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District presents Seal of Biliteracy and Seal of Civic Readiness; student participation climbs
Summary
District presenters described requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy (68 students applied; 64 have completed) and the Seal of Civic Readiness (about 104 current applicants), highlighting capstone projects such as a student-led voter registration drive and safety-related traffic studies.
District staff gave back-to-back presentations explaining two credentialing programs available to students: the Seal of Biliteracy and the Seal of Civic Readiness.
A world-language presenter explained the Seal of Biliteracy’s purpose and criteria, saying the recognition honors bilingual and multilingual students. The presenter reported 68 students were pursuing the Seal this year, with 64 already meeting the requirements; they listed languages being pursued this year as Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Telugu, Russian, Italian, Serbian and Japanese. The presenter described primary pathways for earning the Seal—Regents diploma requirements plus three points from English and world-language criteria—and explained the culminating project, which is presented to a small teacher panel and recorded for auditability.
Jim Smith, identified in the meeting as the district’s social supervisor, described the Seal of Civic Readiness. He summarized the point system (six points required: at least two from civic knowledge and two from civic participation) and noted that many pathways are embedded in coursework. Smith gave participation figures (124 students two years ago, 84 last year and about 104 this year) and highlighted recent student capstones, including a largely student-led voter registration drive that the presenter said registered nearly 100 students and a traffic-study project addressing safety in front of school facilities.
Board members asked detailed questions about how culminating projects are evaluated, how students not enrolled in district language classes are supported, and how parents are notified. Presenters said teachers embed project components in curriculum, recording presentations in Google Classroom and working individually with students who study languages outside the district.
District staff and board members discussed ways to increase visibility for student capstones (exhibits at school events, parent communications) and to ensure seniors who complete coursework in the first semester are made aware of application timelines.
The presentations concluded with a call for further outreach to parents and freshmen to grow participation in both seals in coming years.
