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Challenge attracting ELs in college due to need to learn English while engaging in academic colleges

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worked w/ BHCC to build an accelerated program where ELL students were enrolled in a 4 day a week program. Removed barriers and clear path to advance through. Most were at college level before graduating high school. (Chelsea High Example)

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worked w/ BHCC to build an accelerated program where ELL students were enrolled in a 4 day a week program. Removed barriers and clear path to advance through. Most were at college level before graduating high school. (Chelsea High Example)

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NSCC supports and accepts SSoB:
https://www.doe.mass.edu/scholarships/biliteracy/

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The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to announce a recent and important update regarding the Seal of Biliteracy. Recent legislation has been enacted which allows students who graduate in 2022 to satisfy the English criteria for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy by fulfilling the English Language Arts (ELA) modified competency determination requirements for graduation.
Background: The Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy is an official designation that provides recognition of students who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language. The LOOK Act requires students to demonstrate their proficiency in English by means of the Grade 10 English Language Arts (ELA) MCAS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some students in the graduating classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 have experienced difficulties accessing the ELA MCAS. Last summer, Chapter 29 of the Acts of 2021 temporarily permitted the Commissioner to "establish an alternative means of demonstrating English language proficiency for the state seal of biliteracy for students in the class of 2020 or 2021." On Monday, December 13, 2021, Governor Baker signed An Act Relative to Immediate Covid-19 Recovery Needs, which extends this provision students who will graduate in 2022. In accordance, 2022 graduates who earn the modified competency determination in ELA will also satisfy the English language criteria for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy.

Implications: School districts may award the State Seal of Biliteracy to 2022 graduates who meet all three of the following requirements:

1. satisfy the modified competency determination requirements for graduation;

2. earn a score of intermediate high or higher on a Department-approved world language assessment; and

3. satisfy all other graduation requirements.

The Department would like to extend our thanks to our partners at the Language Opportunity Coalition for their advocacy in this matter. Please direct any questions related to this update to Andy McDonie .

Guidance and General Information

Enrolling in the Seal of Biliteracy

Please follow the steps outlined below to enroll in the MA State Seal of Biliteracy on WBMS in the Department's Security Portal.

1. Thoroughly read the most recent version of the Seal of Biliteracy Guidance (See Guidance and General Information);

2. Ask your data collection directory administrator to assign you the role of WBMS-District Authorizer in the Security Portal. (Click here to see your district's data collection directory administrator. All questions regarding accessing the Security Portal should be directed to this administrator.)

3. Log into WBMS through the Department's Security Portal.

4. When you log into WBMS in the Security Portal, click on PQA Web Monitoring → LOOK Act → Seal of Biliteracy. (If you do not see PQA Web Monitoring as an option, click on View Your Application List. PQA Web Monitoring should then appear as an option.)

5. Follow the directions on the screen to complete the enrollment process.

The links and materials below may be useful as you implement the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy
In order to qualify for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy, students must demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language. Provided below is a list of assessments of English Language Arts and World Languages and their corresponding minimum threshold scores that the Department has approved for demonstrating proficiency toward the Seal of Biliteracy and the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction. Please note that districts are required to keep records of world language assessments for students who earn the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Accessing the insignia
Districts access the insignia by logging into WBMS on the Department's Security Portal and clicking PQA web monitoring → LOOK Act → Seal of Biliteracy. The image is available for download on that screen.

The Department does not provide awards, but districts are encouraged to recognize students who earn the State Seal of Biliteracy with medals, pins, certificates, or other district-provided recognitions.

DESE Letter to Graduates

Districts report the number of graduates who earned the Seal of Biliteracy through SIMS. This is the only required reporting procedure. Please contact your district's data administrator to report Seal-earning students.

The Department collects more specific data on a volunteer basis. Click on the link below to submit your district's voluntary data to help DESE serve you better.

SIMS Data Report (Required for all districts who are participating in the State Seal of Biliteracy)

To be completed by the district's data administrator

Please ensure the data administrator has the following information:

The names of all graduates who have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy, and

Whether those graduates earned the Seal of Biliteracy or the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction.

Indicate that the Voluntary Data Report is due by 8/31/2021

The Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy provides colleges and universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for attainment of high level skills in languages. Currently nine public institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts provide language on their websites to provide credits for prior learning for students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy. Those institutions include:

Bridgewater State University

Bunker Hill Community College

Cape Cod Community College

Massachusetts Bay Community College

Middlesex Community College

Mount Wachusett Community College

North Shore Community College

Northern Essex Community College

Quinsigamond Community College

Salem State University

Worcester State University

This list continues to grow. Check back for more updates.

Resources for Institutions of Higher Education

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massachusetts department of elementary and secondary education

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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments.

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Challenge-if the the high school is smaller, it is challenging to build a cohort. 

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Challenge-if the the high school is smaller, it is challenging to build a cohort. 

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Accuplacer is a barrier and does not place students appropriately

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Accuplacer is a barrier and does not place students appropriately

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Alternative ways to place students (based on transcript review, recommendations from School counselors and teachers)

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Alternative ways to place students (based on transcript review, recommendations from School counselors and teachers)

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NSCC has an instructor who teaches in Spanish. We need more instructors who can teach this way. Other classes are taught in Spanish and English- 4 classes taught in dual languages. More core classes are taught in Spanish, such as in Early Childhood program.

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NSCC Freshmen classes taught in Spanish- Understanding Higher Ed and Speech.

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Difficult to offer ESL classes for various English Proficiciency Levels. Need to offer more focused courses.

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How do you assess students to determine appropriate course placement?

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How do you assess students to determine appropriate course placement?

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Expanding their understanding of the higher ed options they were not aware of before. Building a college-going identity (that they come to think that college is within their reach)

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Expanding their understanding of the higher ed options they were not aware of before. Building a college-going identity (that they come to think that college is within their reach)

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We need to do co-curricular work with the college to have a UDL approach and create embedded scaffolds for each course in the designations. (Lynn PS)

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We need to do co-curricular work with the college to have a UDL approach and create embedded scaffolds for each course in the designations. (Lynn PS)