[lg policy] Biliterate high school students in Englewood to be |recognized on diplomas

[Harold Schiffman]

Biliterate high school students in Englewood to be |recognized on diplomas
December 24, 2015    Last updated: Thursday, December 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Stephanie Noda

ENGLEWOOD — School administrators will formally recognize the efforts of
bilingual students by placing a Seal of Biliteracy on high school diplomas
next year.

The Board of Education authorized an agreement to participate in the Seal
of Biliteracy during the 2015-2016 school year at its Dec. 10 meeting. The
district agreed to meet the criteria set by Foreign Language Educators of
New Jersey (FLENJ) and New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL-NJBE) for providing the
seal.

Administrators will develop a process guideline for funding for the World
Language assessments to have a plan in place by September 2016, said
Mercedes Gill, the district’s bilingual, ESL and world languages supervisor.

The district is figuring out what assessment to use to test students’
language abilities to receive a Seal of Biliteracy on their diploma. Gill
said Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) testing or Oral
Proficiency Interview (OPI) are currently being considered.

Gill said the district has an "outstanding" dual language program that ends
in the sixth grade. Incorporating a Seal of Biliteracy program in the
district would encourage students to continue their efforts and "see the
value of learning to two languages," she said.

The Seal of Biliteracy will encourage students to become "college and
career ready," said Gil. It will recognize both students who learn English
as a Second Language and native English-speaking students who learn a
second language.

"In the global market, that’s big," said Gil about being bilingual.

The Seal of Biliteracy acts as a "statement of an accomplishment that helps
to signal evidence of a student's readiness for career and college, and for
engagement as a global citizen," according to guidelines from the National
Council of State Supervisors for Languages.

The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy began a pilot program for some
districts in the state during the 2013-2014 school year, according to
NJTESOL-NJBE’s official website. This year, 25 school districts across the
state have chosen to participate in the program, said B.J. Franks, a
representative from NJTESOL-NJBE.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/biliterate-students-to-be-recognized-on-diplomas-1.1479270

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