Contact Us
Shauna Winegar
Titles:
Director of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) & World Languages
Brittany Foster
Titles:
Executive Director of Teaching & Learning
Claus-Nix Michaela
Titles:
Dual Language Immersion Coordinator
Raquel Scariot
Titles:
Dual Language Immersion Coordinator
Utah's Seal of Biliteracy
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in English and one or more world languages* by high school graduation. The Seal 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.
*World Language refers to languages other than English and includes American Sign Language and American Native Languages (Navajo, Ute, etc.).
Why Do I Want a Seal of Biliteracy?
There are several reasons to get a Seal of Biliteracy, including:
- Showcase language skills
- Broaden opportunities with future employers
- Add to resume/college applications
- Receive seal on high school diploma
- Wear a sash/cord at graduation
"This Seal of Biliterate Proficiency approach to learning languages prepares students to be college and career ready and builds state and national language capacity to improve economic competitiveness and strengthen national defense strategies. Equally, it answers the growing need for the critical skills of language and cultural competencies for relationship building—a keystone for success in global business and diverse social environments.".”The Utah State Board of Education
(Seal of Biliterate Proficiency, USBE, August 2015)
What are the Criteria?
- Check with your counselor today!
- Applications accepted Oct 1-May 1
Qualification Checklist
Steps for Applying for the Seal of Biliteracy:
1. If you are a high school senior, meet with your counselor and make sure you're on track for graduation.
2. Review the Seal of Biliteracy Checklist found here.
3. If you qualify in both languages, download the application by clicking here and meet with your school counselor.
Acceptable Evidence of Proficiency
Demonstrating Proficiency in Languages Other Than English
| Assessment | Languages Offered | Minimum Score |
|---|---|---|
| AP - Advanced Placement: Language Culture Exam NEWLS National Examination in World Languages |
Mandarin Chinese (Traditional or Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish (not Literature Exam) Portuguese |
3, 4, 5
|
| AAPL - ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages | Arabic, Mandarin Chinese (Traditional or Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, ESL |
A score of 12 on 3 of 4 component with Speaking and Writing required. Taken in grades 7-12 |
| STAMP 4S* and 3S* and for ASIL Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency | Arabic, Mandarin Chinese (Traditional or Simplified), French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Yoruba | A score of 5 (Int-Mid) on 3 of the 4 components with Speaking and Writing required. Speaking not required for ASL. |
|
International Baccalaureate - IB: IB AB Initio IB SL (Standard Level) IB HL (Higher Level) |
Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Spanish |
5 (AB Initio) 4 (SL) 3 (HL) Han |
| Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - HSK | Chinese | Level III (CEF B1) |
| Portfolio - Combination of OPI or OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer) & WPT (Writing Proficiency Test) |
OPI offered in 80+ languages. OPIc offered in 10+ languages. WPT offered in in 25 less commonly tested languages |
Intermediate Mid |
| LEA - approved assessment or process | Languages for which there is not readily accessible national examination *e.g., community members determine the process | |
| Alta Language Testing | https://altalang.com/language-testing/seal-of-biliteracy/ use link to see languages available for testing | Intermediate Mid |
| ALIRA | Latin | I-2 |
| Portfolios* | Languages to be determined by LEA | Intermediate Mid |
| Tribal Language Test | Navajo and Ute | Intermediate Mid or Letter from the Navajo or Ute Nation is acceptable evidence of proficiency. |
| ASLPI for ASL | ASL | 3 |
| ASLFAI | ASL | Emerging-Mid |
| STAMP WS* AVANT WORLDSPEAK (Speaking and Writing) | Amharic, Armenian, Cabo Verdean, Chin (Hakha), Chuukese, Czech, Filipino (Tagalog), Haitian-Creole, Hawaiian (‘Ōlelo Hawai’i), Hmong, Ilocano, Kannada, Marathi, Marshallese, Samoan, Somali Maay Maay, Somali Maxaa, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yup'ik, Zomi, | 5 – Intermediate Mid |
Demonstrating Proficiency in English
| Assessment (All assessments except WIDA must be taken during grades 9-12) | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| SAT – Scholastic Assessment Test | 650 on English Subtest |
|
ACT (American College Test) – Grades 9th - 12th Replacing SAGE for 11th grade beginning Spring 2019 |
18 on English Section |
| WIDA – World-class Instructional Design and Assessment Proficiency Assessment for ELs | 4.2 composite score |
| AAPPL - ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages – Speaking and Writing required | I-2 on 3 of 4 components with Speaking and Writing required |
| STAMP 4S* - Standards-based Measure of Proficiency – Speaking and Writing required | 5 on 3 of 4 components |
| College Board ACCUPLACER for Reading and Writing | 250 minimum for each area |
| AP English Language and Composition (not AP English Literature) | 3 |