Forty students at Kewanee High School have been recognized as Seal of Biliteracy and Commendation toward Biliteracy scholars.
The award is given annually by the Illinois State Board of Education to students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in Spanish and English.
An official seal will be placed on the diplomas and transcripts of the students who qualify. This designation provides universities and employers with a method of formally identifying people with language biliteracy skills.
Two honors are available, the Seal of Biliteracy and the Commendation toward Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who earn a top score on the English portion of the ACT and a high proficiency level on the STAMP test using a scale set by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages. The Commendation toward Biliteracy is awarded to students whose proficiency level is rated at intermediate in their language skills.
“Achieving this level of language proficiency requires dedication, participation and hard work,” according to a news release from the school. The STAMP assessment is a rigorous three-hour test in which students have to listen to lengthy authentic audio pieces, read articles, write essays and record speaking samples to random prompts.
“Earning this award gives the students validation of their Spanish skills and encourages them to keep learning and speaking the language in the future,” the release said.
The Seal of Biliteracy program encourages students to have a strong development of linguistic, cultural and communicative competence.
Literacy in two or more languages represents a challenging academic standard and enables students to participate more fully in a global arena. These skills provide a foundation for college and career readiness in an increasingly interdependent world.
