51461. (a) The State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English, and certifies that the graduate meets all of the following criteria:
(1) Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes.
(2) Passing the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress for English language arts, or any successor test, administered in grade 11, at or above the “standard met” achievement level, or at the achievement level determined by the Superintendent for any successor test.
(3) Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
(A) Passing a world language Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher or an International Baccalaureate examination with a score of 4 or higher.
(B) Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language, attaining an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study, and oral proficiency in the language comparable to that required pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(C) (i) If no Advanced Placement examination or off-the-shelf language test exists and the school district can certify to the Superintendent that the test meets the rigor of a four-year high school course of study in that world language, passing a school district language examination that, at a minimum, assesses speaking, reading, and writing in a language other than English at the proficient level or higher. If a school district offers a language examination in a language in which an Advanced Placement examination or off-the-shelf language test exists, the school district language examination shall be approved by the Superintendent for the purpose of determining proficiency in a language other than English.
(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), a pupil who seeks to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy through a language that is not characterized by listening, speaking, or reading, or for which there is no written system, shall pass an assessment on the modalities that characterize communication in that language at the proficient level or higher.
(D) Passing the SAT II world language examination with a score of 600 or higher.
(b) If the primary language of a pupil in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, is other than English, the pupil shall do both of the following in order to qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy:
(1) Attain the level demonstrating English language proficiency on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or any successor English language proficiency assessment, in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
(2) Meet the requirements of subdivision (a).
(c) For languages in which an Advanced Placement test is not available, the Superintendent may provide a listing of equivalent summative tests that school districts may use in place of an Advanced Placement test for purposes of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a). A school district may provide the Superintendent with a list of equivalent summative tests that the school district uses in place of an Advanced Placement test for purposes of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a). The Superintendent may use lists received from school districts in developing the Superintendent’s list of equivalent summative tests.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), for those pupils on track to graduate in 2020 or 2021, who were unable to take the assessments identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), or who did not receive a letter grade in English language arts to satisfy paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), the Superintendent may provide alternatives to demonstrating attainment of a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English. For pupils who are on track to graduate in 2021 and were unable to take the assessment identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the Superintendent may waive the requirement to pass that assessment.
(e) For purposes of this article, “world language” has the same meaning as defined in Section 91.
(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), for those pupils on track to graduate in 2022 and who were unable to take the assessment identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the Superintendent may use the assessments identified in Section 121 of the act adding this subdivision to determine whether a pupil obtained the achievement level on a grade 11 English language arts assessment for the purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 44, Sec. 65. (AB 130) Effective July 9, 2021.)