Seal of Biliteracy

What is the Seal of Biliteracy?

The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy is an award bestowed by the Illinois State Board of Education and given by School District U-46 in recognition and celebration of students who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more language in addition to English by high school graduation. The state of Illinois officially adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in 2013; District U-46 first participated in the program in 2016-2017.  Students who earn the Seal qualify for two years of credit in that language at any Illinois post-secondary program.

Students who have earned the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy or the Illinois State Commendation Toward Biliteracy will receive their award at the time of their graduation. Their achievement will be acknowledged on student transcripts and diplomas.

Rationale for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy

The Illinois State Board of Education and School District U-46 recognize the importance of language and how it helps prepare students for global citizenship. Not only is learning a language beneficial to students’ cognitive development, it also provides opportunities for them to participate effectively in global political, social, cultural, and economic contexts. Further, the demand for employees to be fluent in more than one language is increasing rapidly in Illinois and throughout the world. The Seal of Biliteracy builds upon the rich linguistic and cultural assets of the district and community, providing students with the necessary skills to be successful in college, career, and life.

Students applying for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy or Commendation Award must demonstrate proficiency in English and an additional language.

The ACT is the state academic assessment for high school. Districts may use results from the ISBE-provided ACT School Day administration or an alternate ACT/SAT session to determine whether a student meets the award's English proficiency requirement, which is the English language arts/reading standard set by the state. In 2019, the Illinois State Board of Education approved a new minimum English language arts (ELA) score of 480 to meet standards on the SAT or a 20 on the ELA portion of the ACT. 

To qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy by their senior year of high school, students must demonstrate proficiency in:

English by:

• Earning a minimum score of 20 in the Reading/Writing portion of the ACT or a composite of 21, OR

• Earning a minimum score of 480 in the Evidence Based Reading and Writing portion of the SAT, OR

• Earning a minimum overall score of 4.8 on the ACCESS for ELLs exam taken while in high school.

Foreign Language by:

• Earning a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Language and Culture Exam taken prior to this school year, OR

• Earn a minimum score of I-5 on all four domains of the ACTFL's Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) exam. The following languages can be assessed with the AAPPL exam: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Thai.

• Earn a minimum score of INTERMEDIATE HIGH on all four domains of the STAMP 4S Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency.  The following languages can be assessed with the STAMP 4S exam:  Hebrew and Polish.

Language Assessments chart