[lg policy] New Jersey: Seal of Biliteracy to adorn 61 Haddonfield diplomas

[Harold Schiffman]

Seal of Biliteracy to adorn 61 Haddonfield diplomas

More than 60 of Haddonfield Memorial High School’s 2017 graduates are being
recognized by the state of New Jersey. More than 60 of Haddonfield Memorial
High School’s 2017 graduates are being recognized by the state of New
Jersey.

Sixty-one students at Haddonfield Memorial High School will graduate with
the New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas. This marks the
first year Haddonfield will have graduates recognized by the state for
their high degree of proficiency in speaking, writing and reading two
languages.

New Jersey became the 15th state to implement a statewide Seal of
Biliteracy in January 2016. To attain the seal, students must demonstrate
intermediate proficiency in a world language and meet state high school
graduation requirements in English.

Carrie Trantas, World Language Department chair at HMHS, said one of the
school’s German teachers, Christopher Gwin, who has since retired from the
school, was on the committee that put forward the legislation to implement
the Seal of Biliteracy in 2016.

For that reason, the school was aware of the program and decided to have
students take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages’
Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages. Students must
score a three or higher in all modes of the ACTFL’s AAPPL test to earn the
seal on their diploma in their junior or senior year or a score of four or
higher on the Advanced Placement World Language and Culture exam in their
junior year.

Trantas said students from Haddonfield’s Advanced Placement French, German
and Spanish courses took the AAPPL test in February. She said George
Henderson was the only student at Haddonfield to score an “A” for Advanced
on all four components of the test, and Sophia Hamilton, Natalie Zucca,
Grace Herdelin and Diego Meucci were the only four students to score an “A”
on three of the four components.

David G. Greer, director of the Office of Academics and Coordinator of
World Languages at the state Department of Education, said attaining a Seal
of Biliteracy is a way for students to set themselves apart.

“What the seal of biliteracy does is it opens up opportunities for pursuing
higher education and the workforce,” Greer said.

More employers are looking for workers with bilingual proficiences, Greer
said.

Eighty schools in the state are participating in the Seal of Biliteracy
Program. Nationwide, 25 states and Washington, D.C., have Seal of
Biliteracy programs. While participation in the program is voluntary, Greer
said the Department of Education’s hope is eventually every New Jersey
school will participate.

David Saenz, press secretary at the state Department of Education, said he
thinks as time goes on, more school districts will see the Seal’s benefit
to students.

Trantas said some universities offer academic credit to students with the
seal, and now, more students at HMHS are realizing that attaining a Seal of
Biliteracy is something that could further them both academically and in
the workforce.

https://haddonfieldsun.com/seal-of-biliteracy-to-adorn-61-haddonfield-diplomas-62521c986c26

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