Seal of Bi-Literacy 

Seal of Bi-Literacy     

LHS Community! 

Attention Warriors, we encourage you to join our Seal of Bi-Literacy. This program will bring many benefits but some might ask what is NYSSB (New York State Seal of Biliteracy)? It is an award given to highschool graduates who have earned the knowledge of having one or more world languages. Keeping the value of diversity alive in a multilingual society is very important. 

Participating in the NYSSB could be very beneficial to our students. NYSSB helps highlight the hard work and achievements that our students have made. If you manage biliteracy during highschool it will become a part of your transcripts and diplomas which future employers and universities will view. Many graduated students find being bilingual very valuable. Knowing multiple languages can lead to many opportunities. 

• Advantage in the workforce 

• Understanding other cultures

• Traveling 

You may be thinking who is eligible for NYSSB and what do you need to do in order to earn it. Any student in our district who is studying English and at least one other world language. This can also be applied to the students who speak another language fluently at home. On the other hand, you can earn credits many different ways and meeting the requirements by: 

• Earning 3 credits in English

• 3 credits in one or more languages 

• Earn credits achieving an 85% or better in English or world language coursework 

• Achieving a set score on National tests

The NYSSB was first presented in 2015-2016 as a pilot program. But data proves that the total number of students who take part in this program are consistently growing each year. NYSSB started with 284 students who have earned the NYSSB in 2015-2016 but in recent years this program ended up with 5,492 students in 2020-2021! This is a growing program and it is only going to get bigger. 

If you find yourself interested and want to participate in the NYSSB, then you can talk to your school counselor, English teacher or World language teacher for your interests. For further information, you can check out their website at: http://www.nysed.gov/world-languages/new-york-state-seal-biliteracy-nyssb.