Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi

Seal of Biliteracy

The Hawai‘i State Board of Education established a Seal of Biliteracy to be awarded upon graduation to students who demonstrate a high proficiency in both of the state’s two official languages (English and Hawaiian) OR either of the state’s two official languages and at least one additional language, including American Sign Language.

Purpose

  • To enable students to be college, career and community ready in a global society.
  • To establish an educational culture that recognizes and values the wealth of linguistic and cultural diversity students bring to the classroom.
  • To support opportunities for the study of and increase proficiency in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i.
  • To encourage partnerships with institutions of higher education and community organizations to increase access to language instruction in a variety of languages.​

Eligibility

  1. Must be a graduating senior enrolled in a Hawaiʻi public or charter school.
  2. Demonstrate proficiency in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi or English. For ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi, a minimum of 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) upon graduation in Hawaiian Language Arts courses required for a high school graduation diploma. For English, choose one of the following:
    • A minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA upon graduation in English Language Arts courses required for a high school graduation diploma.
    • A “3” or above in the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts/Literacy assessment completed in Grade 11.
    • A score of “3” or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exam.
    • A score of “4” or above on the International Baccalaureate (IB) English Language Arts exam.
    • A composite score of at least 480 on the SAT Reading/Writing exam.
    • A composite score of at least 18 on the ACT English exam.
    • An overall score of at least 4.5 on the most recent ACCESS for ELLs exam.
  3. Attain the requisite score for one or more of the following world language requirements:
    • ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Test (WPT): A rating of Intermediate Mid or above in each language domain.
    • AP language exam: A score of 3 or above.
    • American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI): A score of 2 or above.
    • Avant exam: A score of 5 or above in each language domain.
    • IB language: A score of 4 or above.

Award

Seal of Biliteracy honorees receive the Seal of Biliteracy designation added to the transcript, a medallion, and a certificate. 

Implementation Resources for Schools and Complexes

View the Available Languages and Assessments (Google Doc) for languages and assessments accepted for the Hawaiʻi State Seal of Biliteracy. Outreach material available in the following languages:

Frequently Asked Questions

View the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for general questions and responses related to the Seal of Biliteracy.

Informational Guides

View the following informational guides and action steps to pursue, implement or promote the Seal of Biliteracy.

Past Honorees

An overview of the number of Seal of Biliteracy honorees each year since the Class of 2017.