San Bernardino County highlights Seal of Biliteracy; officials report an increase in recipients

A San Bernardino County Office of Education staff member told the meeting that the county holds its Seal of Biliteracy recognition in the fall so students can include the credential on college applications.

The staff member said, “The Seal of Biliteracy was established in California in 2012 as a way to recognize students for achieving a proficiency in another language or 2 or more languages. The state seal of biliteracy recognition typically occurs in the spring. In San Bernardino County, we hold it in the fall to allow students the opportunity to use that information on their college applications, which makes them that much more competitive in that entire process.”

Officials discussed an increase in the number of students receiving the county’s Seal of Biliteracy this year; a staff member described it as “approximately an increase of 4 16 students,” but the transcript did not provide a clear numeric total. Languages cited by presenters as represented among this year’s recipients included French, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Mandarin, Hebrew, Latin, American Sign Language and Spanish; the transcript also includes the term “Thuy,” which may be a transcription error or proper name.

Speakers emphasized that learning another language teaches vocabulary and grammar as well as cultural knowledge. A speaker said, “In learning another language, students are learning not only vocabulary, structure, the nuances of language, but in addition to that, they're also learning about the culture of where the language is derived from.” A person identified in the record as a speaker who appears to be a student said, “It feels like really good because it's recognizing everyone's culture and it makes everyone feel included and it's you should be proud of, like, where you come from.”

A county staff speaker referenced an initiative described in the transcript as the “Global 20 30 initiative,” saying they expect more districts to participate in the Seal of Biliteracy in coming years and that participation could broaden students’ academic and professional opportunities. The transcript did not include further details about the initiative or a timeline for expanding participation.

The discussion in the meeting focused on describing the county recognition event, the educational and cultural benefits of biliteracy, and the county’s scheduling choice for the award. No formal motions, votes, or budget actions related to the Seal of Biliteracy were recorded in the provided transcript excerpts.