| Chapter 399 |
| 2022 -- H 7607 Enacted 06/30/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- BILITERACY SEAL |
Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Kislak, Alzate, Giraldo, Ranglin-Vassell, McNamara, Biah, Felix, Kazarian, and Caldwell |
| Date Introduced: March 02, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-22.2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-22.2 entitled "Biliteracy |
| Seal" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 16-22.2-2. State seal of biliteracy. |
| (a) A state seal of biliteracy is established to recognize high school graduates who have |
| attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more |
| languages, in addition to English. The state seal of biliteracy shall be awarded by the commissioner. |
| School district participation in this program shall be voluntary. |
| (b) The purposes of the state seal of biliteracy are as follows: |
| (1) To encourage pupils to study languages; |
| (2) To certify attainment of biliteracy; |
| (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy |
| skills; |
| (4) To provide universities with an additional method to recognize applicants seeking |
| admission; |
| (5) To prepare pupils with twenty-first century skills; |
| (6) To recognize the value of foreign language, and native language instruction, and |
| multilingual education in public schools. For the purpose of this section "foreign language" means |
| any language other than English, including all modern languages, Latin, American sign language, |
| native American languages, and native languages; and |
| (7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the value of diversity, and honor the |
| multiple cultures and languages of a community. |
| (c)(1) The state seal of biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a |
| graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English. |
| (2) The Seal of Biliteracy can be achieved at two (2) levels: |
| (i) The Rhode Island Gold Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who have |
| demonstrated their ability to narrate and describe in past, present, and future in a world language. |
| Their language functions allow them to deal effectively with unanticipated complications. The gold |
| level is aligned with the ACTFL "Advanced Low" Proficiency Guidelines (2012). |
| Students will earn a Gold Seal of "Biliteracy if they meet the performance standard on a |
| world language assessment from the Rhode Island department of education (RIDE)-approved |
| assessment list. |
| (ii) The Rhode Island Silver Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who have |
| demonstrated their ability to create with the language, ask and answer simple questions, and handle |
| a simple transaction in a world language. The silver level is aligned with the ACTFL "Intermediate |
| Mid" Proficiency guidelines Guidelines (2012). |
| Students will earn a Silver Seal of Biliteracy if they meet the performance standard on an |
| English assessment and the silver-level performance standard on a world language assessment from |
| the RIDE-approved assessment list. |
| (d) The council on elementary and secondary education shall promulgate such regulations |
| of the commissioner as may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must achieve to earn |
| a state seal of biliteracy, which may include, but shall not be limited to, attainment of units of credit |
| in English language arts and languages other than English; passage of state assessments in English |
| language arts and languages other than English; and passage of such additional assessments of |
| foreign language proficiency as may be approved by the commissioner for this purpose. |
| (e) The commissioner shall do both of the following: |
| (1) Prepare and deliver, to participating school districts, an appropriate insignia to be |
| affixed to the diploma and transcript of the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a state |
| seal of biliteracy by the commissioner. |
| (2) Provide other information they deem necessary for school districts to successfully |
| participate in the program. |
| (f) A school district that participates in the program under this section shall do both of the |
| following: |
| (1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify pupils who have earned a state seal of |
| biliteracy. |
| (2) Affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma and transcript of each pupil who earns a |
| state seal of biliteracy. |
| (g) No fee shall be charged to a pupil pursuant to this section. |
| SECTION 2. Chapter 16-22.2 of the General Laws entitled "Biliteracy Seal" is hereby |
| amended by adding thereto the following section: |
| 16-22.2-3. Earning college credit for the Seal of Biliteracy. |
| (a) For admissions purposes, each public university and public community college in this |
| state shall accept the state Silver Seal of Biliteracy and the Gold Seal of Biliteracy as world |
| language coursework if taken during high school and if a student's high school transcript indicates |
| that he or she will be receiving or has received the state Seal of Biliteracy. The amount of world |
| language coursework credit awarded would be based on the discretion of the respective public |
| university and public community college. |
| (b) Each public community college and public university in this state shall establish criteria |
| to translate a state Silver and Gold Seal of Biliteracy into course credit based on world language |
| course equivalencies identified by the community college's or university's faculty and staff and, |
| upon request from an enrolled student, the community college or university shall award world |
| language course credit toward a minor, major or concentration in the language or general education |
| course credit to a student who has received a state Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a public |
| community college or public university who have received a state Seal of Biliteracy must request |
| course credit for their Seal within three (3) academic years after graduating from high school. |
| (c) The criteria required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be publicly |
| displayed on the website of each public university and each public community college by June 30, |
| 2024. |
| SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004386 |
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