Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Biliteracy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rockland students earn Seal of Biliteracy as participation and pass rates jump
Summary
District staff reported that 28 students sat for the Seal of Biliteracy exam this year; nine earned the seal and two earned the seal with distinction after an outreach push that staff said produced a large increase in participation and passing rates.
A world‑language teacher told the Rockland School Committee on April 13 that targeted outreach increased student participation in the Seal of Biliteracy program and produced measurable results.
"We had 28 students participate; nine students earned the Seal of Biliteracy and two students earned the Seal with Distinction," said the presenter, who described a schoolwide awareness plan, classroom briefings and family outreach that led to a large relative increase in test takers and pass rates. The presenter said the district requires students to demonstrate English proficiency on the district ELA assessment and to pass a DESE‑approved language exam (the AAPL exam was cited) to qualify.
Why it matters: the Seal recognizes high proficiency in English plus another language (reading, writing, listening and speaking), a credential the presenter said can help with college placement, credit and job applications. The presenter encouraged earlier identification of candidates so juniors can be prepared for the exam during their 11th grade year.
Details and costs: the presenter said roughly 40 students initially requested information, 28 were eligible and took the exam, and that the AAPL exam fee is modest (the presenter cited about $25 per student for the AAPL exam). She also said languages represented included primarily Portuguese, with Spanish and French among others; the presenter offered to provide exact counts on follow‑up.
Next steps: staff said they will identify eligible students earlier, strengthen writing supports for multilingual learners (who sometimes perform better in oral skills than in school writing), and continue alignment between world‑language and English classes to improve outcomes.
Committee response: members praised the effort and asked for a short follow‑up with exact language counts and a confirmation of any costs for families. The committee thanked staff for the outreach that produced the increased participation.
The committee did not take any formal vote on the program during the meeting; staff said they will return data and suggested next steps to administrators.
