More than 325 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students are recipients of the 2021 Georgia Department of Education Seal of Biliteracy. The honor recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. To earn the seal, students must have demonstrated bilingualism and biliteracy in both English (by achieving a minimum letter grade “B” average on all English Language Arts courses required for graduation) and high proficiency in an additional world language (measured by success on a state-approved assessment such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate). A total of 330 GCPS students earned the seal, more than any school district in the state.
“These students are talented and hardworking, and we are proud of them,” said Dr. Jon Valentine, GCPS’ director of World Languages and Dual Language Immersion. “Congratulations to our World Languages teacher and leader teams. This is a wonderful honor for these students, and demonstration of the high standards of our World Languages teaching teams. These students can reference this accomplishment on their resumes for a lifetime.”
The Georgia Seal of Biliteracy was established in 2016 to encourage students to study foreign languages; recognize and promote foreign language instruction in public schools; certify attainment of biliteracy; provide employers with a method to identify people with language and biliteracy skills; and provide universities with a method to recognize and give academic credit to applicants seeking admission.
Gwinnett students earning the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy represented the following languages: Spanish, Chinese, French, and German. They attended the following schools:
- Archer
- Berkmar
- Brookwood
- Central Gwinnett
- Collins Hill
- Dacula
- Discovery
- Duluth
- Grayson
- GSMST
- Lanier
- Meadowcreek
- Mill Creek
- Mountain View
- Norcross
- North Gwinnett
- Parkview
- Paul Duke Stem
- Peachtree Ridge
- Shiloh
- South Gwinnett