Friday, November 22, 2024
Since its inception in 2015, the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy has paved the way for recognizing students who demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in two or more languages, and intercultural competence. This initiative is part of a broader national movement, now adopted by all 50 states and the District of Columbia, to promote and celebrate multilingualism in education.
In providing Wisconsin students with the opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, our state clearly communicates the value of bilingualism and intercultural skills in our schools, communities, and workforce. In particular, the Seal of Biliteracy is a way of formally recognizing the linguistic skills of the growing number of students in our state who come to school speaking languages other than English.
The U.S. Secretary of Education has lauded such efforts in the “Raise the Bar, Lead the World” initiative, which underscores the importance of multilingualism. At the National Seal of Biliteracy Summit, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education in June of 2024, several key goals were highlighted:
- Promoting multilingualism for all through K-12 pathways leading to proficiency.
- Strengthening connections between language and intercultural competence with career-readiness initiatives.
- Ensuring equity in access to the Seal credential for all learners and for all languages.
- Securing post-secondary college and university recognition of the Seal.
In Wisconsin, the Seal is awarded to students who achieve or surpass Intermediate High language proficiency on the ACTFL scale. The Wisconsin Standards for World Languages include performance indicators based on this internationally recognized measure of language proficiency. This spring, the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy was earned by 644 graduates (a 43% increase since 2023) in 28 different languages. These numbers reflect the linguistic diversity of Wisconsin school districts, where over 100 languages other than English are spoken by students and their families. Across the United States, 350 languages are used around the kitchen table by U.S. residents, highlighting the rich tapestry of multilingualism that exists nationwide.
School districts register with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to make this industry-recognized credential available to their students. Students in world language, bilingual, and ESL programs may earn the Seal, as well as heritage speakers of languages learned at home or in the community.
The Wisconsin DPI offers a list of authorized assessments and alternative methods for students to demonstrate their language proficiency in English and one or more additional languages. The DPI is also partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education to promote equity in access to the Seal by providing assessments for less commonly taught heritage and indigenous languages, such as Hmong and Ojibwe.
Information and resources related to the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy are available on the DPI's website. School districts interested in introducing this program to celebrate their students' linguistic assets can reach out to Tanya Morin. Further information on the national landscape for the Seal of Biliteracy can be found at State Seals of Biliteracy.
Our local and global communities are linguistically and culturally diverse and students are preparing to live, work, collaborate, and compete in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Knowing multiple languages and how to interact effectively and respectfully with people across cultures increases student opportunities for success. It is our hope that the Seal of Biliteracy encourages school districts across the state to honor the rich and varied linguistic backgrounds of students and provide on-going opportunities for students to maintain, develop, and learn languages and intercultural communication skills.
With more colleges and universities recognizing and awarding academic credit for the Seal, now is the perfect time for educational institutions to implement this program. By doing so, they help ensure their students are college-, workplace-, and world-ready, reaping the myriad benefits of bilingualism. District administrators, language educators, school counselors, and academic career planning program leaders play a critical role in advocating for sustained language learning within and beyond our school communities.