For the second consecutive year, Westfield High School had the highest number of students in the State who were awarded a Seal of Biliteracy, an official certification that mastery of two or more languages is important and necessary for success in the 21st Century. These 116 graduating seniors were presented with their Seal of Biliteracy certificates in the school’s courtyard on June 15. The students met criteria established by the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ) and the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL/NJBE) who joined a federal initiative to recognize public high school seniors who have attained a level of proficiency in one or more languages.
All students who meet the qualifications for the Seal can share their certificate(s) with future employers or college personnel documenting their ability to use two or more languages.
“The Seal of Biliteracy allows students from diverse backgrounds to be recognized for the inherent value of their native language as well as the added value of another language they acquire; therefore, both English Language Learners and native Anglophone students enrolled in a World Language, secondary school program are eligible for recognition,” explained David Greer, State Coordinator of World Languages at New Jersey Department of Education.
(above) For the second consecutive year, Westfield High School had the highest number of students in the State who were awarded a Seal of Biliteracy, an official certification that mastery of two or more languages is important and necessary for success in the 21st Century. These 116 graduating seniors were presented with their Seal of Biliteracy certificates in the school’s courtyard on June 15.
