This badge of honor gives students a competitive edge when applying for jobs and college. It was earned by 85 percent of Canyons’ high school seniors who applied for it last year, 16 percent of whom were fluent in more than one language.
It’s called the Seal of Biliteracy — and the time to apply to have it affixed to your student’s transcripts is now.
Each year, Canyons School District invites high school juniors and seniors to apply for the Seal of Biliteracy, a designation by the Utah State Office of Education signaling a student’s demonstrated proficiency in English and at least one other language. This year, the application window opens Monday, Nov. 28 and closes Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.
“The Seal of Biliteracy was created in 2018, and it’s something that colleges and employers have really started paying attention to. More and more are giving preference to applicants with this designation,” says Michèle Harward in CSD’s Instructional Supports Department.
More and more students are also taking advantage of the opportunity (see data below). “We’ve worked hard to get the word out while making the application process easier,” Harward says. “Canyons District also has a high-performing dual language immersion program that is known for producing multilingual students who are heavily recruited by employers from around the world.”
Students can apply for the seal online from the comfort of their homes. Schools encourage students to start applying in their junior year, because it gives them more time to take advantage of the different tests that can be used to determine eligibility.
Often students have already completed a qualifying exam and no further testing is necessary. Testing is administered, however, free of charge at the high schools each year. This year’s testing window will be in March, 2023.
Students interested in applying should talk to the Diploma Specialist in their school’s counseling center.
CSD’s Seal of Biliteracy Recipients
2017-2018 — 90
2018-2019 — 97
2019-2020 — 94
2020-2021 — 141
2021-2022 — 226
