New Jersey Department of Education

New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy

Biliteracy Seal: State of New Jersey Department of Education

The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English by high school graduation. The NJDOE, pursuant to P.L. 2015, c. 303 enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, established the State Seal of Biliteracy program in 2016 to help students recognize the value and the tangible benefits of bilingualism. Since its inception, a total 39,008 Seals of Biliteracy have been awarded. This designation on a student’s high school diploma also provides employers and universities with a method of identifying bilingual candidates, students with 21st century skills, and those who have prioritized the study of other languages and cultures. Moreover, the State Seal of Biliteracy emphasizes the importance of both bilingualism, which facilitates improved communication and boosts the local economy, and cultural understanding, which promotes social acceptance. 

2023-2024 Timeline

January 1 — Testing window opens for juniors

February 8 — Deadline for senior testing (including all retakes)

March 1 — Districts update NJSMART SID Management Biliterate (3 fields) and ELA Pathway fields for graduating 12th graders and adult high school students.

May/June — Certificates uploaded to NJDOE Homeroom, Seal of Biliteracy section

  1. District indicates participation by identifying the district Biliteracy coordinator through the CDS system. Directions for adding or changing the Biliteracy coordinator can be found in the CDS Manual for Regular School Districts and Charters. Questions about the CDS should be directed to CDShelp@doe.nj.gov.
  2. District selects, orders and administers NJDOE approved World Language assessments to juniors and graduating seniors. See the Acceptable Evidence of Proficiency section above for possible assessments and required scores.
  3. District updates NJSMART SID Management Biliterate (3 fields) and ELA Pathway fields for graduating 12th graders and adult high school students. Refer to NJSMART Student Data Handbook for information on each field.
  4. NJDOE verifies NJSMART data and assessment data before uploading certificates for graduating 12th graders and adult high school students who have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy in NJDOE Homeroom.
  5. District downloads certificates from NJDOE Homeroom and distributes to graduating 12th graders and adult high school students.

Atlantic County

  • Atlantic County Vocational School District
  • Egg Harbor Township School District
  • Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District
  • Hammonton School District
  • Mainland Regional High School

Bergen County

  • Bergenfield Borough School District
  • Bogota Public School District
  • Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional High School District
  • Cliffside Park School District
  • Cresskill Public School District
  • Dumont Public School District
  • Elmwood Park School District
  • Englewood Public School District
  • Fair Lawn Public School District
  • Fort Lee School District
  • Garfield Public School District
  • Hackensack School District
  • Hasbrouck Heights School District
  • Lodi School District
  • Lyndhurst School District
  • Mahwah Township Public School District
  • Midland Park School District
  • New Milford Public School District
  • North Arlington School District
  • Northern Highlands Regional High School District
  • Northern Valley Regional High School District
  • Palisades Park School District
  • Paramus Public School District
  • Park Ridge School District
  • Pascack Valley Regional High School District
  • Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District
  • Ramsey School District
  • Ridgefield School District
  • Ridgefield Park Public School District
  • Ridgewood Public School District
  • River Dell Regional School District
  • Rutherford School District
  • Saddle Brook School District
  • Teaneck School District
  • Tenafly Public School District
  • Wallington Boro School District
  • Westwood Regional School District

Burlington County

  • Burlington County Institute of Technology School District
  • Cinnaminson Township School District
  • Delran Township School District
  • Lenape Regional High School District
  • Maple Shade School District
  • Moorestown Township Public School District
  • Northern Burlington County Regional School District
  • Rancocas Valley Regional High School District
  • Riverside Township School District

Camden County

  • Audubon Public School District
  • Black Horse Pike Regional School District
  • Camden City School District
  • Camden County Technical School District
  • Cherry Hill School District
  • Collingswood Public School District
  • Eastern Camden County Regional School District
  • Gloucester City Public School District
  • Haddonfield School District
  • Mastery Schools of Camden, Inc.
  • Pine Hill School District
  • Sterling Regional School District
  • Winslow Township School District

Cape May County

  • Cape May County Technical High School District
  • Cumberland Regional School District
  • Lower Cape May Regional School District
  • Middle Township Public School District
  • Ocean City School District
  • Wildwood City School District

Cumberland County

  • Bridgeton City School District
  • Cumberland County Board of Vocational Education
  • Cumberland Regional School District
  • Vineland Public School District

Essex

  • Belleville Public School District
  • Bloomfield Township School District
  • Caldwell-West Caldwell School District
  • East Orange School District
  • Essex County Schools of Technology
  • Glen Ridge Public School District
  • Irvington Public School District
  • Livingston Board of Education School District
  • Millburn Township School District
  • Montclair Public School District
  • Newark Public School District
  • Nutley Public School District
  • Orange Board of Education School District
  • South Orange-Maplewood School District
  • West Essex Regional School District
  • West Orange Public Schools
  • Verona Public School District

Gloucester County

  • Delsea Regional High School District
  • Kingsway Regional School District
  • Monroe Township Public School District
  • Paulsboro School District
  • Pitman Boro School District
  • Washington Township School District
  • West Deptford Township School District
  • Woodbury City Public School District

Hudson County

  • Bayonne School District
  • Harrison Public Schools
  • Hoboken Public School District
  • Hudson County Schools of Technology School District
  • Jersey City Public Schools
  • Kearny School District
  • North Bergen School District
  • Secaucus School District
  • Union City School District
  • Weehawken Public School District
  • West New York School District

Hunterdon County

  • Delaware Valley Regional High School District
  • South Hunterdon Regional School District
  • Hunterdon Central Regional High School District
  • Hunterdon County Vocational School District
  • North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District

Mercer County

  • Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County
  • East Windsor Regional School District
  • Hamilton Township Public School District
  • Hopewell Valley Regional School District
  • Lawrence Township Public Schools District
  • Trenton Public Schools
  • West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

Middlesex County

  • Carteret Public School District
  • Dunellen Public School District
  • East Brunswick Township School District
  • Edison Township School District
  • Highland Park Boro School District
  • Metuchen Public School District
  • Middlesex Borough School District
  • Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District
  • Monroe Township School District
  • New Brunswick School District
  • North Brunswick Township School District
  • Old Bridge Township School District
  • Perth Amboy Public School District
  • Piscataway Township School District
  • Sayreville School District
  • South Amboy School District
  • South Brunswick School District
  • South Plainfield School District
  • South River Public School District
  • Spotswood Public School District
  • Woodbridge Township School District

Monmouth County

  • Asbury Park School District
  • Freehold Regional High School District
  • Henry Hudson Regional School District
  • Holmdel Township School District
  • Keyport School District
  • Long Branch Public School District
  • Manasquan School District
  • Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District
  • Middletown Township Public School District
  • Monmouth County Vocational School District
  • Monmouth Regional High School
  • Neptune Township School District
  • Red Bank Regional School District
  • Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District
  • Shore Regional High School District
  • Township of Ocean School District
  • Upper Freehold Regional School District
  • Wall Township Public School District

Morris County

  • Butler Public School District
  • Dover Public School District
  • Hanover Park Regional High School District
  • Kinnelon School District
  • Madison Public School District
  • Montville Township School District
  • Morris County Vocational School District
  • Morris Hills Regional School District
  • Morris School District
  • Mount Olive Township School District
  • Mountain Lakes Public School District
  • Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District
  • Pequannock Township School District
  • Randolph Township School District
  • Roxbury Township School District
  • School District of the Chathams
  • West Morris Regional High School District

Ocean County

  • Barnegat Township School District
  • Brick Township Public School District
  • Jackson Township School District
  • Lakewood Township School District
  • Manchester Township School District
  • Ocean County Vocational Technical School District
  • Point Pleasant Borough School District
  • Point Pleasant Beach School District
  • Southern Regional School District
  • Toms River Regional School District

Passaic County

  • Clifton Public School District
  • Hawthorne Public School District
  • Passaic City School District
  • Passaic County Manchester Regional High School District
  • Passaic County Technical-Vocational School District
  • Paterson Public School District
  • Passaic Valley Regional High School District
  • Pompton Lakes School District
  • Wayne Township Public School District
  • West Milford Township Public School District

Salem County

Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District

Somerset County

  • Bernards Township School District
  • Bound Brook School District
  • Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District
  • Franklin Township Public School District
  • Hillsborough Township Public School District
  • Manville School District
  • Montgomery Township School District
  • North Plainfield School District
  • Somerset County Vocational and Technical School District
  • Somerset Hills Regional School District
  • Somerville Public School District
  • Watchung Hills Regional High School District

Sussex County

  • High Point Regional High School District
  • Hopatcong Brought School District
  • Lenape Valley Regional High School District
  • Sparta Township Public School District
  • Vernon Township School District

Union County

  • Berkeley Heights School District
  • Clark Township Public School District
  • Cranford Public School District
  • Elizabeth Public Schools
  • Hillside Public School District
  • Kenilworth School District
  • Linden Public School District
  • New Providence School District
  • Plainfield Public School District
  • Rahway Public School District
  • Roselle Park Public School District
  • Roselle Public School District
  • Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District
  • Springfield Public School District
  • Summit Public School District
  • Union County Vocational-Technical School District
  • Westfield Public School District

Warren County

Warren Hills Regional School District

Charters

  • Academy Charter High School
  • Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Passaic Arts and Science Charter School
  • Paterson Arts and Sciences Charter School
  • Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology
  • Trenton STEM to Civics Charter School
  • LEAP Academy University Charter School
  • An act establishing the State Seal of Biliteracy P.L. 2015,c. 303
  • A district board of education may award a New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy to any student who has met all requirements in N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.2.

Contact Us

Office of Standards

Lavinia Rogers

World Languages Coordinator

lavinia.rogers@doe.nj.gov

 

Note About Resources

The resources provided on this webpage are for informational purposes only. All resources must meet the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) accessibility guidelines. Currently, the NJDOE aims to conform to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). However, the NJDOE does not guarantee that linked external sites conform to Level AA of the WCAG 2.1. Neither NJDOE nor its officers, employees or agents specifically endorse, recommend or favor these resources or the organizations that created them. Please note that the NJDOE has not reviewed or approved the materials related to the programs.

Page Last Updated: 03/15/2024

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