestEd and the CDE in 2023–24, applying U.S. Department of Education National Evaluation of Title III methods. The threshold results rest on 2022–23 student-level records; 2021–22 records were added only for the analysis of later academic trajectories of students scoring at PL 4. The report states the "2017–18 data and the 2022–23 data both identify ELPAC overall PL 4" as the threshold level, supporting the original analyses done in 2018–19 on 2017–18 data.

"The numerical results from the two different data sets are similar. In other words, the 2017–18 data and the 2022–23 data both identify ELPAC overall PL 4 as the level at which EL students appear to have similar chances of being proficient or not proficient on the SBAC ELA."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Decision consistency between the ELPAC and SBAC ELA is highest at ELPAC overall PL 4 in all grades and both analysis years — related
• ELPAC overall Performance Level 4 is the most robust indicator that language is no longer the primary driver of academic achievement differences among California's reclassification criteria — a broader claim this one bears on
• In both analysis years and all tested grades, EL students reach a 50 percent chance of SBAC ELA proficiency within ELPAC overall PL 4 — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• English Learner students at ELPAC PL 4 perform as well as, or better than, matched English-only peers on the state English language arts achievement test — related
• Students who meet Criterion 1 achieve at the same level whether they remain in EL status or exit, suggesting retention in EL status after proficiency provides no clear academic benefit — related
• Larger proportions of ELs classified for 6 or more years are meeting the ELPAC well-developed benchmark, rising from about 17% in 2020–21 to nearly 23% in 2022–23 — related
• The number of students classified as LTEL in California dropped from almost 380,000 (18% of ever-ELs) in 2021–22 to just over 226,500 (about 11%) in 2022–23 — related
• ELPAC overall PL 4 students who exit EL status show minimal or no achievement differences one year later compared with those who remain, after controlling for SES — related
• Logistic regression can identify the ELP score at which students have a probability of 0.5 of being proficient on the academic content assessment, as a candidate English-proficient standard — a broader claim this one bears on