Six of eight Vicksburg High School students who participated in a pilot biliteracy program a Global Seal of Biliteracy at the Functional Fluency level, according to French teacher Jennifer Teal. She petitioned the school board in January to add this test to the curriculum.
This certifies the students at an intermediate-mid level of proficiency in Spanish. They meet the literacy requirement for their native language, English, by earning a high school diploma. All of the students who earned the seal in the pilot are Spanish students at Vicksburg High School, but the seal can be earned by any student who meets the criteria in two or more languages. These six students earned the seal in January after passing a proficiency assessment to certify them at an intermediate-mid level in Spanish. The Global Seal of Biliteracy is a credential that allows recipients to verify their language skills to future schools or future employers.