San Diego – Ventura Unified School District and Chula Vista Elementary School District have been selected as recipients of the 2015 Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy District Recognition Award. The Californians Together award celebrates districts that are leading the way to world-class language education in preschool through 12th grade. [Read more…] about Two California School Districts are Honored with the Prestigious Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Award
Seal of Biliteracy
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports Jump in Number of Students Earning Seal of Biliteracy
Nearly 25,000 graduating high school students across California this summer have earned state recognition for achieving proficiency in multiple languages, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
“Fluency in more than one language has always been an admirable skill, but it’s increasingly becoming one that’s highly sought after by employers,” Torlakson said. “In California, we encourage and recognize this accomplishment because it’s one more tool students have to help them succeed outside our classrooms.”
In the Class of 2014, 24,513 students earned these gold seals. In 2013, the number was 19,000. In 2012—the first year of the program—about 10,000 students received this special recognition.
Of the total number of gold seals, 74.49 percent were for Spanish, 9.81 percent for French, 3.88 percent for Mandarin, 1.97 percent for Japanese, 1.19 percent for German, and 0.29 percent for Cantonese. Altogether, students earned the seal for demonstrating proficiency in some 40 languages, including American Sign Language.
To qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy, high school graduates must meet certain criteria, including:
- Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes;
- Passing the California Standards Test in English language arts administered in grade eleven at the “proficient” level;
- Proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English, demonstrated by passing a foreign language Advanced Placement examination with a score of three or higher or an International Baccalaureate examination with a score of four or higher; or
- Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language and attainment of an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study.
For more information on which local educational agencies participated in the program and how many Seals of Biliteracy were awarded, visit the California Department of Education’s State Seal of Biliteracy – Resources Web page.
AB 2303 (Bloom) State Recognition Program of Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy
On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, AB 2303 (Bloom) will be heard and voted on in the Assembly Education Committee. This bill would: Establish a state recognition program for school districts with articulated and comprehensive multiple pathways to biliteracy programs preK – 12th grade. Define the criteria for receiving the multiple pathways district recognition. Provide descriptions of program models and language learning opportunities that can be combined into comprehensive pathways, prek – 12th grade. For more details download the attached fact sheet on the bill. Take Action Now!!! Download the sample letter,sign it and fax to Assembly Member Joan Buchanan at 916-319-2187 to support the passage of AB 2303. Have others sign a letter and fax today.
The California Campaign for Biliteracy is Launched and Two Districts are Honored with a New Prestigious Award
In front of 3,500 teachers, administrators, parents and board members at the annual California Association for Bilingual Education Conference, Californians Together announced the beginning of the California Campaign for Biliteracy. “It is time for a new Campaign across Californian to develop preschool through high school programs that will prepare students with proficiency in two or more languages so they may speak to, from and across multiple communities and nations.
The California Campaign for Biliteracy seeks to engage educators, policy makers ,parents and students who share the vision for multilingualism, and all understand the enormous benefits to individuals, society and the economy
Glendale Unified School District EL Programs Press Release San Francisco Unified School District EL ProgramsCampaign Publication
Glendale Unified School District EL Programs Press Release San Francisco Unified School District EL ProgramsCampaign Publication
Brownley Puts the California Seal of Biliteracy on the National Stage
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.
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.