Bilingual Seals and Proficiency Certificate

The Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificate and Bilingual and Multilingual Seals were created as an official recognition by the state of Minnesota for proficiency in a language in addition to English. The certificate can be awarded as soon as a student demonstrates Intermediate-Low proficiency; however, the seals are only awarded upon high school graduation. Seals are added to the transcript of each high school graduate who meets the requirements.

Legislation

• June 2015—The Minnesota Bilingual and Multilingual Seals were legislated.
• 2009—The Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificate was created as an official recognition by the state of Minnesota.

Why the Seals are Awarded

• The Bilingual Seal is awarded for proficiency in another language in addition to English.
• The Multilingual Seal is awarded for proficiency in two or more languages in addition to English.

Recognition and Certificate or Seal Levels

The level of each seal is defined according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines.

• Per the Minnesota Department of Education - Current Grade 9-12 students must earn the STAMP score listed in the table below on each of the four STAMP subtests (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

ACTFL Proficiency Levels

STAMP exam

AP Language Exams

IB Diploma

MN World Language Proficiency Certificate

Intermediate Low (STAMP score 4) - (AP score 3) - (IB score 3 on SL exam)

Minnesota Bilingual Gold Seal

Intermediate High (STAMP score 6) - (AP score 4) - (IB score 4 or 5 on SL exam)

Minnesota Bilingual Platinum Seal

Advanced Low - (STAMP score 7) - (AP score 5) - (IB score 4 or above on HL exam) - (IB score of 6 or 7 on SL exam)

When Awards are Given

Seals are awarded upon high school graduation using eligible scores from grades 9-12. At the District’s expense, students may continue to take the STAMP Test each year until they receive the seal level that meets their expectations.

How the Seals are Awarded

School districts add the appropriate seal to the transcript of each high school graduate who meets the requirements. MDE provides a form for use by school districts to request a seal for student transcripts and diplomas.

College Credits

Upon enrollment and student request, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) awards three semesters of college credit for a gold bilingual or multilingual seal and four semesters of college credit for a platinum bilingual or multilingual seal.

See the list of MnSCU colleges and universities.

Note: The University of Minnesota is not a MnSCU school. The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota has its own system for awarding credit for students with advanced language skills.

Questions Regarding College Credits

The state level recognition of world language proficiency with college credit is new and not everyone will be familiar with it yet. If you run into difficulties receiving credits, please contact:

• Ursula Lentz (Minnesota Department of Education) ursula.lentz@state.mn.us
• Todd Harmening (MnSCU) todd.harmening@so.mnscu.edu