What: The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy Newsletter is published by the Outreach Subcommittee of the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy Council.

Why: The purpose of the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy newsletter is to provide you with important information about the Seal of Biliteracy, resources to help you honor and celebrate your students who earn the Seal, and updates to the Seal of Biliteracy Policy.

How: The newsletter will be shared with the Seal of Biliteracy listserv 3-4 times a year.

The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy has been created to recognize high school graduates who exhibit language proficiency in English and at least one additional world language. The Seal may be awarded to any student receiving a high school diploma, a high school certificate of completion, or a high school equivalency certificate and who has demonstrated Intermediate High Proficiency on acceptable world language assessments. The purpose of the Seal is to encourage students to study world languages and embrace their native and heritage languages. The Seal will provide employers with a way to identify individuals with strong language and biliteracy skills. The Seal may serve as an additional tool for Colleges and Universities to recognize applicants' language abilities for admission and placement.

The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy requires students to meet the following criteria:

• Meet graduation requirements
• Demonstrate Intermediate High Proficiency on world language assessments

Welcome to our newest feature. In each newsletter, we hope to highlight a Michigan Seal of Biliteracy Recipient. This winter, we are celebrating Mayalena Alvarez. Mayalena is a student at Loy Norrix High School and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Congratulations on your Michigan Seal of Biliteracy, Mayalena, and best wishes as you continue studying Spanish in college!

Read more about Mayalena below!

Could you share with us a little about your earliest experiences with languages and cultures?

At home, I was raised in Spanish and English. But going to high school in the US, English is spoken everywhere. Taking Spanish classes at school and at college has helped me stay connected to the language. It helps me communicate with my family. Spanish was always important for me to pursue because it’s a part of me.

What motivated you to pursue the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy?

To be officially certified in Spanish

What benefits do you see to the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy?

I know that this Seal will open doors to careers that may not be available to non-bilingual people.

How has the Seal impacted you personally?

It has evoked a sense of pride, being multilingual,as well as helped me get jobs. This Seal has also motivated me to pursue university-level Spanish.

What's next on your language journey?

I plan to learn more languages in the future but also to deepen my knowledge of Spanish and Latino culture.

Click the image below to find an up-to-date list of the commercial assessments that have been approved by MDE for the Seal of Biliteracy.

Western Michigan University's College of Education and Human Development is partnering with public and private schools, community organizations, and others by offering Seal of Biliteracy Assessments at Western. See the flyer below for more information, and contact Dr. Robert Randez at Robert.Randez@wmich.edu for more information.

For languages without commercial assessments or when the cost of an approved commercial assessment is more than $200, contact MDE (MDE-EL@Michigan.gov) to request approval to use the Alternative Process for Assessment. Approval must be requested at least one month before the date of the assessment.

Once the request is approved, a district/school Seal of Biliteracy Committee must be established. The committee must include a formally trained language speaker and writer of the language who has an understanding of/experience using the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. If a formally trained language speaker who is also familiar with the ACTFL proficiency guidelines cannot be found, an interpreter/translator may be used to assist the committee, which must include at least one person with experience using the ACTFL proficiency guidelines for assessment.

The Committee is responsible for assessing all applicable domains using the guidelines below:

• Listening/Reading: Select authentic age-appropriate resources and create questions to assess the material.
• Speaking: Create tasks that verify the level of language proficiency required to earn the Seal in Speaking.
• Writing: Create tasks that verify the level of language proficiency required to earn the Seal in Writing.

Sample prompts and additional guidelines can be found on page 25 of the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy Policy.

Michigan districts have many options to help fund student assessments for the Seal of Biliteracy.

• Districts that are just beginning to provide funding for the assessments may choose to use their Title IV funding (subject to supplement, not supplant rules).
• Districts can use general funds to pay for student assessments.
• ISDs, RESAs, and AESA may help offset costs.
• Local donors can provide funding.

In instances where funding can't be leveraged, students may also pay for the assessments for the Seal of Biliteracy.

Use the image below to think about which buckets your district may use to fund assessments.

Thank you to Michael Vrooman and Grand Valley State University. This interactive map shows where the Seal is being awarded, recognized, and celebrated.

• Michigan Seal of Biliteracy Website
• For questions regarding the Seal, contact: mde-el@michigan.gov