An award, not a national qualification
Students and parents in the United States often meet the Seal of Biliteracy as a line on a graduation certificate or transcript. It is easy to mistake it for a national language qualification, which it is not. This article summarises the Seal of Biliteracy website’s own description of the award and its implementation guidelines. It applies to the United States, where the standard is set state by state, and it does not describe any equivalent in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. It is general information.
What the Seal is
The Seal of Biliteracy website describes it as an award given by a school, school district or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. It says the award was designed to be given by a district or state, although an individual school site or school programme may also choose to implement it.
The site gives three stated purposes: to encourage students to pursue biliteracy, to honour the skills students attain, and to provide evidence of skills that can be attractive to employers and to college admissions offices. The site displays a map that classes states as having an approved state seal, as considering one, as at an early stage, or as having none yet, so coverage is uneven.
Who sets the standard
The implementation guidelines for state education agencies say that in most states the state education agency sets the criteria for the Seal and the required or allowed implementation options, based on directives from the state legislature or state board of education. A separate page on equity states that the actual standard is determined independently by each state and, in some states, by the local municipality or school district.
The consequence is that a Seal earned in one state is not automatically equivalent to a Seal from another. The guidelines encourage state agencies to collaborate to establish interstate recognition and point out that reciprocal agreements already exist in other areas, such as teacher certification. They describe this as an encouragement, not a current guarantee.
The proficiency levels
For languages other than English, the guidelines say students should demonstrate at least Intermediate Mid on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. The equity page reports that the level most states currently require ranges from Intermediate Low to Advanced Low, with Intermediate Mid and Intermediate High the most common. Some states have established more than one level, and the guidelines suggest that states consider a two-tier Seal with a higher option in the Advanced range, particularly for bilingual or dual-language programmes.
The guidelines also say that both native and non-native speakers should provide comparable evidence across all modes of communication, in both social and academic contexts. That is a notable feature: the target is what a learner can do in the language, not how much they know about it.
Evidence that can be used
The guidelines list several routes to demonstrate proficiency. Nationally available tests named include the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, STAMP4S, AAPPL, ALIRA, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI and OPIc) and Reading and Writing Proficiency Tests. They also mention tribal language assessments and a signed language proficiency interview. Portfolios are recommended as a way to record performance, with LinguaFolio given as an example. For English, proficiency may be shown through high school graduation requirements or a validated test of proficiency for English learners. For other languages, the guidelines say states determine which assessments are acceptable, requiring proficiency on a validated test.
The guidance emphasises equity. It warns that requiring only formal or external assessments may disadvantage some populations or language communities when no assessment is available or affordable, and recommends offering more than one way to show the required level.
What the Seal does not tell you
The Seal certifies a level reached at the point of high school graduation according to a state or district standard. It does not by itself say which test was used or which ACTFL level was reached, since those vary between states. It is not a substitute for a standardised exam in the way that a certificate from a testing body is, and the website does not present it as one. For someone applying to a university or employer, the underlying evidence, such as an AP score or an ACTFL-based assessment, may say more than the seal itself.
The site says in its guidance that the Seal is relevant to admissions offices and employers, but it does not state that any particular institution must recognise it, and the guidelines call for postsecondary recognition to be developed rather than assumed.
Practical points for families comparing language courses
Families comparing language courses in the United States can check three things: whether the state has an approved Seal, what level it requires, and which assessments it accepts. If a course prepares students for AP or an ACTFL-based test, that evidence may count toward the Seal in some states. Adult learners are outside the Seal’s scope, since the award is tied to high school graduation, and they are better served by the standalone tests and certificates covered elsewhere on this site.
The bottom line
The Seal of Biliteracy is a school, district or state award for students who reach proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. Its guidelines recommend a minimum of Intermediate Mid on the ACTFL scale for non-English languages, but each state sets its own standard, and the states currently differ. It is a useful record of achievement within a state, but its value elsewhere depends on the underlying evidence and on how the receiving institution treats it.
Sources
- The Seal of Biliteracy, “The Seal of Biliteracy”
- The Seal of Biliteracy, “Level of Language Proficiency Required”
- The Seal of Biliteracy, “Evidence of Language Proficiency Required”
- The Seal of Biliteracy, “Equity and Access to Opportunity to Earn the Seal of Biliteracy”
- The Seal of Biliteracy, “Implementation Guidelines for State Education Agencies (SEAs)”