Clear Creek Amana celebrates surge in Seal of Biliteracy recipients

Twelve seniors at Clear Creek Amana Community School District earned the Seal of Biliteracy this year, a sharp increase from three recipients the previous year, the district told the school board. Speaker 5, who presented the students during the board meeting, said four of the recipients present earned the award in Spanish and others earned it in French and Hausa.

"This is the second year that CCA has been participating in this Department of Education opportunity," Speaker 5 said, noting the district quadrupled participation. She explained the award recognizes proficiency in another language as well as English and that the credential is recorded on students’ transcripts. That recognition can result in colleges awarding credit; Speaker 5 said students may be eligible for "up to 12 or 16 credit hours of college credit," depending on the institution.

Four students who stood before the board introduced themselves: Kelsey (college-bound to Saint Ambrose), Olivia (planning to study nursing at Kirkwood), Xavier (taking a gap year then attending Kirkwood), and Bridal (attending the University of Iowa). Speaker 5 said some students retook portions of the assessment they had not previously passed and succeeded after additional study, and underclassmen who passed parts of the assessment will receive their awards at graduation.

Board members praised the students and their teachers. Speaker 1 noted the district’s world-language and English-learner teachers were working to improve instruction to support more students in earning the designation.