Georgia's Seal of Biliteracy (HB 879) was signed into law on May 3, 2016, establishing a Seal of Biliteracy for the state of Georgia. The Seal of Biliteracy will be available for graduating high school students starting in 2016/2017. With the issuance of the seal Georgia joins a large group of states that recognize the importance and advantages students gain by becoming bilingual and biliterate.
For a complete list of states and additional information on the Seal of Biliteracy visit the SealofBiliteracy.org site.
The headings below provide more information about the Seal of Biliteracy. Click here additional information from the current version of the (HB 879) bill.
Purpose The purposes of the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy are as follows:
- To encourage pupils to study foreign languages
- To certify attainment of biliteracy
- To provide employers with a method to identify people with language and biliteracy skills
- To provide universities with a method to recognize and give academic credit to applicants seeking admission
- To recognize and promote foreign language instruction in public schools
Requirements - In order to qualify for the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy, a high school graduate shall meet the following criteria:
- Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in those classes
- Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, demonstrated by:
- passing a foreign language advanced placement examination with a score of 4 or higher
- passing an international baccalaureate examination with a score of 5 or higher
- for languages in which an advanced placement examination is not available, please see the listing of equivalent summative examinations the Department of Education has provided that local school systems may use in place of such an advanced placement examination.
Reporting of Qualifying Students
Schools with qualifying students insterested in applying for the Biliteracy Seal must complete the report sheet​ and submit it by May 1st to the Program Specialist for World Languages and Workforce Initiatives at the GaDOE
Approved proficiency exams and required minimum scores or proficiency levels