State Seal of Biliteracy

Purpose of the State Seal of Biliteracy

The California State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) was established to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English.

The purposes of the SSB are to encourage pupils to study languages, to certify attainment of biliteracy, to provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills, to provide universities with a method to recognize and give academic credit to applicants seeking admission, to prepare pupils with 21st century skills, to recognize and promote foreign language instruction in public schools, and to strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and languages of a community (California Education Code Section 51460).

State Seal of Biliteracy Requirements

A student who graduates from high school must have achieved a high level of literacy and fluency in one or more language(s) in addition to English to be awarded the SSB. 

The student must demonstrate:

1. Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average GPA of 2.0 in those classes.
2. Passage of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for English language arts, or any successor test, administered in grade eleven, at or above the “standard met” achievement level, or at the achievement level determined by the Superintendent for any successor test.
3. Proficiency in one or more languages, other than English, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
   1. Passage of a world language Advanced Placement (AP) examination with a score of 3 or higher, or an International Baccalaureate (IB) examination with a score of 4 or more. 
   2. Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language, attaining an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in that course of study, and demonstration of oral proficiency in the language comparable to that required to pass an AP or IB examination.
   3. Passage of a district test with a score of proficient or higher (if no AP examination or off the shelf language tests exists and the school district can certify that the test meets the level of an AP exam), demonstrating proficiency in all of the modes of communication (reading, writing, and speaking) that characterize communication in the language.
   4. Passage of the SAT II world language examination with a score of 600 or higher.

In addition to the requirements mentioned above, if the primary language of a pupil is other than English, the student shall demonstrate English proficiency on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), or any previous or successor state English language proficiency assessment, in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades one to twelve, inclusive (EC Section 51461).

State Seal of Biliteracy FAQs (external site)

If you have any further questions regarding the State Seal of Biliteracy, please contact your school site directly.