Biliteracy Program
AZED Seal of Biliteracy Program
Since 2018, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has proudly offered the Arizona Seal of Biliteracy to graduating seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one additional language. This prestigious recognition is:
- Placed on the student’s diploma
- Noted on the transcript
- Celebrated at graduation
What Is the Seal of Biliteracy?
The Arizona Seal of Biliteracy honors students who achieve high levels of language proficiency in English and another world language. Over 30 states have adopted this program to promote multilingualism and global citizenship.
Second Language Testing
SUSD awards the Seal using Avant STAMP 4S testing for the following languages:
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Mandarin (Traditional or Simplified)
- Polish
- Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Russian
- Spanish
Students must receive a score of 5 in all components of the Stamp test.
PLEASE NOTE that Category III/IV Languages (languages with significant linguistic and/or cultural differences from English) require different scores than the Category I/II counterparts (languages similar to English).
For Category III/IV languages (those significantly different from English), students may qualify with a score of 4 in each domain of the STAMP test instead of 5.
Examples: Arabic, Bengali, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Tagalog, Vietnamese
SUSD also recognizes AP and IB scores which must be taken prior to Senior year to be recognized at graduation:
Spanish, French, and Russian | Category I-III Languages
- AP: Attain a score of 3 or higher
- IB: Attain a score of 4 or higher for HL and 5 or higher for SL
Mandarin Chinese and Japanese | Category IV Languages
- AP: Attain a score of 3 or higher
- IB: Attain a score of 4 or higher for HL and 5 or higher for SL
How to Pursue the Seal
Option 1: Enrolled in Level IV Language Course
- No testing fee
- Prepare with your language teacher
Option 2: Not Enrolled in Level IV
- Coordinate with your school’s World Language Department
- Pay $20 at the bookstore to register
- Testing occurs mid to late January
English Proficiency Requirement: Students must have a qualifying English test score to meet the requirement. 👉 Learn more about accepted scores
Other Requirements:
- Students must take 4 years of ELA courses
- Students must have an overall 2.0 GPA in ELA classes on a 4.0 scale
Application Process
Students must apply for the Seal no later than April 1 of their senior year. This allows for all scores to be verified and input. There will be no exceptions. The links are below-
Please input as much information as possible to ensure processing. If you have not yet taken the STAMP, include the anticipated testing date. If you are using the ACT or SAT, please upload ELA proficiency scores if possible.
Deadline: Students can complete the Google form at any time. However, there is a hard and final deadline of April 1st of senior year to submit all documentation. It is the student's responsibility to submit the form and be aware of the criteria required to receive the Seal.
For questions reach out to Wendy Diozzi at wdiozzi@susd.org and refer to the ADE website.