Colorado Seal of Biliteracy

The Colorado Endorsement of Biliteracy was first adopted in 2017. The Colorado Endorsement of Biliteracy accepts many language tests as a part of a “Body of Evidence” determined by the district. Below you will find more information on the Colorado Endorsement of Biliteracy.

A Seal of Biliteracy is an award that is granted by a school, district, state, or other organization. A Seal of Biliteracy recognizes that an individual has attained a certain level of proficiency in two or more languages. A Seal of Biliteracy is typically awarded in the form of a certificate and can be used as a credential to convey an individual’s proficiency in two or more languages. 

Colorado Seal of Biliteracy Overview

Colorado Seal of Biliteracy Accepted Tests and Assessments

Click on a test below to learn more.

DISCLAIMER: Test requirements and usage often change or vary by school, district, county, etc. Check with your school district for up-to-date testing information for the Colorado Seal of Biliteracy. Additional assessments or evidenced-based processes may qualify for the Colorado State Seal of Biliteracy that are not shown here.

Colorado Seal of Biliteracy legislature

SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-7-1009.5 as

follows:

22-7-1009.5. Diploma endorsement - biliteracy - definitions.

(1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES:

(a) "ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST" MEANS THE FINAL TEST ADMINISTERED AT THE COMPLETION OF A COURSE THAT DELIVERS A NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

________

Capital letters indicate new material added to existing statutes; dashes through words indicate deletions from existing statutes and such material not part of act. COLLEGE-LEVEL CURRICULUM IN A PARTICULAR WORLD LANGUAGE AND THAT MAY RESULT IN THE AWARDING OF COLLEGE CREDIT BASED ON THE SCORE ACHIEVED ON THE FINAL TEST.

(b) "INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE" MEANS A PROGRAM OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OFFERED THROUGH A LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER BY A NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.

(c) "WORLD LANGUAGE" MEANS A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND INCLUDES AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

(2) A LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER MAY GRANT A DIPLOMA ENDORSEMENT IN BILITERACY TO A GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO ATTAINS PROFICIENCY OR HIGHER IN ONE OR MORE WORLD LANGUAGES IN ADDITION TO ATTAINING PROFICIENCY OR HIGHER IN ENGLISH.TO OBTAIN AN ENDORSEMENT IN BILITERACY, A GRADUATING STUDENT MUST:

(a) DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY OR HIGHER IN ENGLISH BY: (I) COMPLETING ALL OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH AN OVERALL GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF AT LEAST 3.0 IN THE REQUIRED ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COURSES; AND

(II) (A) ACHIEVING A SCORE THAT INDICATES PROFICIENCY OR HIGHER ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PORTION OF THE CURRICULUM-BASED, ACHIEVEMENT COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM ADMINISTERED TO ELEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS PURSUANT TO SECTION

22-7-1006.3 (2); OR

(B) PASSING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST WITH A SCORE OF THREE OR HIGHER OR PASSING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PORTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE TEST WITH A SCORE OF FOUR OR HIGHER; AND

(b) DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY OR HIGHER IN ONE OR MORE WORLD

LANGUAGES BY:

(I) PASSING A WORLD LANGUAGE ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST WITH A SCORE OF THREE OR HIGHER OR PASSING THE WORLD LANGUAGE PORTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE TEST WITH A SCORE OF FOUR OR HIGHER;

(II) SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING A FOUR-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE AND ATTAINING AN OVERALL GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF AT LEAST 3.0 IN THE COURSE OF STUDY; OR

(III) ACHIEVING A PASSING SCORE ON THE WORLD LANGUAGE PORTION OF A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TEST THAT IS RELIED UPON BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

(3) (a) FOR EACH WORLD LANGUAGE FOR WHICH AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MAY IDENTIFY ONE OR MORE SUMMATIVE TESTS IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE THAT ARE COMPARABLE IN RIGOR TO AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST. THE DEPARTMENT MAY INCLUDE IN THE LIST A SUMMATIVE TEST CREATED OR IDENTIFIED BY A LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER.

(b) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF SUBSECTION (2)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION TO THE CONTRARY:

(I) A LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER MAY USE A TEST IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN PLACE OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST FOR PURPOSES OF SUBSECTION (2)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION;

(II) IF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST DOES NOT EXIST AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A COMPARABLE TEST FOR THE WORLD LANGUAGE A STUDENT STUDIES, THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER MAY CREATE A TEST TO ADMINISTER TO THE STUDENT IN PLACE OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST FOR PURPOSES OF SUBSECTION (2)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION OR MAY ALLOW A STUDENT TO SUBMIT A BODY OF EVIDENCE THAT DEMONSTRATES THE STUDENT'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD LANGUAGE.IF THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER CHOOSES TO CREATE A TEST, IT MUST CERTIFY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE TEST ASSESSES SPEAKING, READING, AND WRITING IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE AT A LEVEL THAT IS COMPARABLE IN RIGOR TO AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST IN A WORLD LANGUAGE OR COMPARABLE TO THE LEVEL OF A SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT ADMINISTERED AT THE COMPLETION OF A FOUR-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE.THE STUDENT MUST PASS THE TEST AT THE PROFICIENT LEVEL OR HIGHER. IF THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER ALLOWS A STUDENT TO SUBMIT A BODY OF EVIDENCE, IT MUST CERTIFY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED DEMONSTRATES THE STUDENT'S ABILITY TO SPEAK, UNDERSTAND, READ, AND WRITE THE WORLD LANGUAGE WITH A LEVEL OF RIGOR THAT IS COMPARABLE TO AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST IN A WORLD LANGUAGE OR COMPARABLE TO THE LEVEL OF A SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT ADMINISTERED AT THE COMPLETION OF A FOUR-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE.

(III) IF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST EXISTS OR THE DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED A COMPARABLE TEST FOR A WORLD LANGUAGE, AND THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER CREATES AND USES AN ALTERNATIVE TEST FOR THAT WORLD LANGUAGE, THE DEPARTMENT MUST APPROVE THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER'S TEST BEFORE THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER MAY USE THE TEST TO DETERMINE A STUDENT'S LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY IN THE WORLD LANGUAGE IN PLACE OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST FOR PURPOSES OF SUBSECTION (2)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION.

(4) EACH LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER THAT CREATES A TEST FOR A WORLD LANGUAGE OR ACCEPTS A BODY OF EVIDENCE TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK, UNDERSTAND, READ, AND WRITE A WORLD LANGUAGE SHALL PROVIDE A COPY OF THE TEST AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE BODY OF EVIDENCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE THE TESTS AND DESCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE TO LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS UPON REQUEST.

SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 9, 2017, if adjournment sine die is on May 10, 2017); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2018 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

THE GLOBAL SEAL OF BILITERACY

The Global Seal of Biliteracy complements and supports the individual state Seals of Biliteracy. The organization is committed to expanding the opportunity to demonstrate and document one's bilingualism. The Global Seal of Biliteracy credential meets or exceeds the requirements of all existing U.S. state Seal programs, and offers a uniform standard to recognize language skills at levels that are meaningful for academic and workplace environments. It allows recipients to showcase their language skills to any school or employer across state lines and national borders. The Global Seal of Biliteracy is proof of your language proficiency at one of three fluency levels.