English Learner Designation/Redesignation Process

March 2008

Almost half of public school students in California live in homes where the most frequently spoken language is not English. Students whose primary language is not English take the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) within 30 days of their initial enrollment in the state’s public schools. About 1.7 million students took the test in 2006-07. The CELDT tests different material at each of four grade spans (kindergarten through grade 2, grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and assesses four skill areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Students who achieve specified scores overall and in each skill area on their initial test are identified as initially fluent English Proficient (IFEP).The remaining students are designated as English learners and must take the CELDT each year until they meet all district-specified criteria and are reclassified as fluent English proficient (RFEP). Most students entering California’s schools with primary languages other than English are identified as English learners.

Data: California Department of Education (CDE)
EdSource 3/08

For more information about English learners in California and the CELDT, please see the EdSource report: English Learners in California: What the Numbers Say.