AATJ/JFLA Webinar
Panel: The Seal of Biliteracy, Our Programs,
and MeOctober 2, 2021
Panelist:Pam Delfosse, WI Department of Public Instruction
Ann Jordan, AATJ President
Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson, Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School, CT.

Facilitator:

Yoshiko Saito-Abbott, California State University, Monterey Bay
AATJ Professional Development Director

AATJ Membership
Membership registration: https://www.aatj.org/membership (January 1 December 31)● Quarterly newsletter, semiannual journal● Member rate for two annual conferences (ACTFL, AAS)
● Professional development programs● Japanese National Honor Society (high school or college level)● National Japanese Exam
● Membership in a regional or state Japanese language educators’ association● Teacher Awards● Special Interest Groups2

2022 Annual Spring Conference - Call for Proposals
The Spring Conference will be held virtually March 17-19, 2022. Proposals are being accepted for panel
and individual paper presentations on Language Pedagogy, Literature, Linguistics, and other topics
related to language learning.
Details and links to submit a proposal are online at https://www.aatj.org/conferences-spring .
Professor Ryuko Kubota (University of British Columbia) will deliver the keynote speech at theconference, on “Japanese Language Education and Social Justice”.
The submission deadline for all proposals is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

3

AATJ Awards
Recipients of the 2021 AATJ Teacher Awards will be recognized in conjunction with the Fall
Conference at ACTFL.
Nominations are being accepted for Lifetime Achievement Awards, which are awarded to members ofAATJ who have demonstrated achievements in Japanese education and service to the profession overat least 25 years. Previous awardees are Laurel Rasplica Rodd, Seiichi Makino, Naomi McGloin, andYasu-Hiko Tohsaku
For information on submitting a nomination for a Lifetime Achievement Award, see
https://www.aatj.org/prodev-awards-lifetime42021年度海外日本語教育機関調査調査
Our 2021 Survey Report onJapanese-Language
Education Abroad hasbegun! We have sent out thesurvey and awaiting
responses!
We will give our JFLA virtual
backgrounds to those whohave participated.
Please let us know atsurvey@jﬂalc.org if you have
not received the survey.
5Online Japanema (Japanese Cinema)

Hotel Royal(104mins, 2020)
Directed by Masaharu Take
In Japanese with English subtitlesWednesday, October 13, 7PM – Thursday, October 14, 7PM（PDT）

6

7th Annual Table for Two x JFLA Collaboration Event (mid-October)!
For more info about Onigiri Action: https://onigiri-action.com/

7Online Event

Wooden Chopsticks, Metal Chopsticks:
Grab Japanese and Korean Culture through the Languages
11/8 (Thursday) 7PM (PT)More information will be available on www.jﬂalc.org and ourmonthly newsletter!

8

Find a Season in the Words: Haiku Workshop for Beginners (Autumn)
Date and Time: 11/9 7 pm (PT)Workshop to learn the basics of English Haiku.

9AATJ/JFLA Webinar
Panel: The Seal of Biliteracy, Our Programs,and MeOctober 2, 2021
Panelist:Pam Delfosse, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Ann Jordan, AATJ President, Los Gatos High School, CA (retired)
Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson, Former AATJ Advocacy Director, Maloney
Interdistrict Magnet School, CT.

Facilitator:

Yoshiko Saito-Abbott, California State University, Monterey Bay
AATJ Professional Development Director

Guiding Questions

1. What is the purpose of the Seal of Biliteracy?
2. Why is the Seal of Biliteracy relevant to our programs?
3. How can we improve access to and outcomes of theSeal of Biliteracy?

11

Agenda❖❖❖❖Assess our current understanding
Build shared knowledge
Share experiences and areas of inquiry
Identify goals and action steps

12

Participant Poll: What Do We Know?
AccessCriteria
CreditLearners
Legislation
13

The Seal of Biliteracy: An Overview

❖❖❖
❖
❖

Deﬁnition and purpose
Origins and growth
Equity & beneﬁts
Implications & impact
Shared responsibilities

www.sealofbiliteracy.org

14

Deﬁnition & Purpose

The SBL is a (state-certiﬁed) credential recognizingstudents’ language proﬁciency.
● Validates and extends students’ linguistic assets● Promotes and celebrates sustained language learning● Serves as a talent marker

15Origins & Growth
Californians Together Initiative (2008)
CA State Seal of Biliteracy (2011)
National Professional Collaboration (2020)
Guidelines for Implementing the Seal of Biliteracy (2020)
National Seal of Biliteracy Report (2020, 2018-2019 Data)
BEST (Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching) Act (117th Congress)16

2020 National Report (31 States)
108,199 (2019)33,128+ ELs (limited data)
91,433 (2018)
CA, NC, VA
119 LOTE
69 languages WAJapanese SBL 73% of states
17Assessment Framework18Equity & Beneﬁts

Global Seal of Biliteracy
Access & disproportionality
Beneﬁt requires coherence, awareness, and value
Integration within Academic & Career Planning Initiatives
Skills indicator19Implications & Impact

Proﬁciency Literacy & Program Design(Standards, Benchmarks, Assessment)
Balanced skill development
Visibility of linguistic diversity
Partnerships (school-community-family-institutional)
20

Post-Secondary Considerations
Admissions - recognition & value
Academic credit - individual & institutional avenues
Skills indicator to inform placement decisions
Program & course design for new learner proﬁleImpact on language certiﬁcates, minors, and double majors
Talent pool for future language educators!
21

Shared Responsibility(K-16+) Program Design, Articulation, and Matriculation
Competency-Based Credits and Dual-Credit Options
Recognition & Value within College Admission Process
Coherent Criteria Across States
Center Equity! Innovate for Access!

Plan for and deliver on the promise of language proﬁciency!

22

Breakout Groups: Experiences & Areas of Inquiry

1. Discuss the Seal of Biliteracy.
2. Post your group’s “noticings”, “wonderings” and ideason the Jamboard.
3. View and reﬂect on contributions of the group.

23ImplementationExperience(K-16)

24

On June 6, 2017,
Connecticut
became the 27thstate with Sealof Biliteracy.

First Seal ofBiliteracy wasawarded in
2021 in ourdistrict
https://sealofbiliteracy.org/index.php

As of 7/16/2021: Montana adopted the SOBL. 44 States and DC
25

Student voice
is powerful tomove a district!

26

Impact on the District
BILINGUAL/ESOL EDUCATIONDEPARTMENT

WORLD LANGUAGE
DEPARTMENT★ Supervisor
3 teachers

3 Spanish Teachers
2 Italian Teachers
1 Japanese Teacher

ELA DEPARTMENTGUIDANCE COUNSELORSSCHOOLADMINISTRATORS

27

CONNECTICUT REQUIREMENTS
The two academic requirements below must be met:
◆ Students must complete all English language arts
requirements for graduation.
◆ Students must demonstrate proﬁciency in a language otherthan English at a level comparable to Intermediate-Mid on
the ACTFL Proﬁciency Guidelines as demonstrated throughone of the following methods in grade 10 or later:28

Impact on our department● Explore the assessments used for the Seal ofBiliteracy● Identify potential students● Advocate the SOBL to the stakeholders● Advocate World Language Education in the district

29

CT COLT Seal of Biliteracy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fm8Prd-76nX6dLJu75yoQZJMTRqIvX4a/view

30

CT COLT Seal of Biliteracy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fm8Prd-76nX6dLJu75yoQZJMTRqIvX4a/view

31

AAPPL assesses:

Interpersonal
Listening/Speaking

Presentational
Writing

Interpretive
Listening

Interpretive
Reading

AAPPL Demo Test:
https://www.languagetesting.com/aappl2-demo
32

AAPPL Topics 2021-22

https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/aappl/AAPPL_General_Content.pdf

33

TASKShttps://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/aappl/AAPPL%20Tasks.pdf

34

LISTENING AND READING - You can:Intermediate● understand main ideas and supporting
facts in short passages on familiar
topics, though you may need to read orhear complex passages more thanonce.
● understand what you read or hear withthe help of context clues, or priorknowledge.
35Intermediate

LISTENING AND SPEAKING (conversation) - You can:● maintain conversation about yourself and yourlife.
● use your language to express your own thoughts
and get the things that you need. Ask and answerquestions.
● do all of this in such a way that your teacher andothers who are used to language learners canunderstand what you are saying.
36

Intermediate

WRITING - You can:● write about yourself and your life.
● write well enough to accomplish what you needand pose a variety of questions.
● write some longer sentences and connect somesentences together.
● do all of this in such a way that your teacher andothers who are used to the writing of language
learners can readily understand your writing.
37

38

Potential Students ...

39

!
YCACOVAD

https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/Employability%20Skills.pdf

https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/wp-content/uploads/MakingLanguagesOurBusines40
s_FullReport.pdf

CREATING PATHWAY TO SEAL OF BILITERACY“A well-articulated Prek-12 Multiliteracy
Pathways/Languages Plan or roadmap for district”
https://sealofbiliteracy.org/state-guidelines/pathways-to-biliteracy/

➢➢➢
➢
➢

Design a curriculum based on the World-Readiness Standards for Learning
Languages
Incorporate AAPPL Topics into the curriculum
Create AAPPL/STAMP type of assessments for each unit
Provide AAPPL/STAMP Assessments opportunities for 8th Grade
Create Middle and Elementary Pathway Awards
41

Implementation Experience-One district in California(Santa Clara County Ofﬁce of Ed, Dec. 2014)42

California Requirements
1. Complete all English language arts graduation requirements with GPAof 2.0
2. Demonstrate proﬁciency in language other than English through ONEof the following:● AP exam score 3 or higher or IB exam score 4 or higher● Completion of 4 year course of study in WL (3.0+GPA), demonstrateoral proﬁciency comparable to AP/IB exam passing score● Passage of “off the shelf” exam (AAPPL, etc) if no AP/IB exam exists● Passage of SAT II WL exam with score of 600 or higher(Note: CA is the only state that doesn’t designate an ACTFL proﬁciency
level target for SOBL)
43

CA Data
Proportion of Japanese language recipients has remained about the same.
School year

# of districts

Total SOBL
recipientsJapanese

MandarinSpanish

2016-17304

46,380人

945(2%)

2,465

36,3402017-18

Not available

55,175人

1069(1.9%)

3,085

42,4292018-19345

56,370人

1,192(2%)

3,424

43,3502019-20340

65,622人

1,206(1.8%)

3,517

48,57344

SOBL story of one CA district-Afﬂuent Silicon Valley two-school district-High performing, college-bound students-No language requirement for graduation-Languages offered:
SHS-Spanish, French, Chinese
LGHS-Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese (recently added)-No district language program coordinator/key person-SOBL est. CA 2012, but until 2016, mostly unaware, indifferent45

So how did we go from indifferent to invested?

It started with a question…a suggestion….
And a volunteer
findI’llout!
moreWe shopartic uldipate!

Haveyabou ou heard
ttSOBL he?

Beginning of the year district language teachers meeting46

Teacher driven SOBL journey at Los Gatos Saratoga UHSD

Gather information:● Eligibility● Other schools in area
● Email● Call
● Reach out!

Communicate & share:● District & site admin● Colleagues
What is it? What are thebenefits to our students?
Make SOLB part ofthe culture atLGSUHSD
Post on website, inhalls, district twitter,etc.

Make it “easy” for thedistrict:
Volunteer to be thedistrict rep/coordinator

Celebrate and share!
● Invite public,parents● Poster withnames/languages
in main hall
47

LGSUHSD Data
2016

80 students

2017

57

2018

52

2019

109

2020

152

2021

193

Participation more than doubled in 6 years, including during a pandemic year.

48

Impact on K-8 feeder schools49Challenges●●●Without a district level key person it takes Time + Effort in the beginning
You have to be a cheerleader!
Passing the baton of responsibility might also take effort...

50

Passing the SOBL baton
Be pro-active and don’t be afraid to PUSH or to send a strong message:
In other districts, the SOBL is coordinated by someone at the district level, usually Associate Supt. of Curriculum andInstruction. This is the case with PAUSD, Campbell UHSD, MVLA, SJ Uniﬁed, Morgan Hill, and others.
Since I will be retiring this year, I can think of three options for LGSUHSD:
1.
2.
3.

Continue to have a WL teacher (either LG or SHS) as coordinator, but compensate that person in someway-chaperone duty waiver, release time for “school business”, extra duty stipend, etc.
Move the responsibility to the D.O.
Withdraw from the Consortium and terminate the program for our students.

(from my email to admin)
Wewa don’tnSO t to loBLse!
51

Now...

●

Firmly establishedpart of theLGSUHSD culture●

Students/parents
ask about it●

Importantadvocacy tool!

52

Jessica Haxhi, ACTFL president
Are there things you’re hopeful and excited about for the future?
“First, I want to say that the Seal of Biliteracy is the single greatest thing to happen to WorldLanguage Education EVER maybe, in terms of advocacy. Aside from ideas about proficiency andstandards, the Seal of Biliteracy has so much potential to be powerful, and we haven’t evenfigured it all out. That’s how great it is. Because now we have school districts saying, “Wait. We
want that. How do we get that?”

Was it hard work to get it established? Yes, a little bit.
Was it worth it? YES! Deﬁnitely!
53

Transition to Post Secondary Program● Earn up to 9 credits of language● Satistisfy the general education (LEP) multilingual
communication requirement.
○Students need to present proof of their seal to the Chairperson ofthe Department of World Languages and Literatures

https://inside.southernct.edu/academic-placement/world-languages
54

Beneﬁts and Challenges for Post Secondary

Evaluation and Feedback

55

Resources for Future Referencewww.sealofbiliteracy.org
2020 National Seal of Biliteracy Report2020 Guidelines for Implementing the Seal of Biliteracy
ACTFL Seal of Biliteracy Site
Global Seal of Biliteracy
AAPPL Assessment
Avant Stamp
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statement56

57