Seal of Biliteracy

Discover more about the use and benefits of the seal that bilingual students can get on their high school diplomas in many states
Karen language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024.
Karen language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen-speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024. The St. Paul district has boosted seal of biliteracy participation by creating courses and assessments for less commonly spoken languages.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
English Learners Which Students Are Earning the Seal of Biliteracy, in Charts
A growing number of students are graduating high school with a seal of biliteracy recognizing their multilingualism.
Ileana Najarro, December 18, 2024
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2 min read
A students throw their caps into the sky at the Tupelo Christian Preparatory School graduation ceremony at Hope Church on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Tupelo, Miss.
Students throw their caps into the sky at the Tupelo Christian Preparatory School graduation ceremony at Hope Church on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Tupelo, Miss. The seal of biliteracy on students' high school diplomas recognizes their multilingualism.
Hunt Mercier/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP
English Learners Schools Are Graduating More Students With a Seal That Shows They're Multilingual
All 50 states now allow students to earn a distinction on their diploma signaling their mastery of multiple languages.
Ileana Najarro, December 17, 2024
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6 min read
Karen language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024.
Karen-language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Assessment How a District Used the Biliteracy Seal to Expand Language Instruction
The St. Paul public schools in Minnesota has seen success in its Karen language program.
Ileana Najarro & Kaylee Domzalski, July 30, 2024
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5 min read
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Assessment Video How a State Seal of Biliteracy Inspired This District to Teach a New Language
Minnesota's seal of biliteracy program has resulted in one district creating a Karen language program and assessment.
Kaylee Domzalski & Ileana Najarro, July 30, 2024
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5:11
Close-up of a young woman hands holding a diploma on graduation day with a couple of graduates blurred in the background -- All wearing black caps and gowns with royal blue sashes.
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English Learners The Inequity in Who Earns Seals of Biliteracy and How to Avoid It
Illinois and New Mexico have led the way in ensuring English learners have access to the seal of biliteracy.
Ileana Najarro, July 22, 2024
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4 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks at the agency's Seal of Biliteracy Summit on June 24, 2024 in Washington, D.C. The gathering celebrated the special designation on high school diplomas that recognize students' bilingualism.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks at the agency's Seal of Biliteracy Summit on June 24, 2024 in Washington, D.C. The gathering celebrated the special designation on high school diplomas that recognize students' bilingualism.
Isaiah Hayes/Education Week
English Learners Students Nationwide Can Earn a Seal of Biliteracy. How It Can Be More Accessible
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to formalize a seal that celebrates students' bilingualism.
Ileana Najarro & Isaiah Hayes, June 27, 2024
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4 min read
A group of fourth grade students complete lessons in Spanish in the Global Immersion Academy program at Mountain View Elementary School, on Sept. 18, 2022, in Morganton, N.C. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
Fourth-grade students complete lessons in Spanish in the Global Immersion Academy program at Mountain View Elementary School, on Sept. 18, 2022, in Morganton, N.C. New national poll data finds a majority of parents prefer bilingual education programs.
Jason Koon/The News-Herald via AP
English Learners How Parents Feel About Bilingual Schools and English-Only Programs
A majority of parents would prefer to enroll their children in bilingual education programs.
Ileana Najarro, June 21, 2024
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4 min read
Illustrations of "Hello" in multiple languages, blue color.
Getty
English Learners Seal of Biliteracy Programs: A Guide for Schools
Researchers share a 5-part framework for how to create and sustain a seal of biliteracy program.
Ileana Najarro, November 15, 2023
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6 min read
Close up of a Diploma and blue graduation ribbon.
E+/Getty
English Learners Biliteracy Seals Recognize Multilingualism, But Schools Can Do More
Almost all states now offer some form of distinction on diplomas for proficiency in English and additional languages.
Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2023
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7 min read
Students in Dalia Gerardo’s 2nd grade class have access to school supplies labeled in Spanish and English at West Elementary in Russellville, Ala. Seals of biliteracy programs promote multilingualism as an asset across the country.
Students in Dalia Gerardo’s 2nd grade class have access to school supplies labeled in Spanish and English at West Elementary in Russellville, Ala.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English Learners Earning Seals of Biliteracy Are Beneficial to Students. Here's What the Research Shows
There's emerging evidence that seals of biliteracy benefit students, but more empirical data is needed.
Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2023
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5 min read
English Learners On Bilingualism, Bias, and Immigration: Our Top English-Learner Stories of 2019
Education Week's top English-language learner stories on 2019 explored who's teaching the nation's English-learners and the struggles those educators encounter on the job, how the Trump administration's immigration policies affected students and their families and examined why more schools in the United States are embracing bilingualism.
Corey Mitchell, December 31, 2019
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2 min read
English Learners 100,000 Students Earned the Seal of Biliteracy, But They're in a Handful of States
Dozens of states offer the seal of biliteracy, but more than 80 percent of students who earn the honor are concentrated in just five states, a new report reveals.
Corey Mitchell, October 15, 2019
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2 min read
English Learners Who's Earning the Seal of Biliteracy? In One State, It's Mostly English-Learners
In the class of 2018, 63 percent of California graduates who earned the "seal of biliteracy" spoke a language other than English when they began school, a new advocacy group report finds.
Corey Mitchell, July 9, 2019
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5 min read
English Learners As More States Adopt Bilingualism Seal, Equity Concerns Arise
While demographic information on students earning the seal of biliteracy is not tracked in many states, new research suggests that English-learners and students from low-income families may be on the wrong side of an equity gap.
Corey Mitchell, May 13, 2019
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2 min read
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