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๐๐๐ The Application for the 2026-2027 School Year is open for schools that have signed up.ย
If you don't see your school on the list, contact sealofbiliteracy@philasd.org ๐๐๐
Information and Frequently Asked Questions
Languages
The Seal is for students with proficiency in English and at least one other language. Many students earn the Seal in more than one language each year!
Testing
Proficiency tests in yourย language(s) and/or scores from tests you have already taken
Awards
Medals and certificates with seals for the District and, if earned, the State Seal are awarded in the Spring
Youโd be likely to earn the Seal of Biliteracy if you โฆ
Youโd be likely to earn the Seal of Biliteracy if you โฆ
speak and write in the language at home and in your community
have lived in a place where the language is primary spokenย
have taken classes in that language at Level 3 or above
What if I speak and read more than one language besides English?ย
What if I speak and read more than one language besides English?ย
Apply for each of them!!ย
Resubmit the application form for each of your different languages. This helps us arrange your testing.
Each year, many multilingual students apply for and earn the Seal in more than one language!
What testing is needed to earn the Seal of Biliteracy?
What testing is needed to earn the Seal of Biliteracy?
The first step is the application, then you decide on testing for your proficiency.
For languages other than English
Seal-approved proficiency tests are offered for OVER 140 languages! All of the tests are a chance to show that you have both reading/writing and speaking/listening skills, they aren't about memorization!.
If you already plan to take an IB, AP, or CIEE test in a language, you can use those scores to qualify too
You can meet for the English requirements from your scores on any of these standardized tests you may have already taken:
ELA Keystone or PASA
ACCESS Score
English Assessments from other states
A proficiency test in English for the Seal of Biliteracy
Prepare for your Proficiency Tests
All 12th grade students who will be testing this school year will be contacted before November 30th on your Philasd.org email with instructions about your test and how to set up any writing systems you might need!
Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency (AAPPL)
Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency (AAPPL)
American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic (Modern Standard), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified)/ (Traditional), Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, and Spanish:
You'll be taking a test called the STAMP 4-Skill with full reading, writing, listening, and speaking sections.ย
You can find all information in this tester guide
STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) 4-Skill
STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) 4-Skill
Hebrew, Hindi, and Polish
You'll be taking a test called the STAMP 4-Skill with full reading, writing, listening, and speaking sections.ย
You can find all information in this tester guide
STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) 2-Skill
STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) 2-Skill
Amharic, Armenian, Bengali, Cabo Verdean, Chaldean (Speaking only), Chin (Hakha), Chuukese, Czech, Filipino (Tagalog), Greek, Haitian Creole, Hawaiian (โลlelo Hawaiโi), Hmong, Ilocano, Kannada, Khmer, Marathi, Marshallese, Nepali, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Punjabi, Samoan, Somali Maay Maay, Somali Maxaa, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba, Yupโik, Zomi +90 Languages!
You'll be taking a test called the STAMP 2-Skill with a self-assessment for reading and listening, andย full sections for writing and speaking.ย You can find all information in this tester guide
What awards can I expect if I earn the Seal of Biliteracy?
What awards can I expect if I earn the Seal of Biliteracy?
Whether you earn a Seal in the Spring or the Fall, the awards are celebrated in May.ย
Students who pass the Seal at the District Level (all scores of Intermediate-Mid or higher) will receive:
an emailed invitation to the Seal of Biliteracy Awards Ceremony
a medal from the School District Seal of Biliteracy
a printed certificate signed district leaders, with an embossed silver seal of the SDP Seal logo
Students who pass at the State of PA Level receive all of the above, but will have both a silver SDP Seal and a PA gold seal on their certificate.
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