The State Seal of Biliteracy is a key element of the LOOK Act. On June 26, 2018, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted regulations that describe the criteria that school districts must use to award the State Seal of Biliteracy. The regulations describe that the purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are to:
- Encourage students to study and master languages;
- Certify attainment of biliteracy skills;
- Recognize the value of language diversity;
- Provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills;
- Provide universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for the attainment of high-level skills in languages;
- Prepare students with skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society; and
- Strengthen intergroup communication and honor the multiple cultures and languages in a community.
Significantly, the State Seal of Biliteracy provides a means to recognize high school graduates who attain high functional and academic levels of proficiency in English and a world language, meaning that those students can function in those languages in authentic, real-life situations. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) has created this guide to assist school districts with implementing these new regulations.