THE SEAL OF BILITERACY
The Graduation Seal of Biliteracy
Encourages All Students to Pursue Another Language
And Respects First Language Proficiency
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, school district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages, including English, by high school graduation. Our vision is to help students recognize the value of their academic success and see the tangible benefits of being bilingual.
Why Implement It?
The Seal of Biliteracy encourages students to pursue biliteracy, honors the skills our students attain, and can be evidence of skills that are attractive to future employers and college admissions offices.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE JNCL AND THE SEAL INITIATIVE, BECAUSE THEY …..
Advocate for the right of all students to study a second language
Recognize the benefits of multilingualism in the US
Advocate for all language professionals
Through JNCL we work together on ….
Federal funding to aid new BEST Act for all 50 states – (Seal of Biliteracy)
Funding the World Language Readiness grants
Getting Congress members to recognize and join ALC
Funding for Teacher Quality Partnership (Title II grants to train K-12 teachers; many have been language teachers)
Funding Title VI Fulbright Hays, Paul Simon Study Abroad, and International Studies grants
Plus immediate issues that arise, like supporting CARES Act coverage for language professionals during Covid-19.
NEWSBRIEF!
As of June 8, 2022, ALASKA became the 49th state
to formally adopt the Seal of Biliteracy!
(See the tweet shared below about Alabama which became state #48)
THE SEAL OF BILITERACY FOR LATIN
Graduating students may apply for a Seal of Biliteracy in Latin. The guidelines for awarding the Seal may differ between states or districts, but your state or district board of education website should have details. There are several methods and instruments in place for showing a student’s qualification for the Latin Seal, including IB and AP results, the ALIRA test from ACTFL. Any one or a combination of these may apply in your area. The National Latin Exam results may also be admitted as a secondary source in some districts.
Find further information on the ALIRA assessment HERE. The ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment (ALIRA) is a computer-adaptive test that assesses students' ability to read and comprehend a variety of Latin-language texts. Rated according to the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners, it is designed for middle and high school aged students. General information link: https://www.languagetesting.com/actfl-latin-interpretive-reading-assessment. Link to a demo of the ALIRA: https://alirademo.actfltesting.org/ Link to order the ALIRA: https://www.languagetesting.com/contact-us/sales
INFORMATION ON THE SEAL
Here is a collaborative presentation given at ACTFL Convention 2020 that outlines all the current information about the Seal. Other information can be found at actfl.org HERE.
There is a spreadsheet of information by state as of January 2020, but please check with your state D.O.E. for updates.
Guidelines for Implementing the Seal of Biliteracy are HERE or at:
Seal of Biliteracy for High School Graduates – check out their social stream!
The Global Seal of Biliteracy was developed to allow more schools to participate and to recognize different levels of increasing proficiency with a globally recognized recipient database.
They explain,"The State Seal of Biliteracy movement has swept across the United States since it was first created in the State of California in 2011. Today, a majority of states offer a State Seal of Biliteracy to provide recognition for students who demonstrate proficiency in both English and a second language. However, in most states, private, charter, independent, college, and homeschoolers are not eligible to receive the Seal of Biliteracy. The Global Seal realizes the value of language credentials and was established to provide an opportunity for ALL language user and students to earn recognition for their language proficiency skills. The Global Seal of Biliteracy by design is inclusive, embracing all languages and learners, with the intent to provide equal access and expanded opportunity."