World Languages-ELL

What is the Seal of Biliteracy?

The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy is bestowed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and offered by Adlai E. Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy Stevenson High School. This achievement recognizes and celebrates students who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English by their high school graduation. Illinois officially adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in 2013; District 125 first participated in the program in 2015. Illinois Student Code requires Illinois public post-secondary institutions to (1) accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent to two years of foreign language coursework taken in high school, and (2) establish criteria for awarding equivalent course credit. The State Commendation towards Biliteracy does not receive any credits towards foreign language credits.

Stevenson students that have met the Seal of Biliteracy requirements will have an Official Seal affixed to their diplomas upon graduation. More importantly, as soon as student records are updated to reflect attainment of the Seal of Biliteracy an official recognition is conferred onto the student’s official transcript.

How can students earn the Seal of Biliteracy?
Stevenson offers current students the opportunity to test in 15 languages. As a result, we use three language proficiency assessments to qualify for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy designation depending on the language.

1) The AAPPL exam created by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) - Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) exam tests in the following languages:

• Arabic

• Mandarin Chinese

• French

• German 

• Hindi 

• Italian 

• Japanese 

• Korean 

• Portuguese 

• Russian 

• Spanish 

• Thai 

• English ESL 

2) The ALIRA exam is for students testing in Latin - Reading portion only.

3) Avant’s STAMP 4S for students testing in Polish and Hebrew
 

SEAL OF BILITERACY AWARD IS A TWO-STEP PROCESS:
Earning the Seal of Biliteracy is a two-step process. Students must establish high proficiency in English and other languages.

1. ESTABLISHING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

To establish English proficiency, students must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Earn a minimum composite score of 21 on an official administration of the ACT;

• Earn a minimum score of 480 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) portion of an official administration of the SAT;

• Earn a minimum overall composite score of 4.8 on the ACCESS for ELLs exam;

• ELL students also have the opportunity to take the AAPPL English ESL to demonstrate English proficiency

2. ESTABLISHING PROFICIENCY IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

To establish proficiency in a language other than English, students must meet one of the following criteria:

• Earned a 4 or 5 in the Advanced Placement language exam typically taken in Spring of their Junior year.

• Earn a minimum score of I5 or above on all four components of the AAPPL (Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening)

• Earn 4 or 5 on the ALIRA exam (Latin) 

• Earn a minimum of Intermediate High on all four components of AVANT's STAMP 

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The purpose of the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy is:

1. To encourage pupils to study languages.
2. To certify attainment of biliteracy.
3. To provide employers with a method of identifying people with language biliteracy skills.
4. To provide universities an additional method to recognize applicants seeking admission.
5. To prepare pupils with 21st Century skills.
6. To recognize the value of foreign language and native language instruction in public schools.
7. To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and languages of a community.

Why is the Seal of Biliteracy Important?
Stevenson recognizes the importance of learning a second language. The Seal of Biliteracy inspires students to pursue biliteracy in another language, recognize students who excel in language skills, and provide evidence of these achievements to future employers and college admissions offices. It is a statement of accomplishment that helps to signal evidence of a student’s readiness for career and college, and for engagement as a global citizen. In addition, by law, Illinois public universities must grant college credit for students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy.

Who is eligible?
Applications for the Seal and Commendation are open to all current Stevenson High School students.

Can a student be assessed for the Seal before their senior year?
Yes, students can take the assessments to earn the Seal any time during their high school career. However, priority is given to seniors. Students who earn the Seal prior to senior year will have the designation applied to their transcript upon receipt. Students will receive the award at the time of their high school graduation and an acknowledgment will be added to their diploma. Testing is limited to 27 students at a time and priority is given to seniors.

What are the benefits of the Illinois Seal of Biliteracy?
According to HB 4330, Illinois public universities will accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent to two years of foreign language coursework taken during high school if a student’s high school transcript indicates that a State Seal of Biliteracy award was achieved. Many universities waive any foreign language requirements and/or grant course credit for students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy. Visit the University of Illinois Champaign - Urbana website for reference. 

May a State Seal of Biliteracy be awarded to high school students who meet the assessment criteria but do not enroll in World Language courses in high school?
Enrollment in a Stevenson World Language course is not a prerequisite for attaining the State Seal of Biliteracy or Commendation toward Biliteracy. Students must meet the language proficiency criteria in BOTH ENGLISH and the SECOND LANGUAGE. 

Are retakes available if a student doesn’t pass a portion(s) of the exam in an effort to improve the score? 
Stevenson offers the Biliteracy exam twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring during regular Biliteracy testing dates. Students interested in retaking a portion(s) of an exam can register during one of these opportunities. Costs for retaking various portions of the exam:

• AAPPL - Speaking $10, Writing $5, Listening and Reading (bundled) $5

• STAMP 4S  - $10 per domain (only one domain is allowed to be retaken at a time)

• ALIRA - $10

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PREPARING FOR THE EXAM:

Is there a demo test available to get a better understanding of the format?AAPPL offers demos of the Biliteracy exam for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, or  Spanish.

• Tips on taking the AAPPL assessments

• Click here to take a demo test for Arabic, Chinese, English (for ELL students), French, German, Russian, or Spanish. Scroll down - Biliteracy exam uses Form B.

Avant STAMP 4S Assessment for Hebrew and Polish:

• Click here for tips on taking the STAMP 4S assessments.

• Click here to take a demo test.

ALIRA Latin:

• Click here for more information about the ALIRA assessment.

• Click here to take a sample test.

Do Illinois colleges or universities automatically process the Seal of Biliteracy credits?
Credit is not processed automatically upon receipt of a high school transcript. In accordance with Illinois School Code, students enrolled in a public community college or public university who have received a State Seal of Biliteracy must request credit for their seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school. 

For more information, please contact:
Sylvia Lima
slima@d125.org