An examination of the postgraduation benefits of earning a Seal of Biliteracy

Abstract

Across the United States, students have the opportunity to earn a Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) when they graduate from high school. Awarded to students who demonstrate proficiency in two or more languages, the SoBL originated to confront English‐only ideologies and promote multilingualism. But critics question the impact of the policy on students and whether English‐dominant students experience greater impacts than their linguistically‐minoritized peers. To that end, this study posed the question, What do recipients report postgraduation as benefits of earning a SoBL? In this qualitative investigation, 33 SoBL earners were interviewed postgraduation to analyze the benefits that they experienced from SoBL attainment. Four themes characterized the findings: increased employability in sales and education, pride and acknowledgment for linguistically‐minoritized students, greater confidence and interest in postsecondary education, and difficulty receiving college credit. The article concludes with implications for strengthening the impact of the policy.