The Colorado State Board of Education voted against a resolution Thursday that would have supported a diploma seal for bilingualism that three districts have implemented.
Officials from the three districts — Denver, Adams 14 and Eagle — had asked the board to support the minimum guidelines they jointly developed to encourage other districts to use them as well.
The districts have variations in their requirements for how a student could prove proficiency in English and one other language, but wanted a minimum bar so businesses or colleges could use it to offer credit or ensure an employee is bilingual.
But some state board members said they were concerned that approving the resolution would be the same as implementing a set of minimum standards that they didn’t understand.
“I certainly support bilingualism. I certainly support biliteracy. I’m not sure I support this particular movement,” board member Pam Manzanec said. “I think it should be done at the school and district level.”
The language in the resolution suggested districts use a Seal of Biliteracy but did not detail how they should award those if they did offer them.
“The Board encourages all Colorado school districts and BOCES to consider ways to recognize and honor their students who demonstrate proficiency in these needed and important skills through the establishment of a Seal of Biliteracy on the high school diploma or transcript of students attaining this distinction,” the resolution states.
The resolution failed on a 5-2 vote with board members Angelika Schroeder and Jane Goff supporting it.
Chairman of the board, Steve Durham, suggested he could change his position if the legislature established a universal set of standards for schools to use.
According to information provided to the board during the meeting, about 13 other states have approved, either through legislation or state rules, a common set of requirements to earn a seal proving fluency in two or more languages.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or @yeseniarobles
