This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the adoption of the Seal of Biliteracy in California. As of November 2021, the policy, which recognizes students who graduate high school bilingual and biliterate, exists in 45 states and the District of Columbia. However, due to its grassroots origins and lack of federal funding, requirements of the…

This comparative case study explores the perceived value of the Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) between two key stakeholders, administrators and students. Drawing on interviews and focus group data from one large, urban district in Minnesota that was instrumental in assisting the state in diversifying languages awarded with the SoBL, this study…

The Seal of Biliteracy is a grass-roots language policy initiative that is sweeping across the United States. An award affixed to high school graduates' transcripts and diplomas, the overarching purpose of the policy is to promote and foster students' bilingualism and biliteracy in K-12 schools. Initiated in California in 2011, the policy has been…

The Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) is a language policy that has gained traction across the United States as stakeholders seek to recognize students' competencies in languages other than English. Despite its potential to enhance language proficiency and encourage participation in language education, the SoBL has been unevenly implemented, with…

The Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) is a policy that recognizes biliterate high school graduates with an emblem placed on their diploma or transcript signifying proficiency in two or more languages. The present study focused on 12th grade students' perceptions of the SoBL to investigate the questions: How do students perceive bilingualism and…