Students in Camarillo and Moorpark who proved their English proficiency on a state test will no longer wait months for their school district to make it official.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2555, authored by Assemblymember Patel, on Sunday, Sept. 27. The law eliminates three of four criteria California previously required to reclassify English learners as fluent. Under the new law, first reported by EdSource, a proficient score on the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC) is now the sole requirement.

The old system also required teacher evaluation, parent approval and a comparison of basic skills against English-proficient peers. California was the only state still using all four criteria; 44 states already relied on a proficiency test alone, according to the bill's legislative findings.

AB 2555 was declared an urgency statute, taking effect immediately. Districts must reclassify any student who scored proficient on the 2025-26 ELPAC but was not reclassified during that school year by Jan. 31, 2027. Starting with the 2027-28 school year, the California Department of Education (CDE) will handle reclassifications automatically as scores come in.

What it means locally

Moorpark Unified, Pleasant Valley and the Oxnard Union High School District's Camarillo campuses all serve English learner populations affected by the law.

None of the three districts has publicly commented on AB 2555 implementation plans.

At Moorpark Unified's annual reclassification ceremony in May 2024, the district honored 103 students who met both the ELPAC requirement and local criteria, including passing the English Language Arts portion of state tests with a minimum score of 2. Under AB 2555, those additional local hurdles no longer apply.

Moorpark Unified's December 2025 California School Dashboard report flagged a decline in English learner progress, dropping from green the prior year to red. The district identified long-term English learner performance as a priority and said it was strengthening intervention strategies.

Why the delay hurt students

The old process was slow. Under it, a student who scored proficient waited an average of 226 days to be reclassified, according to the bill's findings. Research cited in the legislation by the Learning Policy Institute found that roughly half of English learners not reclassified by the end of elementary school had already scored proficient on the ELPAC.

Staying in English learner status kept some students from enrolling in advanced courses and electives in middle and high school, EdSource reported. It also made them less likely to graduate or complete courses required for University of California and California State University admission.

Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, called the signing "a major victory for California's English learners," saying students who have demonstrated proficiency can now move forward without unnecessary barriers blocking access to the full range of school opportunities.

The law also includes a pathway for English learners with individualized education programs (IEPs) whose disabilities affect their ability to demonstrate proficiency. Starting July 1, 2028, those students may show proficiency through alternate coursework and performance tasks.

Every district in the state faces the same Jan. 31, 2027, deadline to reclassify eligible students.