The Seal of Biliteracy program is a voluntary Michigan Department of Education program to certify students who have high proficiency in both English and another world language. The Seal may be awarded to any student receiving a high school diploma, a high school certificate of completion or a high school equivalency certificate and who has demonstrated Intermediate High proficiency on acceptable world language assessments and met the English Language Arts requirements for graduation or demonstrated proficiency on a validated test of proficiency for English Learners. The Seal has been created to encourage students to study world languages and embrace their native and heritage languages. The Seal will provide employers with a way to identify individuals with strong language and biliteracy skills. The Seal may serve as an additional tool for colleges and universities to recognize applicants’ language abilities for admission and placement.
Since 2018 the program has been introduced in many Michigan high schools, but its implementation often requires efforts from parents or from the school board to request that the school allow students to participate.
For more information about the program, please see Michigan Department of Education website:
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-81351-456570--,00.html
Here is link to the national Seal of Biliteracy website:
https://sealofbiliteracy.org/
Since its inception in Michigan over 1100 students received the Seal of Biliteracy in 57 languages, with the largest numbers in Spanish, Arabic, French, German and Sylheti languages.
In May, 2019 The Piast Institute proctored STAMP4S tests for Polish language students and hosted a ceremony awarding Seal of Biliteracy diplomas and congratulatory letters from the Michigan Department of Education to Polish students who have achieved very high levels of Polish language proficiency on the standardized Polish biliteracy test. Students who were honored are high school students: Maria Emilia Bieciuk, Gabriela Andrzejewska and Elizabeth Wright.
The Piast Institute also recognized four other students who completed the Polish biliteracy test. These students achieved the high proficiency required for the Seal of Biliteracy but due to age restrictions the students will not be receiving the Seal at this time.
For students of the Polish language who want to participate in the program and receive biliteracy certification a standardized test for Polish proficiency, STAMP4S, was developed by Avant Assessment Inc. in April 2018. Between April 2018 and May 2019, over 890 students in fourteen states have taken the STAMP4S test to receive their biliteracy certification in the Polish language.
The Piast Institute is planning to proctor another round of tests in September. All interested parties please contact Marzanna Owinski at 248 613 6751.
Additional information about the Seal of Biliteracy program and the STAMP4S test in Polish language can be found at SealofBiliteracyPoPolsku.com.
Since 2018 the program has been introduced in many Michigan high schools, but its implementation often requires efforts from parents or from the school board to request that the school allow students to participate.
For more information about the program, please see Michigan Department of Education website:
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-81351-456570--,00.html
Here is link to the national Seal of Biliteracy website:
https://sealofbiliteracy.org/
Since its inception in Michigan over 1100 students received the Seal of Biliteracy in 57 languages, with the largest numbers in Spanish, Arabic, French, German and Sylheti languages.
In May, 2019 The Piast Institute proctored STAMP4S tests for Polish language students and hosted a ceremony awarding Seal of Biliteracy diplomas and congratulatory letters from the Michigan Department of Education to Polish students who have achieved very high levels of Polish language proficiency on the standardized Polish biliteracy test. Students who were honored are high school students: Maria Emilia Bieciuk, Gabriela Andrzejewska and Elizabeth Wright.
The Piast Institute also recognized four other students who completed the Polish biliteracy test. These students achieved the high proficiency required for the Seal of Biliteracy but due to age restrictions the students will not be receiving the Seal at this time.
For students of the Polish language who want to participate in the program and receive biliteracy certification a standardized test for Polish proficiency, STAMP4S, was developed by Avant Assessment Inc. in April 2018. Between April 2018 and May 2019, over 890 students in fourteen states have taken the STAMP4S test to receive their biliteracy certification in the Polish language.
The Piast Institute is planning to proctor another round of tests in September. All interested parties please contact Marzanna Owinski at 248 613 6751.
Additional information about the Seal of Biliteracy program and the STAMP4S test in Polish language can be found at SealofBiliteracyPoPolsku.com.