Academics » Biliteracy Seal

Biliteracy Seal

Academic Honor Designations

seal of BilteracyBiliteracy Seal

Seal of BiliteracyBiliteracy and multiculturalism is an asset in this increasingly global age. All students should have the opportunity to read, write, and speak in two or more languages. In recognition of this achievement, the California State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded upon attainment of a high level of proficiency in two or more languages. The California State Seal of Biliteracy highlights individuals with multilingual and multicultural competence to potential employers, and provides universities with a method of identifying and awarding credit to applicants with high levels of proficiency in a second language. 
The The State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB), marked by a gold seal on the diploma or transcript, recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. The SSB is one indicator of accomplishment for future employers and college admissions.

Visit the CDE Website Links to an external site for more details and FAQs Links to an external site. There are a few requirements that must be met in order to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy. 


For those seniors who are interested in demonstrating language proficiency in a language other than English, PUSD is now offering a test to assess your language proficiency. The test is called AVANT 4s. This test is rigorous, so only sign up for a language exam if you can read, speak, and write in that language. 


Who should take the AVANT 4s Language Exam?  High school seniors who are proficient in a language other than English and have not or do not plan to pass a 7-8 world language course with a 3.0 average.  Seniors who have not or will not take an AP language assessment (The class does not count; You must pass the AP assessment with a 3 or higher)  Heritage speakers who are not planning to take world language nor an AP language exam. The deadline to sign up for the AVANT 4s exam is typically mid-February. Click on the link to sign up when it becomes available.


Last year, MCHS awarded 307 seniors with the State Seal of Biliteracy. The school has a goal to increase this number by 20%. 


Not a senior? That's okay. You can start preparing for the State Seal now. Here are some things to consider. 

  1. Continue learning and practicing a language other than English. 
  2. Enroll in world language classes. You will want to successfully pass a 7-8 course with a 3.0 or higher. 
  3. Take language classes outside of the school day. 
  4. Continue to work hard in your English classes. You will need a 2.0 average over four years.
  5. Talk to your world language teacher and EL Coordinator about preparing for the State Seal of Biliteracy.
English Learner Coordinator
Alison Bolin [email protected]
 
World Language Department Chairperson
and AP Spanish Teacher
Sylvie Lopez Martin [email protected] 

AVANT 4Stamp Tests are available in the following languages:

  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Arabic
  • French
  • German 
  • Hebrew 
  • Hindi 
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Mandarin (simplified and traditional) 
  • Polish 
  • Portuguese (Brazilian)
  • Russian
  • Spanish 
  • Spanish Monolingual

AP World Language tests are also available:

  • AP Chinese Language
  • AP German Language
  • AP Italian Language
  • AP French Language
  • AP Japanese Language
  • AP Latin Language
  • AP Spanish Language