The Seal of Biliteracy Award was established by Californians Together in 2008. The award is given by a school, school district or county office of education in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.
Californians Together says the seal is a statement by a local education agency that biliteracy is an important issue and encourages students to pursue mastery of two or more languages as an important skill for the 21st century workplace. It shows an outstanding student accomplishment to future employers and for college admissions.
The Seal of Biliteracy has already been used in California schools with a number of pilot districts participating, including Glendale, Ventura and Rowland unified school districts, as well as Sweetwater and Eastside union high school districts.
Although California has the highest percentage of Spanish speaking students in the nation, the seal is not focused on Spanish speakers. Instead, it is awarded to students who master English and any other language, including American Sign Language.
Recently, Californians Together held workshops to unveil the program statewide. Attending one was ACSA Board member Ofelia Lariviere, administrative director of the Child Development Department for Pomona USD.
Lariviere, who was also representing the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators, said there are many reasons the Seal of Biliteracy is important.
“The most important reason is that it creates a validation of biliteracy for our graduating seniors as they prepare to enter the 21st century workplace,” she said. “If as a society we are to continue to prosper in our diverse world and economy, it is important that we recognize and encourage literacy in more than just one language. The Seal of Biliteracy honors those students in the most prestigious way available at this time.”
Also in attendance was ACSA President Chuck Weis, superintendent of Santa Clara COE.
“I support this seal because biliteracy and multilingual/multicultural skill is more important than ever in our global economy,” Weis said. “Students who have demonstrated biliteracy should be recognized and rewarded.
“It is my hope that this seal will encourage more students to begin learning another language as early in their educational career as possible. Young people in Europe routinely develop literacy in several languages before completing high school. California students should be given the opportunity and support to become literate in several languages to enhance their employment or entrepreneurial global economic ambitions.”
Also representing CALSA was Executive Director Sal Villaseñor.
“CALSA supports the Seal of Biliteracy because it offers a uniform, statewide standard for students to show they’ve mastered more than one language,” Villaseñor said. “This Seal will be something the University of California, California State University and other institutions of higher education can look at in potentially admitting a student and be able to know that a student has met certain linguistic criteria to achieve this.”
More information on the Seal of Biliteracy can be found at the Californians Together Web site, located at www.californianstogether.org.