澳门跑狗论坛

Federal

More States and Districts Embrace Biliteracy

By Corey Mitchell 鈥 October 06, 2015 6 min read
First grader Aston Prieto, 6, uses magnetic letters to form words in Italian at the Franklin International Language Academy in Glendale, Calif. The district, home to seven dual-language-immersion elementary schools, was the first to recognize its graduates for achieving biliteracy. California later adopted a statewide Seal of Biliteracy, the first state to do so.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

A growing number of states and school districts are promoting bilingualism by offering special recognition for high school graduates who demonstrate fluency in languages other than English.

Thirteen states now offer a 鈥seal of biliteracy,鈥 and at least 10 more are working toward implementing a similar award. Students in nine of the nation鈥檚 10 largest school systems can earn statewide or district-level recognition with the seal affixed to their diplomas or transcripts as official proof that they can speak, read, and write in more than one language.

Shifting demographics and political dynamics have transformed views on multilingual education in many parts of the country, paving the way for a focused examination of educating the nation鈥檚 5 million K-12 English-learners and the importance of foreign-language instruction.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a small thing really, a seal, a medallion. But it鈥檚 a much larger issue than the seal of recognition,鈥 said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, the executive director of Californians Together, a nonprofit group that advocates for English-language learners and is the main proponent of the biliteracy seal. 鈥淏efore this, having another language was a problem. Now, we know that this is not a problem, it鈥檚 an asset.鈥

Spiegel-Coleman鈥檚 home state of California was the first to adopt a seal, as part of an effort to acknowledge students who learned English without losing their native language.

The nationwide growth and interest in the seal of biliteracy has mirrored the trends in California. The number of students earning the seal there has tripled since it was first offered in 2012, rising to nearly 32,000 for the class of 2015.

California鈥檚 statewide push was modeled after a 2002 effort in Glendale, Calif., a district where about a third of students are ELLs.

The school system has honored nearly 4,400 students with silver, gold, and platinum medals to recognize bilingual, trilingual, and quadrilingual students, respectively.

The district laid groundwork for the effort after the statewide passage of Proposition 227, a ballot measure that severely restricts the availability of bilingual education in favor of English-only immersion programs for ELLs. While not an outright ban on bilingual education, the measure almost eliminated it from public schools.

鈥淲e were still dealing with strong anti-bilingual sentiment,鈥 said Kelly King, the assistant superintendent of the Glendale Unified district who oversees ELL services.

Second grader Bodhi Weatherford, 7, reviews vocabulary during a French class at the Franklin International Language Academy in Glendale, Calif. Since 2002, the Glendale district has given special recognition to students who demonstrate biliteracy.

The tide has since turned. Come November 2016, California voters will have a chance to repeal Proposition 227.

Spiegel-Coleman said it鈥檚 telling that, through 2014, 40 percent of students who鈥檝e earned the state鈥檚 seal of biliteracy were former ELLs. Californians Together leaders have even had preliminary discussions with leaders from several state colleges and universities about developing a similar initiative for postsecondary education, she said.

International Competition

Educators say that earning the seal of biliteracy could give students an advantage, opening the door for college scholarships, internships, and jobs that require proficiency in a language other than English.

鈥淭he business community has recognized the need,鈥 said Elena Fajardo, an administrator in the California education department鈥檚 English-learner support division.

Beyond shedding a more positive light on bilingualism, proponents say the seal allows employers and colleges to distinguish between people who can get by in another language from those who are truly fluent.

Officials with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation say the growing interest in seals of biliteracy is promising if the United States wants to play a leading role in the global economy.

鈥淲e need to be thinking about the future now,鈥 said Jaimie Francis, the senior manager of programs and operations for the foundation鈥檚 Center for Education and Workforce.

The organization鈥檚 state-by-state report card on K-12 educational effectiveness bemoans the lack of foreign-language proficiency among American students. The group places the blame on dwindling foreign-language-instruction options, especially in earlier grade levels.

鈥淭here鈥檚 opportunity and room for improvement here,鈥 Francis said.

While many U.S. states require some world language credits for graduation, a Pew Research Center report found that most students in European countries begin compulsory foreign language instruction before the age of 10.

California: Birthplace of 'Biliteracy Seal'

Since 2012, the state of California has offered a special designation or 鈥渟eal鈥 on the diplomas or transcripts of students who demonstrate that they can speak, read, and write in more than one language.

BRIC ARCHIVE

SOURCE: California Department of Education

With even more states considering adding the seal, four national professional organizations that represent language educators drafted recommendations for the seal of biliteracy. Among them: ELLs should demonstrate proficiency on state tests for English/language arts for all students and English-language development for English-learners; and native English speakers seeking to demonstrate proficiency in another language should achieve a state-determined minimum score on any number of tests, including Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, and tribal-language assessments.

According to the organizations, it鈥檚 hard to track how many states have based seal requirements on their guidelines, especially since at least seven states already had approved seal programs. The implementation is just as challenging to track, as some states have turned it over to individual districts to implement, said Martha Abbott, the executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

In California alone, more than 260 districts offer the seal of biliteracy.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have data to determine whether the seal of biliteracy is something that people actually take seriously,鈥 said Nelson Flores, an assistant professor in the educational linguistics division of the University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Graduate School of Education. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to depend on how it鈥檚 implemented in each of the states.鈥

鈥楽ymbolic Gesture鈥?

Supporters say the seal of biliteracy has changed the conversation around multilingual education in unexpected places.

In Colorado, the Adams 14 district, which is under a compliance agreement with federal civil rights officials for systemic discrimination against bilingual teachers and ELLs, is one of three school systems piloting a seal of biliteracy option with hopes for statewide approval.

But the seal has proved most popular in the Western, Southwestern, and Northeastern United States, with many Southern and Plains states making little or no effort to adopt the recognition.

Flores fears the seals may overwhelmingly benefit affluent, high-achieving students while ignoring the needs of ELLs.

Most backers are from 鈥渟elf-selecting states that already support bilingual education,鈥 he said.

To this point, the seals are 鈥渁n important symbolic gesture,鈥 Flores said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the first step. We have to keep going and ask, 鈥榃hat are states doing to help students develop bilingual skills?鈥 鈥

Staff members in Glendale Unified are taking those steps, pouring more resources into foreign-language instruction from the start.

A quarter of the district鈥檚 kindergartners are enrolled in dual-language immersion programs, and school officials have also looked to strengthen foreign education offerings in secondary schools. The programs teach the curricula for students in two languages to help them achieve bilingualism and biliteracy.

鈥淵ou have to provide multiple pathways for students,鈥 said King, the assistant superintendent who oversees English-learner services. 鈥淲e opened the door for our district and community to embrace and institutionalize an expectation that our students become bilingual and biliterate.鈥

A version of this article appeared in the October 08, 2015 edition of 澳门跑狗论坛 as Momentum Building for Biliteracy

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond鈥
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM鈥檚 Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Federal 3 Ways Trump Can Weaken the Education Department Without Eliminating It
Trump's team can seek to whittle down the department's workforce, scrap guidance documents, and close offices.
4 min read
Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
President-elect Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump pledged during the campaign to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. A more plausible path could involve weakening the agency.
Evan Vucci/AP
Federal Opinion Closing the Education Department Is a Solution in Search of a Problem
There鈥檚 a bill in Congress seeking to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. What do its supporters really want?
Jonas Zuckerman
4 min read
USA government confusion and United States politics problem and American federal legislation trouble as a national political symbol with 3D illustration elements.
iStock/Getty Images
Federal Can Immigration Agents Make Arrests and Carry Out Raids at Schools?
Current federal policy says schools are protected areas from immigration enforcement. That may soon change.
9 min read
A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, advocates and attorneys have brought civil rights workshops to schools, churches, storefronts and consulates, tailoring their efforts on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers show up at home or on the road.
A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. Immigration advocates advise schools to inform families about their legal rights as uncertainty remains over how far-reaching immigration enforcement will go under a second Trump administration.
Amr Alfiky/AP
Federal Opinion 'Education Is Not Entertainment': What This Educator Wants Linda McMahon to Know
Her experience leading a pro wrestling organization could be both an asset and a liability
Robert Barnett
4 min read
A group of students reacting to a spectacle inside a ring.
Vanessa Solis/澳门跑狗论坛 + Getty Images