Seal of Biliteracy
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in two or more languages by high school graduation. The Seal of Biliteracy takes the form of a gold seal that appears on the transcript or diploma of the graduating senior.
Qualify for the Silver Seal*
English (One of the following)
- ACT English Section – 18-19
- English II State Test – 4
- ELPT (taken in grades 9-12) - 4 in all domains
AND
Additional Language
- Avant STAMP – 5 in all domains & composite
Benefits of the Seal
Qualify for the Gold Seal*
English (One of the following)
- ACT English Section – 20+
- English II State Test – 5
- ELPT (taken in grades 9-12) - 5 in all domains
AND
Additional Language
- Avant STAMP – 7 in all domains & composite
How do I test for the Additional Language?
Avant STAMP can be taken at your high school. Contact your school counselor or the EL Teacher at your school for more information.
More questions? Complete the Contact Form at the bottom of this page.
Tips for Biliteracy Seal Test Takers
What to Expect
• 4 Sections – Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking
• You can take Reading or Listening first
• Once you take Reading, you can take Writing / Once you take Listening, you can take Speaking.
• Reading and Listening have around 30 questions
• Speaking and Writing have 3 prompts
• The test adapts to how well you do, so if you are doing well you will get harder questions.
• The test is untimed. Students take 3 hours on average.
Practicing
• Try the Avant STAMP 4S Sample Tests at https://avantassessment.com/sample-tests
• Read the Power Up Guide and Rubrics to see what is expected for Speaking & Writing Responses https://avantassessment.com/stamppower-up-guide
What to Bring
• Your 1 to 1 Device and charger
• A snack – the test is long!
What Not to Bring
• Your phone
• Pencil or paper (Note Taking is not allowed!)
A Note about Keyboards
If the language you will be testing in uses the same alphabet as English, special characters will be built into the test. If the language you are testing in uses a different alphabet, a teacher will get with you about keyboard options, or you can choose to take the writing section with pencil and paper.
What about Retesting?
One Domain
Once you get your results, you may find that you would like to retest in a single domain (e.g. Speaking) in order to get all domains to a 5 or 7. If this is the case, you can contact your school to schedule a retest. You can retest a single domain for $10 paid to Avant. To retest in one domain, you must complete the retest within 90 days of the test taken.
Multiple Domains
If you would like to improve your score in more than one domain (e.g. Speaking and Writing), you must wait 90 days and follow the same steps you used to take the test originally.