Seal for bilingual high school grads clears Colorado hurdle

The Senate approved the seal on a 30–5 vote.

DENVER (AP) — A movement to add a seal to the high-school diplomas of Colorado students who speak more than one language has cleared a hurdle that stopped it last year.

The “seal of biliteracy” would mean that a student can speak English and one other language.

The state Senate approved the seal 30–5 Wednesday. Last year, the chamber rejected the seal. The bill now heads to the House.

A few Colorado school districts already offer bilingual seals. The bill would set statewide standards for how a student proves they are bilingual.

Advocates say the seals help employers tell the difference between potential hires who have studied a language and those who are truly fluent.

At least 21 other states offer bilingual seals on high school diplomas.

— The Associated Press