The Seal of Biliteracy, Graduates with Global Competence, Is on the Rise

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 2400 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214. e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://www.nectfl.org

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Bilingualism; Literacy; Second Language Learning; Language Proficiency; English (Second Language); High School Seniors; 21st Century Skills; Graduation Rate; Language Teachers; English Language Learners; Goal Orientation; Accountability; Academic Achievement; Certification; Awards; Educational Policy; Case Studies; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Second Language Instruction; Student Projects

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The Seal of Biliteracy is an official state award that recognizes high school seniors who graduate with demonstrated proficiency in English and one or more other world languages. The policies and practices that support the Seal of Biliteracy promote twenty-first century skills and intercultural communication competencies that are critical in today's global society. The Seal of Biliteracy policies thus help improve high school graduation rates, and in some states, such as New York, these policies include specific language addressing the particular needs of English Learners (ELs) to increase the graduation rate among this group. This article documents the journey of a high school and the experiences of a group of World Language teachers during the 2016-17 school year, the first year of implementation of the New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB). We show that the initial voluntary participation of schools in this program was the result of the leadership of World Language teachers. These teachers knew their students well and made sure they understood that graduating with the Seal of Biliteracy would broaden their college and career opportunities. We illustrate how the teachers strengthened their thematic units in response to the State's language proficiency criteria and engaged students in goal setting and performance tasks that connected real-world situations with language learning toward the successful completion of the NYSSB requirements. We also show that schools need to establish school wide systems, such as strategic programming to foster ongoing collaboration among teachers and guidance counselors if they are committed to increasing the number of students who graduate with the NYSSB, particularly the number of students who are new to the English language but already speak one or more other world languages. Examples from other states and the lessons learned since its initial implementation in 2016 including the recent changes in the NY State Accountability system suggest a possible shift in how schools may perceive the NYSSB and therefore, embrace this voluntary program as a path to improving student achievement and increasing the graduation rate for all students.

As Provided

2020

EJ1251339