Seal of Biliteracy

HFSeal of BiliteracyILLINOIS SEAL OF BILITERACY

Homewood Flossmoor High School is proud to offer students the opportunity to be recognized by the State of Illinois for earning proficiency in English and another language.

What is the Seal of Biliteracy?

The Illinois State Board of Education's Seal of Biliteracy program is a means of recognizing students for their biliterate abilities in English and another language. Students who qualify will receive a seal on their diploma and an official recognition on their high school transcripts.

Benefits of the Seal of Biliteracy:

  • College credit in language at any public university in Illinois and possibly in other states

  • Distinguished recognition on college applications and resumes

  • Marketable language proficiency which can increase admissions, scholarship awards, and career opportunities at colleges, universities, and places of business

Recognition Opportunities:

Seal of Biliteracy:

ENGLISH:

1. Meet State Standards on an official administration of the ACT or SAT

 

OR

 

2. Earn an ACCESS composite score of 5.0 with minimum subtest scores in reading and writing of 4.2 (ELL Students)

 

AND

 

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE:

 

1. Earn a minimum score of I-5 on all components of ACTFL's Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) exam

OR

2. Earn a score of a 4 or 5 on the AP Language and Culture Exam (Chinese, French, or Spanish)*

Commendation towards Biliteracy:

ENGLISH:

1. Meet State Standards on an official administration of the ACT or SAT

 

OR

 

2. Earn an ACCESS composite score of 5.0 with minimum subtest scores in reading and writing of 4.2 (ELL Students)

 

AND

 

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE:

 

1. Earn a minimum score of I-1, I-2, I-3 or I-4 on the ACTFL's Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) exam

 

OR

 

2. Earn a score of 3 on the AP Language and Culture Exam (Chinese, French, or Spanish)*

*HF may recognize these students as candidates for the Seal of Biliteracy at graduation but no official designation may be included on the diploma or transcript until the district obtains assessment results that indicate that the student qualifies for the award which would be after graduation.

Timeline of Events:

October/November: Students will be introduced to the AAPPL assessment in WL classes and qualifying seniors will be identified and notified.

January: Registration for AAPPL testing will open

February: AAPPL testing session (Results reported 2 weeks after testing)

March/April: Identify and notify students that have earned the Seal and Commendations and those that are candidates opting to use their AP score

July/August: Identify and notify students that have earned the Seal and Commendations through their AP scores

For more information contact Jonathan Miller, World Language Department Chair, at [email protected].

For more information regarding:

  • The AAPPL test, click here

  • Proficiency levels, click here.

  • AAPPL test topics and Form B practice tests, click here.