North Shore Community College supports and recognizes the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, a part of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Equity Agenda.
What is the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy?
The State Seal of Biliteracy is an award provided by the State of Massachusetts that
recognizes public high school graduates who attain high functional and academic levels
of proficiency in English and a world language in recognition of having studied and
attained proficiency in two languages by high school graduation. The vision is to
help students recognize the value of their academic success and see the tangible benefits
of being biliterate. The State Seal of Biliteracy takes the form of a seal that appears
on the transcript or diploma of the graduating senior and is a statement of accomplishment
for future employers and for college admissions.
The Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy acknowledges linguistic equity because all world languages are included. Proficiency of the languages is evaluated via testing that measures all modalities of communication: listening and understanding spoken language, speaking with fluency (use of vocabulary), reading and comprehending the reading, and writing to demonstrate knowledge of grammar.
What Type of Credit is Recognized at NSCC?
Massachusetts public high school students who prove by their language proficiency skills (biliteracy) with equal strength in a world language plus English earn the Seal of Biliteracy. Students will receive:
- 9 credits for the Seal of Biliteracy (Intermediate Highlevel of proficiency)
- 12 credits for the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction (Advanced Lowlevel of proficiency)
Avoidance of Double Counting
- Before a student can receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP), CLEP exam languages, or specific World Language courses taken at NSCC, the college will need to determine which language the student's Seal of Biliteracy was for in order to avoid double counting of credits for the same language from multiple sources.
- Students may opt to not have their Seal of Biliteracy credits recognized by NSCC if they wish to take the same World Language courses at NSCC for regular, graded credit.
Transferability
- Each college and university determines if or how the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy will be recognized and, if so, the number of credits may vary.
- Students may opt to not have their Seal of Biliteracy credits recognized by NSCC if they wish to take World Language courses at NSCC for regular, graded credit in order to better facilitate transferability.