Representative Julia Brownley (D – Westlake Village) introduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST Act, legislation that would help states create a State Seal of Bilteracy to recognize high school students graduating with proficiency in both English and a second language. The BEST Act would establish a grant program at the Department of Education supporting states to establish and improve their own Biliteracy Seal programs. Read the press release, the text of the bill and our letter of support below.
Press Releases
Commission Poised to Raise California Standards for Teacher Interns – English Learners to Benefit
Students who are currently learning English will soon have teachers-in-training with substantially improved preparation and parents will be better informed about teachers’ level of training. That’s if the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) votes as expected on a series of reforms at its meeting this Thursday April 18. English learner students comprise 1.4 million of the state’s public school students, or approximately 1 in 4 students.
Californians Together Won the Migration Policy Institute 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prize – Awardees Discuss Immigrant Integration
The winners of the Migration Policy Institute’s 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes,honoring exceptional immigrant integration work happening in the United States,discussed their initiatives during a plenary luncheon on September 24, 2012 at the National Immigrant Integration Conference held in Baltimore, MD. During a Q&A with MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix, leaders with ACCESS (theArab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), Building Skills Partnership, Californians Together, and Citi Community Development discussed key aspects of their work. At discussion’s end, the winners received their EPluribus Unum Prizes from Brad Davidson, a trustee of the J.M. Kaplan Fund,which generously funds the prizes program.
Californians Together Earns National Award for Exceptional Immigrant Integration Initiatives
WASHINGTON– The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) on Thursday announced that Californians Together is one of four recipients of its 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prize for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives. The national award honors Californians Together for its work promoting biliteracy and reforms that improve student language learning and address the needs of English language learners. (more)
New York State Seal of Biliteracy – Cuomo Signs Legislation
Albany, NY (July 31, 2012)
Governor Cuomo today signed into law a bill to recognize New York State high school graduates who demonstrate academic excellence in attaining proficiency in one or more languages other than English with a state seal of biliteracy. The seal will be attached to diplomas and transcripts of graduates who excel in listening, speaking, reading and writing in multiple languages.”New York state should recognize the outstanding achievements of our students who have dedicated themselves to learning different languages,” Governor Cuomo said. “Acknowledging those students who haves pushed themselves to do their very best and learn another language will provide them with an advantage when dealing with future employers and academic institutions.”
Torlakson Announces More Than 10,000 Students Earn New State Seal of Biliteracy
More than 10,000 graduating high school students across California have earned the first state recognition in the nation for achieving proficiency in multiple languages. State Superintendent of Instruction, Tom Torlakson, issued a press release today, July 5, 2012, highlighting the accomplishments of the students and the importance of this recognition.