Local educational agencies (Local Educational Agencies LEAs) that choose to participate are responsible for providing all students with equitable access to the opportunity to earn the Seal, including making assessments available for languages for which the Local Educational Agency LEA does not offer courses, as well as ensuring equitable access to instruction which supports biliteracy (such as world language programs) for English Learners and students with disabilities.
Implementing the Seal requires coordination across assessment, student outreach, family communication, student records, and data reporting. The resources in this section support Local Educational Agencies LEAs in planning their programs, communicating with families, determining student eligibility, administering assessments, recognizing recipients at graduation, and completing required reporting.
Districts should annually review the Department's MA State Seal of Biliteracy Guidance and develop local procedures to assign staff responsibilities, establish timelines, and organize the resources needed for each phase of the annual implementation cycle.
Participating Local Educational Agencies LEAs must provide annual written notification to the parents or legal guardians of all enrolled students about the Seal of Biliteracy, its purposes, and its eligibility requirements. The notification must be provided in a language the parent or legal guardian can understand. Because awareness and preparation begin before high school, this requirement applies to families of students at all grade levels.
Local Educational Agencies LEAs should also communicate directly with students throughout middle and high school about opportunities to earn the Seal, including available assessments, important dates, and whom to contact for support. Communication should reach students of all language backgrounds and make clear that students may earn the Seal in languages learned at home, at school, or in the community.
The resources below, if used as described in the instructions, fully satisfy the regulatory and legal requirements for communicating to families about the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Elementary and middle school
Family Notification Template (Elementary and middle school) Customize this template with local program and contact information and distribute it annually to families.
Instructions for Using the Template (Elementary and middle school) Review which sections to complete, which language should remain unchanged, and how and when to distribute the notification.
High school
Family Notification Template (High school) Customize this template with local assessment, timeline, and contact information and distribute it annually to families.
Instructions for Using the Template (High school) Review which sections to complete, which language should remain unchanged, and how and when to distribute the notification.
Local Educational Agencies LEAs should develop equitable local processes to ensure that all students who may be able to demonstrate proficiency in one or more additional languages have an opportunity to participate.
Districts may identify students who may have proficiency in languages in addition to English through:
To satisfy the language criteria for the Seal of Biliteracy, students must demonstrate the required levels of proficiency in English and at least one additional language using assessments approved by the Department. Local Educational Agencies LEAs should review the current assessment information before purchasing assessments, scheduling testing, or determining that a student has satisfied the criteria.
English Assessment Requirements and Approved Assessments This resource explains how to use Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS and Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS results and when an approved English Assessment may be used.
World Language Assessment Manual Complete assessment-selection requirements, approved assessment lists and qualifying scores, Alternative and Additional Assessment procedures, and record-retention requirements.
Approved World Language Assessments and Qualifying Scores Go directly to the current assessment lists without using the full manual.
Find Assessments by Language Use the Table of Contents to identify Complete-Domain, Partial-Domain, and Additional assessments available for a particular language.
To earn the State Seal of Biliteracy or the State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, a student must meet all graduation requirements and satisfy the applicable English and world language criteria. Local Educational Agencies LEAs are responsible for reviewing each student's qualifying assessment results and confirming that all criteria have been met before awarding the Seal.
Use the Criteria at a Glance for a quick overview of the requirements. The Award Determination Tool provides a step-by-step process for reviewing student results and determining the appropriate award level.
Once an Local Educational Agency LEA has confirmed that a student has met all requirements, it must document the Seal, award level, and language or languages on the student's transcript in accordance with Department requirements. Local Educational Agencies LEAs may also use the official State Seal of Biliteracy insignia on diplomas and in local recognition materials.
Local Educational Agencies LEAs are encouraged to celebrate Seal recipients at graduation, awards ceremonies, school committee meetings, and through school, district, or community publications. These celebrations recognize students' accomplishments and highlight multilingualism as an asset within the community.
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE invites Local Educational Agencies LEAs to submit school, district, or community news coverage of Seal recipients through this survey. Submitted stories may be featured in statewide communications celebrating multilingual students.
Local Educational Agencies LEAs must retain records documenting each student's award, including the student's transcript and the results of the English and world language assessments used to substantiate the award.
Participating Local Educational Agencies LEAs must also report Seal recipients to the Department through the annual Student Information Management System SIMS collection and complete any additional Seal of Biliteracy data collection requested by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE. Local Educational Agencies LEAs should review their local participation and award data to assess whether students have equitable access to the Seal. Examining patterns across schools, student groups, languages, and assessment outcomes can help Local Educational Agencies LEAs recognize barriers and improve outreach, assessment access, and program implementation.
Last Updated: September 14, 2026