This post is the first in a blog series exploring how education leaders are using the Observation Protocol for Teachers of English Learners. It was written by Californians Together Communications Associate David Gonzalez and Professional Learning Specialist Amber Riehman.
The Observation Protocol for Teachers of English Learners (OPTEL) is California’s standard protocol used for teachers to evaluate, monitor, and reclassify English learners. Educators use OPTEL to assess how students use English in reading and academic writing, and in listening and speaking with peers in classroom settings. It is typically thought of as a tool for formative assessment as students progress toward English proficiency, reclassification, and monitoring RFEPs four years after reclassification, but educators see a use beyond evaluation. Through conversations with teachers and administrators, we aim to draw upon their reflections, highlighting the OPTEL as a critical conversation starter between families and schools.
The Time is Now
A piece of pending legislation, AB 2555, seeks to reform the way English learners are reclassified. The current system, which has been in place for half a century, is widely considered inconsistent in its application. Research shows that nearly half of English learners who are not reclassified by the end of elementary school have scored proficient, level four, on California’s English language proficiency assessment. In other words, nearly half of the students deemed long-term English learners are actually proficient in their English language abilities. At the time of this writing in May 2026, AB 2555 passed in the California Assembly 78 – 0, and awaits a vote in the California Senate. It is worth evaluating the potential for OPTEL to serve as a tool to inform conversations about reclassification that honor teacher evaluations, family input, student progress and monitoring students for four years after reclassification as required by federal law.
Students are more than their test scores, and OPTEL enables school systems to take into account how students actually use language. Just as hinging reclassification on a high-stakes test is a disservice to students, so too is the potential for opinion and anecdote to prevent a student from reclassifying. In our conversation with an English learner program specialist, we found that the OPTEL empowers teachers with the context to talk about language development in the classroom. In turn, this enables educators to create grade-appropriate coursework where students can productively grapple with material. Teachers can use OPTEL to put students in positions where they can meet high-expectations.
OPTEL rubrics serve as the starting point for important conversations with families. Shared language and common criteria enable evidence that serves students’ unique needs, and informs better communication. Conversations, informed by data, are critical for proactively ensuring students are not labeled at-risk long term English learners.
Start With the Questions
“Instead of saying ‘how is the student doing academically?’ We ask ‘what language support does this student need to access grade-level learning?’”
OPTEL elevates language as central to learning. Beyond reclassification, OPTEL has the broader potential to continuously improve student outcomes, as well as student agency. Students succeed when they see themselves as playing an active role in their own development as a language learner. OPTEL empowers students, and, as mentioned previously, provides a gateway for families to partner in learning from the onset. In further installments of this blog series, we will dive deeper into the ways OPTEL can inform and improve instructional practices.
Recommendations
As counties, districts, and schools consider what AB 2555 may mean for reclassification practices moving forward, OPTEL presents an opportunity to reimagine how these conversations move beyond compliance toward coherence, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
County offices of education play an important role in determining this shift by positioning OPTEL as a tool for learning and instructional growth, while building administrator capacity and creating opportunities for shared learning across systems.
In districts and schools who want to adopt the OPTEL, this work often begins with early voluntary adopters or pilot cohorts. For those already piloting OPTEL, there is value in slowing down to examine how implementation is shaping instructional decisions, how consistently shared language is being used across classrooms, and how well OPTEL is connecting to systems such as the Muti-Tiered System of Support framework and progress monitoring. There is also space to consider how family engagement and student reflection using the OPTEL are brought into these conversations, and how student voice shows up in reclassification conversations.
Across these efforts, OPTEL enables educators to more clearly distinguish language development from academic performance, opening up new ways to see and support student growth across the curriculum.
This blog is the first in a series exploring the possibilities of OPTEL beyond assessment and reclassification. Additional posts and resources can be found on the Californians Together website.