Making Strides Toward Fluency: English Learners Celebrated For ELPAC Growth

High school students who have learned English at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) Community Learning Center (CLC) are being awarded for achieving English Language Proficiency. The alternative education campus hosted a celebration this week to recognize students who demonstrated growth on the 2025 English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

Students who are classified as English learners take the ELPAC each spring to measure progress, to help inform proper educational placements, and to help determine if a student is ready to be reclassified as fluent in English.

Michelle Kammeraad, English language specialist with KCSOS’ Alt Ed program says it’s important to celebrate these milestones and show students that they are smart and capable of growth and success.

“A lot of our students have not been included in those assemblies or celebrations, especially as they’ve gotten older, because school has often not been a place where they had success or felt successful,” Kammeraad explained.

Several students from CLC and CLC Tech were celebrated for demonstrating growth on the ELPAC this year. Seven students earned an overall level four, which means they are considered English proficient, and will be reclassified. Kammeraad shares that this is a significant achievement, especially as English learners in the Alt Ed program are facing other challenges not present at traditional schools.

“I’ve had students tell me that they thought they were in English Language Development (ELD) classes because they were stupid, rather than understanding that learning English is very difficult and the challenge of becoming fluent, especially in academic English, has nothing to do with intellect,” Kammeraad said.

Kammeraad encourages all the students who are still working to achieve proficiency to not give up, continue working hard, and try again next year.