Seal of Biliteracy - when to take test?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how early you can take the required test for a language? Do you have to wait until senior year, or could you take it as a sophomore, for example? I'm wondering how to lock in current language skills without having to worry about maintaining them through the end of high school.

[Anonymous]

Can’t be before grade 8–see fn:

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DCAA/World-Languages/biliteracy/MSDEACTFLAlignedAssessments.pdf

In MoCo the student also has to pass English 10: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/office/seal-of-biliteracy

[Anonymous]

You can take it before senior year. Your school's world languages resource teacher should be able to tell you when the different tests are offered at your school.

[Anonymous]

My son took it junior year (Moco).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how early you can take the required test for a language? Do you have to wait until senior year, or could you take it as a sophomore, for example? I'm wondering how to lock in current language skills without having to worry about maintaining them through the end of high school.

If your goal is to learn a language for a meaningless sticker, then forget it, I think you're missing the point of studying a in language the first place. The Seal is just an attempt to motivate aimless students. It's not getting you into Harvard.

[Anonymous]

The earliest I have heard in my school is 11th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how early you can take the required test for a language? Do you have to wait until senior year, or could you take it as a sophomore, for example? I'm wondering how to lock in current language skills without having to worry about maintaining them through the end of high school.

If your goal is to learn a language for a meaningless sticker, then forget it, I think you're missing the point of studying a in language the first place. The Seal is just an attempt to motivate aimless students. It's not getting you into Harvard.

My child already knows the language, though I think would need to fine tune some things to pass the test. I figure it's worth taking it, and thought it would be good to do it earlier in high school because I image later in high school there will be more stress with AP tests, college applications, etc. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Who actually cares about the seal of biliteracy?
It is meaningless

[Anonymous]

We don't use this at my university to evaluate language skills at all. We have our own placement tests, so the seal of biliteracy won't get you out of anything. Plus fwiw it's below the standard of the language I teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who actually cares about the seal of biliteracy?
It is meaningless

You could ask the same question about high school graduation itself.

[Anonymous]

My younger daughter’s friends took it junior year so they could use it for college apps.

DS has a friend take it senior year but he’s enlisting in the military.

[Anonymous]

It means you got at least a 4 on an AP foreign language and culture exam (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), or at least a 5 on IB. It’s an achievement most American students cannot put on their apps.

Haters keep on hating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can’t be before grade 8–see fn:

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DCAA/World-Languages/biliteracy/MSDEACTFLAlignedAssessments.pdf

In MoCo the student also has to pass English 10: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/office/seal-of-biliteracy

Sounds like they should take the AP language exam by 10th grade so as soon as they pass English 10, submit the application.

[Anonymous]

11th g

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who actually cares about the seal of biliteracy?
It is meaningless

You could ask the same question about high school graduation itself.

HS graduation is required for many jobs. Seal of biliteracy doesn’t get you anything. Colleges look at AP scores and placement exams.