State Seal of Biliteracy at a Glance What is Biliteracy? Biliteracy is the ability to speak, read and write in two languages at a proficient level. What is the State Seal of Biliteracy? The State Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition given to high school seniors who have studied and can exhibit the ability to communicate in two or more languages (including English) by the spring of their senior year of high school. The State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) was unanimously approved by the Illinois General Assembly in July 2013 with the creation of Public Act 098-0560. It will begin to be awarded in Illinois in the 2014-15 school year. Adoption by school districts around the state is optional. Chicago Public Schools Program Data and Statistics As of 2014, there are approximately 68,700 ELs within CPS. There are programs for ELs in 545 schools: 405 Elementary and 140 High Schools. TBE programs within CPS serve 14 language groups, including Arabic, Assyrian, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Gujarati, Mandarin, Nepali, Pilipino (Tagalog), Polish, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese. The SSB Field Test includes 19 high schools that represent all CPS Networks and three charter schools. The SSB Field Test will allow CPS to gather both quantitative and qualitative information to be better prepared to implement the SSB district wide. State Seal of Biliteracy F i e l d Te s t TPI programs within CPS serve 116 language groups. As of 2014, there are approximately 108,000 students studying a world language at CPS. There are world language programs in 351 schools: 128 Elementary and 223 High Schools. Preparing Future Global Citizens World language studies are offered in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and American Sign Language. Useful Resources American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: www.actful.org Center for Applied Linguistics: www.cal.org Ethnologue: Languages of the World: www.ethnologue.com Foreign Language Assessment Directory (FLAD): Free, searchable database with information on more than 200 assessments in over 90 languages other than English: www.cal.org/CALWebDB/FLAD International Children’s Digital Library: en.childrenslibrary.org National Network for Early Language Learning: nnell.org What is the State Seal of Biliteracy Field Test? WIDA Consortium: www.wida.us cps.edu/Pages/ SealofBiliteracy.aspx Chicago Public Schools Karen Garibay-Mulattieri, Chief Officer of OLCE 42 W Madison Street 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60602 Phone: 773-553-1930 Fax: 773-553-1931 2014-15 Why the State Seal of Biliteracy? Who Can Apply for the SSB? In Illinois, the Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) has many purposes: Encouraging the study of languages Highlighting the value of diversity Recognizing the value of foreign language and native language instruction in public schools Preparing students with 21st century skills All interested juniors and seniors may apply for the SSB if they have mastered standard academic English and any other language, including American Sign Language. Students who are native-English speakers, English Learners (ELs), and/or bilingual speakers will be eligible for the State Seal of Biliteracy, regardless of whether they have taken coursework in a CPS school in their target language or have mastered an additional language through other means, such as schooling in another country, Saturday programs, etc. Why Implement the SSB Initiative? Chicago Public Schools (CPS) considers the SSB to be consistent with current District priorities and believes it aligns with the CPS vision of promoting multilingualism, biliteracy, and intercultural flexibility as key contributors to students’ success in college, career, and life. What Are the Benefits of the SSB for Students? Recognition of biliteracy: Helps maintain competitiveness in college applications Increases marketability in the workplace Adds to the value of your academic success Cantonese 1% Urdu 1% Polish 2% CPS will award the State Seal of Biliteracy to graduating seniors who apply for the State Seal of Biliteracy and who demonstrate proficiency in English and a secondary language based on the test scores listed below*: English: An ACT score of 18 or higher in English and 22 or higher in Reading; for ELs, and ACCESS Composite Score of 5.0 with a 4.2 or higher in Reading and Writing Secondary Language: A test score of Intermediate High or higher on a designated language proficiency test ELs by Language *Students testing for American Sign Language and students with disabilities will be given an opportunity to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy through an alternative process in future years. Other 9% Arabic 2% How Do I Qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy? Spanish 85% American Sign Language 0.5% Spanish 70.4% Arabic 2.9% World Languages in CPS Chinese 9.7% Polish 0.2% Latin 0.9% Korean 0.2% Japanese 1.1% Italian 0.8% German 0.9% French 12.5% Want to Apply for the State Seal of Biliteracy? The online application will be available at bit.ly/SSBApplication through April 30, 2015. All final test scores must be reported to CPS by May 15, 2015 to be considered for the award for seniors graduating in June 2015.
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