It is essential for school administrators and educators to provide learners with the best educational opportunities. Understanding your state’s unique guidelines and eligibility criteria ensures students take the right assessments to complete the requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy.
For high school students who have achieved proficiency in English and at least one other language upon graduation, the Seal of Biliteracy is an award that can support them in obtaining scholarships, studying abroad, and pursuing more career options.
This guide explores the state-by-state requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy and how implementing the program at your school can provide students with valuable opportunities.
State Requirements and Eligibility Criteria for the Seal of Biliteracy
The State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to high school students who have achieved a minimum level of proficiency in two or more languages by graduation. “Proficiency” refers to how well someone understands a language and communicates accurately. Each state determines proficiency minimums. This award comes in the form of a seal on a high school diploma, and students can receive the award from their school, school district, or state.
All human languages qualify for attaining a Seal of Biliteracy, including Latin and American Sign Language (ASL). Each state typically sets its own criteria for the state Seal, though states may allow schools, school districts, or local municipalities within the state to determine required proficiency levels independently. Most often, the required proficiency levels set for the Seal range between Intermediate Mid and Intermediate High based on ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
Here are the state-by-state requirements for the seal of biliteracy:
Alabama
The Alabama State Department of Education awards the Seal of Biliteracy to graduating students with intermediate level proficiency in English and another world language. They must graduate high school with at least a 2.5 point GPA for each ELA required credit, achieve a minimum proficiency score in a national English benchmark, and demonstrate an Intermediate Mid level or better on an approved assessment’s four components.
Alaska
The Alaska Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who meet the State Seal of Biliteracy requirements in language arts and demonstrate proficiency in at least two languages. They also need to achieve an Intermediate Mid level or higher, based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines in the other target language.
Arizona
The Arizona Seal of Biliteracy has language categories for world language proficiency. The proficiency level for Category I-III Languages, like Spanish and German, is typically Intermediate Mid, whereas for Category IV languages, like Mandarin Chinese and Korean, it is usually Intermediate Low.
Students can demonstrate their proficiency through evidence-based proficiency, also known as classroom seat time. They can also take an approved assessment such as the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL).
Arkansas
The Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy was officially endorsed by the Arkansas State Board of Education in June 2018. Students need to show their proficiency in writing, reading, listening, and speaking in their target language and pass approved assessments like the AAPPL.
California
The California Department of Education awards the California State Seal of Biliteracy to students who complete all English language graduation requirements and receive a grade point average of 2.0 or above for those classes. Additionally, students need to demonstrate their proficiency in another language through a method set by the state.
Colorado
According to the Colorado Department of Education, students interested in a Seal of Biliteracy should attain and showcase their proficiency in English through English Language Arts (ELA) coursework, attaining a grade point average of 3.0. They must also demonstrate proficiency in a world language through an Advanced Placement (AP) assessment, an International Baccalaureate (IB) test, a four-year high school course, or a nationally recognized test. On the AAPPL, students must score an I-4 (Intermediate Mid range) in all components.
Connecticut
The Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes public high school graduates who achieve an Intermediate Mid level of proficiency in a second language and English. Demonstrating proficiency in English requires students to complete all ELA requirements and pass approved assessments. For other world languages, learners must achieve the minimum required scores on one of the assessments listed by the state department of education.
Delaware
The Delaware Seal of Multiliteracy is this state’s version of the Seal of Biliteracy. It has two levels: Gold and Diamond. Students must show English proficiency through typical high school graduation requirements. They must also achieve either Intermediate Mid level in the other language for a Gold certificate or Advanced Low proficiency for a Diamond certificate.
Florida
The Florida Seal of Biliteracy Program is awarded as a Silver or Gold Seal based on whether students earn an Intermediate Mid or Advanced Low proficiency level, respectively. Learners earn Seals by demonstrating proficiency on English Language Learner (ELL) assessments and showcasing a high level of proficiency in the other target language.
Georgia
To qualify for the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy, students must complete all ELA requirements with at least a 3.0 GPA and a score of 4 or higher on a foreign language advanced placement examination. For languages in which the AP examination is not available, the Georgia Department of Education calls for an Intermediate High score on equivalent summative assessments.
Hawaii
To earn the Hawaii Seal of Biliteracy, students must be enrolled as graduating seniors in a Hawaii public or charter school. They must also achieve a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA upon graduation in ELA courses and demonstrate proficiency in ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi or another additional language.
Idaho
Students who want to achieve the Idaho Seal of Biliteracy must demonstrate proficiency in a world language at an Intermediate Mid level or higher. They can achieve this by taking national or international assessments approved by the state board of education and passing an IB examination with a score of 4 or higher.
Illinois
Illinois school districts award high school graduates with a State Seal of Biliteracy when they demonstrate their proficiency through various assessments, such as the AAPPL, and achieve at least an Intermediate Low level in the other language.
Indiana
The Indiana Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency has one award level. Students must achieve an Intermediate High level in English and another world language. They must pass an approved assessment found through the Indiana Department of Education to claim the certificate.
Iowa
In Iowa, the Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who demonstrate proficiency in English through approved assessments and achieve a grade of Intermediate Mid or higher in their other target language. Some of the accepted assessments include the AAPPL, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI®), and the AP Language and Culture exams.
Kansas
The Kansas Seal of Biliteracy was first adopted in 2016 and had two award levels: Gold and Silver. Students need to meet all the Seal requirements by proving their proficiency in English and another language. They can take the AAPPL or another qualifying proficiency exam aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Kentucky
High school graduates who attain proficiency in a non-English language and English can be awarded the Kentucky Seal of Biliteracy. They must meet all the high school language arts requirements as per 704 KAR 3:305 or pass an approved assessment for English. This Seal also requires students to achieve at least an Intermediate Mid, equivalent, or higher level in a world language other than English.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have achieved a high level of proficiency in English and one or more other target languages. Learners must achieve at least Intermediate High proficiency in their second language.
Maine
Students who achieve proficiency in English and another world language can earn the Maine Seal of Biliteracy. Meeting all the graduation requirements for high school and passing Department of Education-approved assessments qualify learners for proficiency in English. They must also score at least an Intermediate Mid level or higher in a second language, demonstrated through approved assessments such as the AAPPL, to attain the Maine Seal of Biliteracy.
Maryland
To achieve the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy, students from participating school systems need to achieve the required score on the English 10 PARCC/MCAP assessment. They also need to prove Intermediate High Proficiency on the approved world language assessments, which include the AAPPL.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy offers two levels: the Seal of Biliteracy and the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction. Both require students to meet the Competency Determinations’ ELA requirements. For non-English language proficiency, learners must achieve an Intermediate High level for the Seal of Biliteracy and an Advanced Low level for the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction.
Michigan
Students must pass an approved assessment to demonstrate proficiency in English and one or more world languages to attain the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy. For a non-English language, proficiency is recognized as Intermediate High by ACTFL standards. This Seal offers many pathways and assessments to achieve it, including ELA, SAT, AP, and IB.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Bilingual or Multilingual Seal was adopted in 2014. There are two award levels: the Gold Seal and the Platinum Seal. Students must meet ELA graduation requirements. They must also demonstrate proficiency in the four modalities of communication in their other target language.
Mississippi
Students can claim the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy by achieving proficiency in English and another world language before graduating high school. Its two Seals, Silver and Gold, can be attained by reaching Intermediate Mid level and Advanced Low level of proficiency on state ELA assessments, respectively.
Missouri
The Missouri Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to graduating high school students who are enrolled in districts with a state-approved program and demonstrate sociocultural competence. This Seal has two award levels: the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy and the Distinguished Missouri Seal of Biliteracy. Learners need to pass accepted assessments such as the AAPPL and submit an essay demonstrating their sociocultural competence related to the target language.
Montana
The Montana Seal of Biliteracy is awarded on two levels: the Gold Seal of Biliteracy and the Platinum Seal of Biliteracy. To earn the Gold Seal, students must reach Intermediate Mid proficiency. The Platinum Seal requires higher scores at an Advanced Low proficiency level.
Nebraska
Nebraska offers three levels of the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. To achieve the Silver proficiency level, the student should demonstrate an Intermediate Mid performance in accordance with ACTFL standards. A Gold-level student should be able to showcase a proficiency equivalent to an Intermediate High as defined by ACTFL. Platinum recipients demonstrate Advanced Low or higher proficiency.
Nevada
The Nevada Seal of Biliteracy was first adopted in 2015. Students must complete all ELA courses required for graduation with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. They need to pass an AP exam in a world language, an IB exam, or an exam in a world language approved by the school district board.
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Seal of Biliteracy can be awarded to high school and middle school students. The Junior Seal of Biliteracy is offered to middle school learners who pass at least two world language courses and complete an adult-verified assessment in either English or a Native American language. High school students must meet Intermediate Mid level proficiency in English and another world language for the Silver Seal of Biliteracy and Intermediate High for the Gold Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who meet the ELA graduation requirements and show proficiency at a minimum of Intermediate Mid level in the other target language. English Language Learners must achieve a score of 4 or higher on all sections of Tier B or Tier C of the ACCESS for ELLs assessment in their junior year of high school.
New Mexico
Students must meet the graduation requirements to demonstrate English proficiency and attain a grade of C or higher in four units of the target language. Students can demonstrate proficiency through certification by a Native American tribe, units of credit and an assessment, units of credit and an alternative process portfolio, or an assessment and an alternative process portfolio.
New York
Receiving the New York Seal of Biliteracy requires completing a Home Language Arts Program or coursework in English or another world language with an average of 85% or higher. Students may also earn points toward the Seal of Biliteracy by attaining a set score on an approved assessment in English and a world language.
North Carolina
This state’s Seal, known as the North Carolina Global Languages Endorsement, is one of the seven High School Diploma Endorsements available to graduates in North Carolina. To earn this endorsement, students must complete English IV or meet the state-defined proficiency score for a nationally norm-referenced external exam. Learners must also demonstrate their proficiency in the other language by establishing at least an Intermediate Low score on the ACTFL proficiency scale.
North Dakota
The North Dakota Seal of Biliteracy has two award levels, Silver and Gold, and offers learners multiple routes to prove their language proficiency. Students need to demonstrate proficiency through a state-approved assessment. They must also demonstrate sociocultural competency as determined by each district.
Ohio
The Ohio Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to learners who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and Intermediate High or higher in at least one other world language. Students need to demonstrate their competencies in speaking, reading, comprehension, and writing in the other target language at an Intermediate High level or higher, according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (2024).
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Department of Education honors learners who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English. To achieve this Seal, students must demonstrate proficiency in English and another language at least an Intermediate Mid or Advanced Low level on the ACTFL scale.
Oregon
To achieve the Oregon Seal of Biliteracy, students must complete all state and district graduation requirements and meet the Essential Skills for reading and writing in English. Learners can demonstrate their high level of proficiency by passing one or more examinations identified by the state Department of Education or by providing a work sample or portfolio that demonstrates proficiency.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Education states that schools or districts may only award students the Pennsylvania Seal of Biliteracy if they attain an Intermediate High proficiency in English and at least one world language.
Rhode Island
Students who want to achieve the Rhode Island Seal of Biliteracy will need to demonstrate their proficiency through state-approved assessments for English and the AAPPL or other approved option for the second target language. This Seal has a Silver and Gold award level depending on the level of proficiency (Intermediate Mid for Silver and Advanced Low for Gold).
South Carolina
The South Carolina Seal of Biliteracy has three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. To achieve it, students need to demonstrate their English proficiency on approved assessments. For the other target language, they need to achieve Intermediate Mid for the Bronze Seal, Intermediate High for the Silver Seal, and Advanced Low for the Gold Seal.
South Dakota
South Dakota is similar to Nebraska in providing Silver and Gold Seals of Biliteracy. The South Dakota Department of Education requires that students meet all South Dakota high school graduation requirements. They may receive a Silver or Gold Seal depending on the proficiency scores they attain from an approved world language assessment (Intermediate Mid for Silver and Advanced Low for Gold).
Tennessee
The Tennessee Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students recognized by Local Education Agencies (LEAs). They must reach an Intermediate Mid or higher level of proficiency in a non-English language, complete all ELA requirements with a GPA of 3.0 or more, or demonstrate their English proficiency through an assessment like the AP Language or Literature exams.
Texas
The Texas Seal of Biliteracy is known as the Performance Acknowledgment in Bilingualism and Biliteracy. Students can earn this acknowledgment by demonstrating Intermediate High proficiency in English and at least one additional world language.
If the 2025-2026 updates to the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy legislation, HB 1579, are approved, the criteria may include other activities, projects, or portfolios and won’t rely solely on a specialized examination.
Utah
The Utah Seal of Biliteracy demonstrates proficiency at the Intermediate Mid level or higher and includes languages such as ASL and Native American languages. Students need to complete an accepted assessment, such as the ACTFL AAPPL. They can also submit a portfolio that combines the ACTFL OPI or Oral Proficiency Interview-Computer (OPIc®) and the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT®).
Vermont
The Vermont Organization of Classic and Language Educators awards the Vermont Seal of Biliteracy to students who achieve a minimum level of Intermediate Mid in a non-English language and meet or exceed their ELA graduation requirements. They can demonstrate their proficiency through various approved assessments, including ACTFL and IB exams.
Virginia
The Virginia Department of Education awards the Virginia Seal of Biliteracy to students who achieve the requirements for a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma. The learner must also attain an Intermediate Mid level or higher in the other target language and can demonstrate this with assessments such as the AAPPL.
Washington
The Washington Seal has one award level, and to qualify, students must fulfill high school graduation requirements and achieve an Intermediate Mid level of proficiency in one or more world languages other than English.
West Virginia
Receiving the West Virginia Seal of Biliteracy requires students to demonstrate a minimum of Intermediate Mid level in English and the other target language. This Seal has one award level and is presented on the learner’s diploma and transcript when achieved.
Wisconsin
The Department of Public Instruction initiated the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy in 2015. It is an industry-recognized credential that students with an Intermediate High or better proficiency in English and another language can attain by graduation.
Wyoming
The Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy has two levels: the Wyoming State Seal of Biliteracy and the State Seal of Biliteracy with Advanced Distinction. Students need to take an approved world language assessment to demonstrate their proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language (Intermediate Mid for the State Seal and Intermediate High for the Seal with distinction).
Valuable Tools and Resources for Enhancing Bilingual Language Learning
Educators can use various resources to prepare for their students’ upcoming assessments. For example, reading comprehension classroom lessons or online resources can help students practice listening and vocabulary exercises and prepare for tests.
How Language Testing International® Facilitates the Path to Biliteracy
Partnering with a reputable company can help your students improve their proficiency levels and put them on the path toward the Seal of Biliteracy. Language Testing International® (LTI) is the exclusive licensee of ACTFL® assessments and a leader in administering language proficiency testing, delivering reliable ACTFL assessments for over 120 languages in more than 60 countries.
LTI is the only authorized provider of ACTFL assessments, and it administers a range of ACTFL language proficiency-based assessments. This includes the widely used AAPPL, which is available in 12 languages. The ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment (ALIRA) is also an excellent option for students learning Latin. LTI further supports the Seal of Biliteracy with the ACTFL WPT & OPI for the Seal of Biliteracy bundle, which is available in 24 less commonly tested languages.
Contact us for more information about testing options today.
