Seal of Biliteracy

RECOGNIZING OUR BILITERATE/BILINGUAL STUDENTS

In the fall of 2017, Norwood Public Schools joined a national group to test the effectiveness of education towards proficiency in two or more languages through the Seal of Biliteracy program. The State Seal of Biliteracy is an award provided by state approved districts given in recognition of students who have attained proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in two or more languages by the time they reach high school graduation. Additionally, the program acknowledges the value of bilingualism and encourages students to pursue biliteracy in English and another language. Most importantly, the State Seal of Biliteracy is a recognized credential certifying that students are proficient in two languages.

ELIGIBILITY

State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction: In order to receive the State SEAL of Biliteracy with Distinction, a student will need a score of Advanced on the grade 10 ELA MCAS and a proficiency score of Advanced-Low based on the ACTFL Rubric (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in a partner language. Norwood High School will use the AAPL and ALIRA (Latin only) tests to determine competency in the partner language.

Seal of Biliteracy: In order to receive the State SEAL of Biliteracy, a student will need a score of Proficient on the grade 10 ELA MCAS and a proficiency score of Intermediate-High based on the ACTFL Rubric (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in a partner language. Norwood High School will use the AAPL and ALIRA (Latin only) tests to determine competency in the partner language.

Implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy benefits Norwood Public Schools in the following ways:

Discover and honor the cultural and linguistic diversity of Norwood
Respect the achievement of native speakers of World Languages other than English
Ensure that all students are encouraged to improve their bilingual proficiency and communicate effectively to be constructive global citizens
Improve proficiency for authentic 21st century real world communication and intercultural competency
Implement the ACTFL paradigm within the 2021 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for World Language proficiency in our consistent, rigorous and meaningful curriculum, instruction and assessment
Lead students to recognize the connection between the SoBL and future employment opportunities locally and internationally.

These Massachusetts colleges and universities award credits for earning the Seal:

Bridgewater State University
Bunker Hill Community College
Cape Cod Community College
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Middlesex Community College
Mount Wachusett Community College
North Shore Community College
Northern Essex Community College
Quinsigamond Community College
Salem State University
Worcester State University
Beginning Fall 2024, UMass Amherst will award 12 credits for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy and 15 credits for the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction.

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

On November 22, 2017, Governor Baker signed into law “An Act Relative to Language Opportunity for Our Kids,” Chapter 138 of the Acts of 2017, commonly referred to as the LOOK Act. The State Seal of Biliteracy is a key element of the LOOK Act. On June 26, 2018, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted regulations that describe the criteria that school districts must use to award the State Seal of Biliteracy. The regulations describe that the purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are to:

Encourage students to study and master languages
Certify attainment of biliteracy skills
Recognize the value of language diversity
Provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills
Provide universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for the attainment of high-level skills in languages
Prepare students with skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society
Strengthen intergroup communication and honor the multiple cultures and languages in a community

Significantly, the State Seal of Biliteracy provides a means to recognize high school graduates who attain high functional and academic levels of proficiency in English and a World Language, meaning that those students can function in those languages in authentic, real-life situations. Read more Frequently Asked Questions on the Mass DOE's website.

As of 2023, 213 213 public school districts, public charter schools, and regional vocational, technical, and agricultural schools which were authorized to award the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Video of Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy Overview & Recipient Reflections

NEXT STEPS:

Fill out a short registration form to let the LOC know that your district 2 are participating in the program; Districts can investigate the use of Title I or Title III funds, WL or ELE/MLE department funds, or outside grants for purchasing assessments, and determine whether Title II funds can be used to offer a stipend for a coordinator

WHY?

FOCUS ON EQUITY
The LOC Biliteracy Pathway Certificates were created with the goal of recognizing and celebrating language development of students from all language backgrounds. School districts offering the LOC Biliteracy Pathway Certificate should encourage as many qualified students as possible to pursue the opportunity to earn an award, including heritage language speakers, students with disabilities, and speakers of languages that are not taught in school. Throughout the planning and implementation of the certificate program, districts should be mindful of practices that support equitable opportunities for all students. The Mass Seal of Biliteracy’s requisite MCAS scores can provide barriers for our multilingual learners who have not been in the country long enough to reach that score or the requisite ACCESS score. This also allows flexibility for students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency in 2 modes rather than 4.

Norwood High School Seal of Biliteracy Results

AAPPL/ALIRA Rating	Seal of Biliteracy level	2019 REsults	2020 Results	2021 Results	2022 Results	2023 Results	2024 REsults
Intermediate-Mid	LOC Seal	13 students	10 students	6 students	16 students	12 students	6 students
Intermediate-High	Seal of Biliteracy	10 students	5 students	2 students	7 students	8 students	8 students
Advanced-Low	Seal with Distinction		1 student				2 students