Thanks to a change—or refinement—approved by the State Board of Education, Arizona schools have a little more freedom when it comes to how much time English language learners need to spend in an immersion program.

It’s no longer mandatory for an English Language Learner student to be in an immersion block for four hours in the school day. Critics said the old system kept middle and high school students from expanding their knowledge in other classes. Evie Cortes-Pletenik, director of Language Acquisition for Phoenix Union High School District, explained the change.