“The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English by high school graduation.”  

Chatham High School has opted to participate in the State Seal of Biliteracy program because we value language acquisition and bilingualism. The Seal of Biliteracy includes a certificate prepared by the NJ Department of education, as well as a seal/image on the CHS transcript. 

In order for students to be considered for this recognition, they must meet the following criteria:

1. Students must demonstrate a proficiency level of Intermediate Mid (as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in a world language. 

2. Students must demonstrate proficiency in English by meeting State high school graduation requirements in ELA. This includes a passing score on the ELA portion of the New Jersey Graduation Assessment or an approved alternative.

3. English Language Learners (ELLs), may demonstrate proficiency requirements through ACCESS testing; see the state website for details.

4. All students must achieve graduation requirements in all other content areas.

The English competency 

Students demonstrate English competency by completing NJDOE English Language Arts graduation requirements. This includes a passing score on the ELA portion of the New Jersey Graduation Assessment (NJGPA).  English Language Learners may demonstrate proficiency through ACCESS testing; see the state website for details.

The World Language competency

Chatham High School is pleased to be able to offer two paths to meeting the World Language requirement: AP (Advanced Placement) and STAMP. 

We offer AP courses in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish. Students who score a 4 or higher on the Advanced Placement Language and Culture exam in their junior year meet the requirement. 

We offer seniors the opportunity to take Avant’s STAMP 4S or STAMP for ASL. Languages available are Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified & Traditional), Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Students who score a 5 or higher in ALL components in their senior year meet the Seal of Biliteracy World Language requirement.

Registration for the test will be in November - December, and the testing will be conducted in January.

For students meeting all the requirements, the Seal of Biliteracy is conferred upon graduation, and is noted on the student’s final transcript.

FAQ

How much does it cost?

The Seal of Biliteracy does not have a cost associated with it. Both the AP exams and the STAMP tests have an associated fee. Fees will be posted when the announcement for registration is made. 

I don’t take French class but I speak French at home. Can I earn the Seal?

Yes. The Seal recognizes proficiency, not courses completed, so you can earn the Seal in a language you do not study at Chatham High School. You will need to register for the STAMP assessment in the language you speak. 

Am I able to apply for the Seal for more than one World Language? 

Yes. You can earn the seal in more than one World Language by either the AP score or the STAMP score. We will hold a second day of STAMP testing right after the first day for any senior who wishes to test in more than one language.

Can I submit scores from language assessments that were taken in 8th, 9th or 10th grade? 

No.  A Seal of Biliteracy denotes that a student has a specific level of language proficiency at the time of graduation. Therefore, only results from assessments that are administered from January 1 of a student’s junior year through the NJDOE testing deadline of a student’s senior year are considered for the Seal of Biliteracy.

Will the Seal help me on my college applications? 

The seal will be issued and approved by the NJDOE in the spring of senior year. Seals will be posted to your final transcript at the end of your senior school year. All colleges will receive a final transcript at the end of the school year. The Seal will not be issued in time for initial applications to colleges. 

Do I have to apply for the Seal directly with the NJDOE?

No, CHS will submit the required information to the NJDOE for all students who have met the requirements.