Seal of Biliteracy
What is the NYS Seal of Biliteracy & how can I earn it?
The Seal of Biliteracy is a prestigious award from the State of New York that recognizes a student's proficiency in English and another world language. Watch the following informational video to learn more about Webster CSD's Seal of Biliteracy Program.
The NYS Point Rubric for earning the Seal of Biliteracy
Students pursuing the Seal of Biliteracy must earn at least:
- 3 points on the English rubric
- 3 points on the World Language rubric
Advice to Make it Easier to Earn the Seal
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Continue practicing the language! Whether you continue taking a language course offered at school, or you engage in community classes in the World Language you are pursuing, continue to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening as much as possible. Listen to music, podcasts, TV series, and movies in the language.
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Take an AP English course + exam. If you earn a 3 or higher, this will help you to avoid having to complete a portfolio/presentation in English.
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Don't let your grades slip in your English/World Language classes!
| Crietia for Demonstrating Proficiency in English | Point Value | Criteria for Demonstrating Proficiency in a World Language | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A. Score 80 or higher on the NYS Regents Examination in English Language Arts ** or English Language Learners (ELLs) score 75 or above on two Regents exams other than English**, without translation. |
1 | 2A. Complete a Checkpoint C level World Language course, with a grade of 85 or higher, or a comparable score using another scoring system set by the district and approved by the Commissioner, consistent with Checkpoint C standards. | 1 |
| 1B. ELLs earn an overall score of 290 or better on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) during 9th - 12th grades. | 1 | 2B. Provide transcripts from a school in a country outside of the U.S. showing at least three years of instruction in the student's home/native language in Grade 8 or beyond, with an equivalent grade average of B or higher. | 1 |
| 1C. Complete all 11th- and 12th grade ELA courses with an average of 85 or higher or a comparable score using another scoring system set by the district and approved by the Commissioner. | 1 | 2C. For students enrolled in a Bilingual Education program, complete all required Home Language Arts (HLA) coursework with an 85 or higher or a comparable score using another scoring system set by the district and approved by the Commissioner. | 1 |
| 1D. Score at a proficient level on an approved English assessment (See "Approved English Assessments".) | 1 | 2D. Score at a proficient level on an accredited Checkpoint C World Language assessment (See "Checkpoint C World Language Assessments and Minimum Scores".) | 1 |
| 1E. Present a Culminating Project that meets the criteria for speaking, listening, reading and writing established by the district's NYS Seal of Biliteracy Committee to a panel of reviewers with proficiency in English. | 2 | 2E. Present a Culminating Project that meets the criteria for speaking, listening, reading, and writing established by the district's NYS Seal of Biliteracy Committee and that is aligned to the NYS Checkpoint C Learning Standards to a panel of reviewers with proficiency in the target language. | 2 |
Checkpoint C exams for world languages we do not offer classes in
You can earn the Seal of Biliteracy in any World Language. If you speak another world language at home, but we do not offer courses in that language, you will need to take a Checkpoint C exam that tests your communication abilities. You will want to take this late in your junior year or early in your senior year to make sure that you have the skill level needed for the Seal in your language.
| World Language Assessment | Languages Available | Min Score |
|---|---|---|
| ACTFL OPI & WPT for the Seal of Biliteracy | Cat Languages: Haitian Creole | Intermediate High |
| Cat 3-4 Languages: Albanian, Amharic, Bangla/Bengali, Bosnian. Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian(Serbian), Dari, Filipino(Tagalog), Gujarati, Malayalam, Pashto, Tagalog(Filipino), Serbian(Croatian), Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba | Intermediate Mid | |
| Avant STAMP WorldSpeak (Speaking & Writing) | Cat 1-2 Languages: Haitian Creole | I-5 |
| Cat 3-4 Languages: Amharic, Armenian, Bangla/Bengali, Cabo-Verdean, Chaldean, Chin (Hakha), Chuukese, Czech, Filipino (Tagalog), Greek(modern), Haitian Creole, Hawaiian(??lelo Hawai`i), Hmong, Ilocano, Kannada, Khmer, Marathi, Marshallese, Nepali, Pashto, Persian Farsi, Punjabi, Samoan, Somali Maay Maay, Somali Maxaa, Tagalog (Filipino), Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tingrinya, Turksih, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba, Yup`ik, Zomi | I-2 | |
| OPI & RPT (Speaking & Reading) | Cat 3-4 Languages: Indonesian | Intermediate Mid |
| OPI & WPT (Speaking & Writing) | Cat 1-2 Languages: Swedish | Intermediate High |
| Cat 3-4 Languages: Persian Farsi | Intermediate Mid |
