Getting Started
The State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is your primary source of information about World Language Competency-Based Credit Testing and the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy.
Learn more from our State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at:
WAFLT is Here to Help
The WAFLT volunteer testing experts have a decade of experience establishing testing programs in 30+ school districts in Washington. Whether large or small, we can help you create sustainable systems to test your bilingual/biliterate students.
To get started, we need to know whether you’re from a K-12 public school district or in an independent school, community-based language program, homeschooling, or perhaps in a community college, university, or career person. Also, are you testing primarily for students to earn high school Competency-Based Credits in a world language they know, or are you specifically testing for the Seal of Biliteracy?
FAQs for Districts
Q: Should we start by testing just a few languages, for example with the STAMP test or AP language tests to qualify students for the State Seal of Biliteracy?
A: The WAFLT Testing team believes that the most important consideration is equitable access to earning World Language Credits and qualifying for the Seal of Biliteracy. If a district limits the languages tested to the “easy to test” languages, it’s quite possible that some students and their languages will be excluded. And, most likely, these would be students whose languages are not taught in our schools. In our experience, it is not that difficult to test all languages. That’s why WAFLT has made the commitment to support districts to offer testing opportunities for all languages.
Q: If our district can’t provide testing opportunities for students, can they test somewhere else?
A: While some districts and universities have allowed out of district students to test at their testing sites over the past eight years, at this time, those opportunities are very limited. WAFLT would like to support each district to test their own students within their district. That’s why we volunteer our time to help you succeed.
FAQs for Non-Public Schools
Q: Can non-public schools offer Competency-Based Credit testing?
A: Yes. The State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction encourages independent schools to follow the same state guidelines for awarding credits. The WAFLT Testing Team stands ready to help you offer testing opportunities to your students.
Q: Can non-public schools award the Seal of Biliteracy?
A: The State Seal of Biliteracy may only be awarded to public high school students. However, non-public schools and homeschoolers can earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy. Learn more at https://theglobalseal.com/.
Indigenous & Tribal Languages
Washington State has 29 official tribes. Each tribe is a sovereign nation with agreements between each tribal government and the U.S. government. Tribes determine their proficiency for their language and culture as well as their teacher certification. The Office of Native Education at OSPI works directly with each tribe.
If you have a student who would like to test in a tribal language, please contact the Office of Native Education directly.
For more information about Native Education, please visit:
https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/access-opportunity-education/native-education
WAFLT can provide Seal of Biliteracy Medallions for any students who qualify. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us.