High school diplomas: State Seal of Biliteracy: English learners.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award a State Seal of Biliteracy. Existing law provides that the State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English, and certifies that the graduate meets specified criteria, including, but not limited to, passing the California Standards Test in English language arts administered in grade 11 at the proficient level or above. This bill would replace that criterion with one requiring that a pupil pass the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress for English language arts, or any successor test, administered in grade 11, at or above the "standard met" achievement level, or at the achievement level determined by the Superintendent for any successor test. Existing law requires a pupil in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, if the primary language of the pupil is other than English, to attain the early advanced proficiency level on the English language development test and to meet other specified requirements in order to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy. This bill would repeal the requirement to attain the early advanced proficiency level on the English language development test, and would instead require a pupil to attain the level demonstrating English language proficiency on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or any successor English language proficiency assessment, in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and to meet those other same requirements, in order to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy. Existing law requires that proficiency in a language other than English, for purposes of qualifying for the State Seal of Biliteracy, be demonstrated through one of four methods, including by passing a school district language examination that, at a minimum, assesses speaking, reading, and writing at the proficient level or higher, if no Advanced Placement examination or off-the-shelf language test exists and the school district can certify that the test meets certain standards. This bill, notwithstanding that provision, would require a pupil who seeks to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy through a language that is not characterized by listening, speaking, or reading, or for which there is no written system, to pass an assessment on the modalities that characterize communication in that language at the proficient level or higher.