World Languages

The State Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or county office of education to high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English.

The Seal of Biliteracy was established per Assembly Bill No. 815 effective Jan. 1, 2012 and it was amended in 2017 per Assembly Bill No. 1142 (AB-1142) effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy

Attention 2022 High School Graduates 

For 2022 graduates who attended schools opting to administer another standards-aligned assessment rather than the CAASPP during the 2020–21 school year, that assessment may be used to demonstrate proficiency in English provided the assessment meets the criteria adopted by the SBE (EC Section 51461[f]). The assessment used was required to be:

• Aligned with California Common Core State Standards for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics
• Available to assess students in the grade level(s) in which the state summative assessment is not the most viable option (within grades three through eight and grade 11) 
• Uniformly administered across a grade span, school, or district

For more information, visit the CDE Seal of Biliteracy page. 

English Language Criteria (ALL are required)

• Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above
• Passing the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for English language arts administered in grade 11 at or above the “standard met” achievement level
• For English learners not reclassified, demonstrate English proficiency on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)

Criteria for proficiency in a language other than English (only ONE is required)

• Passage of a world language Advanced Placement (AP) examination with a score of 3 or higher, or an International Baccalaureate (IB) examination with a score of 4 or more
• Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language, attaining an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in that course of study, and demonstration of oral proficiency in the language comparable to that required to pass an AP or IB examination
• Passage of a district test with a score of proficient or higher (if no AP examination or off the shelf language tests exists and the school district can certify that the test meets the level of an AP exam), demonstrating proficiency in all of the modes of communication (reading, writing, and speaking) that characterize communication in the language
• Passage of the SAT II world language examination with a score of 600 or higher

The Seal of Biliteracy in San Diego County

Districts and charter schools in San Diego County that have a board-adopted Seal of Biliteracy and/or Pathway to Biliteracy Awards policy are honored at the San Diego County Office of Education's Annual Biliteracy Symposium. Past districts and schools who have been recognized are as follows:

• Borrego Springs Unified School District – 2010
• Cajon Valley Union School District - 2019
• Chula Vista Elementary School District - 2013
• Coronado Unified School District - 2015
• Encinitas Union School District - 2014
• Epiphany Prep Charter School - Pathway - 2020
• Escondido Union School District - Pathway - 2020
• Escondido Union High School District - 2012 
• Fallbrook Union High School District - 2015​
• Grossmont Union High School District – 2012  
• Guajome Schools - 2017
• Juvenile Court and Community Schools, SDCOE - 2019
• Kavod Charter School - Pathway - 2020
• Lakeside Union School District – 2012
• Lemon Grove School District – 2011
• National School District - 2018
• Oceanside Unified School District - 2016​
• Poway Unified School District - 2017
• Ramona Un​ified School District - 2015​
• San Diego Unified School District – 2011
• San Dieguito Union High School District - 2016​​
• San Ysidro School District – 2011
• South Bay Union School District - 2014
• Sweetwater Union High School District – 2009
• The Preuss School, UCSD - 2016
• Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District – 2011 
• Vista Unified School District - 2019

Please contact us for examples of board policy.

California State Seal of Biliteracy and Biliteracy Pathway Awards Workshop

Wherever you are in your journey of implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy and/or Biliteracy Pathways, join us for this free workshop. We offer this workshop periodically. Please reach out to us to get more details. 

Additional Information and Resources

• California Department of Education’s Seal of Biliteracy Page
• SealofBiliteracy.org
• Californians Together Seal of Biliteracy Page
• SSB Booklet in English - (.docx)
• Folleto del programa SSB en español - (.docx)

Developed by the San Diego County Office of Education in partnership with international organizations

The Two Shores virtual intercultural exchange program partners schools in San Diego County with similar schools in Spain, France, and the Philippines. The purpose of the Two Shores program is to provide participating schools opportunities for authentic and meaningful collaboration to expand horizons, remove barriers and promote communication, intercultural understanding, and global competence. Join us to learn about this program and how you could implement this innovative work in your school or district.

An Engaging Experience Designed To:

• Establish international ties and a collaborative framework for participating schools in San Diego County, Spain, France, and the Philippines
• Promote the use of the Spanish, French, Filipino, and English languages in the context of authentic communicative situations for students and teachers 
• Advance the development of multicultural and global competencies, and enhance the awareness of diverse sociocultural realities
• Support instruction that is aligned to the educational standards of participating countries
• Facilitate and advance the exchange of educational experiences, resources, materials, methods, and best practices among teachers

Two Shores Unique Opportunities

Through the Two Shores program, participating teachers and administrators  have the opportunity to engage in a Global Competence Professional Learning Series organized in collaboration with the California Global Education Project. This learning series is designed for teachers to deepen their understanding of global competence and immediately apply their new learning within the context of the intercultural exchange, with the support of partner schools and experts in the field. Additional information will be available soon. 

Learn more about each program below.