Governor Newsom signs Biliteracy Advancement Act
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law AB 370 also known as the Biliteracy Advancement Act which aims to create parity in the standards required to obtain the State Seal of Biliteracy.
“The State Seal of Biliteracy is an important way for California to recognize the high achievement of multi-lingual learners," Newsom said, "students of all language backgrounds who meet high levels of achievement in English and an additional language should have equitable opportunities to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy,”
The Biliteracy Advancement Act provides students with more options when testing for English proficiency, creating parity with the current second language testing alternatives and a fair path towards the State Seal of Biliteracy for all students.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2024.
The State Seal of Biliteracy allows for students to showcase their proficiency in multiple languages to potential colleges and employers, as well as giving students a sense of pride in their primary language.
AB 370 expands the existing options that students have to prove their proficiency, without sacrificing the rigor required to obtain the State Seal of Biliteracy.
The bill was authored by Central Coast State Assemblymember Dawn Addis of Morro Bay.
“I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to uplifting California’s multilingual learners by providing all students with expanded yet rigorous opportunities to achieve the Seal", Addis said.
