The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) recognized linguistic accomplishments yesterday, honoring students who earned the new California State Seal of Biliteracy. The distinction goes to seniors who meet specific criteria to demonstrate competency in English plus another language.
SCOE officially recognized dozens of students from throughout the county with the Seal, which was established in January 2012 by California Assembly Bill 815. Throughout Sacramento County, a total of more than 280 students earned the Seal of Biliteracy for the 2012–13 school year.
“Each of these students met rigorous state criteria and demonstrated his or her linguistic abilities on examinations, grades, and coursework,” said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools. “Being proficient in more than one language will provide these young people with skills needed to be successful in a global economy, build self-confidence, and help develop a stronger sense of community.”
Students demonstrate English competency by scoring at the “proficient” level or higher on the California Standards Test in English language arts and earning good grades in all high school English classes required for high school graduation. In addition, students must demonstrate competency in another language by taking a four-year course of study in a world language or pass a test such as the Advanced Placement exam.
In addition to English, this year’s Seal of Biliteracy recipients in Sacramento County are proficient in ten other languages, including Armenian, French, German, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Several students earned Seals in multiple languages.
The following Sacramento Country school districts collaborated with SCOE to present this year’s Seal of Biliteracy program: Center Joint Unified, Folsom Cordova Unified, Galt Joint Union High, River Delta Unified, and Twin Rivers Unified.