SACRAMENTO -- Assembly Bill 370, authored by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D- Morro Bay), was signed into law today by California Governor Gavin Newsom. AB 370, also known as the Biliteracy Advancement Act, creates 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. 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," Addis said. "I appreciate the Governor's commitment to uplifting California's multilingual learners by providing all student with expanded yet rigorous opportunities to achieve the Seal."
Due to existing disparities in the State Seal of Biliteracy criteria, English language learners are placed at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to earning the Seal. 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.
Dawn Addis was elected to the California State Assembly in 2022 to represent the coastal 30th Assembly District, which includes large portions of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties and the south-eastern area of Santa Cruz County.
CONTACT: Jim Evans, 916-319-2030