Aliso’s Spanish students are diligently studying to retake the Spanish Seal of Biliteracy test as the retake period is quickly approaching.
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given to high school students who have developed expertise in another language in addition to English. The award is seen as favorable by colleges and is a great addition to applications.
Last year’s Seal of Biliteracy test left many students disappointed with their scores due to the unexpected change in the regulations surrounding the Seal of Biliteracy and how students are able to receive it. Luckily, last year’s Spanish students have the ability to retake the test by the end of this month, and potentially later in the year.
Mrs McClellan is a teacher at Aliso Niguel High School who teaches Spanish II, IV and English Language Development Standards class. Mrs. McClellan shared that she is going to have her previous students from last year retake the test sometime towards the end of November. Spanish teachers have been given a window at the end of this month to administer the test at their own discretion. Mrs McClellan wants to give her students the test as late as possible in order to give them the maximum amount of time to prepare, giving them the best opportunity to pass this year.
Mrs McClellan was the only regular Spanish IV teacher last year, as all the other teachers taught Advanced Placement Spanish IV classes. This has left her with the largest number of students who did not pass in comparison to the other teachers due to AP students having both the Seal of Biliteracy Test and the AP test as opportunities to earn their Seal.
Mrs. McClellan is currently reaching out to as many students from last year who failed via email. She emphasized her desire to keep them informed on the upcoming retake and the various ways they can study to prepare themselves to retake the test.
Currently, Mrs McClellan has added the students who are eligible to retake the test into a Quizlet classroom, allowing them access to vocabulary study sets from last year. In addition, Mrs McClellan is hosting upcoming Wolverine+ study sessions, with the main focus of encouraging those who are retaking the test to brush up on their speaking skills.
While the Spanish teachers attempt to prepare their students for the retake test, a lot is still unknown about the test. Details such as who will administer the test, when and where the test will take place and the contents of the test itself.
Mrs. McClellan admitted, “The district has not let us know, they just gave us the time window of November”.
While many affected students may be caught off guard by the fast-approaching deadline and the lack of warning ahead of time, there may still be another opportunity for them to retake the test later in the year. Although it is not confirmed, there is a possibility that students who failed their Seal of Biliteracy test, along with the upcoming November retake, can take it again with this year’s Spanish students in February. Similar to the November retake, many specifics are unknown but Mrs McClellan reaffirms she will have her students take it as late as possible, allowing for the most amount of time to study.
Alex Silyvea (12) took the test last year and passed despite the very odd circumstances. His biggest piece of advice for retakers and first time students is that “You can do it how many times you want, just press redo”.
Teachers at Aliso Niguel High School urge their students to thoroughly prepare as the deadline for the Seal of Biliteracy test retakes is quickly approaching.
