The Maryland Seal of Biliteracy
The Maryland Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by participating school systems that recognizes a student’s high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English and one or more languages.
Starting in California in 2011, the Seal of Biliteracy is now offered in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Maryland’s Seal of Biliteracy Bill was signed into law in 2016 and implemented for the first time in 2017.
Montgomery County Public Schools started participating in the program beginning with the Class of 2017. All high schools in MCPS are participating.
In 2017, about 1,200 students earned the Seal of Biliteracy for the state of Maryland. Out of the 1,200 students who earned this prestigious award, close to 1,100 were MCPS graduates.
What are the requirements to earn the MD Seal of Biliteracy?
To receive a Maryland Seal of Biliteracy, a student must:
- Pass the Maryland High School Assessment in English 10; AND
- Demonstrate Intermediate High proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a language other than English, as measured by assessments that are aligned to ACTFL (TheAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines.
For more information about the approved assessments, please click here.
How do students apply for a Seal of Biliteracy?
- Review the guidelines and requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy.
- Students who are scheduled to take an AP or IB Language exam are candidates for the Seal of BIliteracy.
- Students who are not scheduled to take an AP or IB Language exam should consult with the Seal of Biliteracy contact at their local high school (World Languages Resource Teacher or Resource Counselor) to obtain information about the approved language assessment that would be most appropriate for them.
For more information on the MD Seal of BIliteracy, please click here.
Resources & Information
- Purpose and Eligibility
- Flyer MD Seal of Biliteracy (English)
- Flyer MD Seal of BIliteracy (Spanish)
- Flyer MD Seal of Biliteracy (French)
- Seal of Biliteracy National Website
- All In: The Benefits of Being Bilingual and Biliterate
- NPR: 6 Potential Brain Benefits of Bilingual Education
- Not Lost in Translation: The Growing Importance of Foreign Language Skills in the U.S. Job Market
- Do Employers Value Employees with Language and Culture Skills
For all questions about the MD Seal of Biliteracy, please send a message to: SealOfBiliteracy@mcpsmd.org