Starting a NYSSB Program at Your District School
Webinar description
Have you been thinking about exploring the idea of starting a NYS Seal of Biliteracy program at your school? This program has experienced tremendous growth since it was first offered in 2015-16. In 2023-24, more than 550 NYS high schools are offering the Seal to their students (which amounts to just over 40% of district high schools in the state). This session will review what the Seal of Biliteracy is, who can earn this distinction, what benefits it brings to students, educators, and schools, as well as what it takes to start a Seal of Biliteracy program. In the second half of the webinar, participants will be placed in breakout rooms by region and will be able to hear from and ask questions to a small team of veteran Seal Coordinators from their region. A wealth of digital resources will be provided, and time will be allotted during the session for questions from participants. Come and learn about how you can honor your English Language Learners (ELLs), your World Language students, and your Heritage Language Speakers who are developing the 21st century skill of biliteracy.
Original webinar date & time: Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
1 hour of CTLE credit offered.
Webinar presenter
Candace Black is the World Languages Associate in the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at the New York State Education Department. She is currently leading the implementation of the revised NYS World Languages Standards and oversees the NYS Seal of Biliteracy program. Candace graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in French from SUNY Potsdam and earned both her M.B.A., and M.A.T. from the University of Rochester. A National Board-Certified Teacher, Candace taught French for 21 years and served as an IB Diploma Coordinator. In 2021, she was the recipient of the President’s Award for both NYSAFLT and NYSAWLA and was elected as a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques by the French government. In all her roles, most especially her current one, Candace is deeply committed to the professional learning and support of World Language teachers and the promotion of the NYS Seal of Biliteracy.
Link to post-assessments (8 versions available)
To receive a certificate of completion (including a CTLE certificate), NYS educators must view the recording of the webinar (see link above) in its entirety and then answer at least seven out of ten questions correctly on a post assessment. If the minimum required score (7 out of 10) is achieved, the educator will receive a certificate via email within about 24 hours. For the convenience of our World Language educators, there are multiple versions of the post assessment available (see 8 versions of the post assessment below), should the required score not be achieved on the first attempt. Educators may take each version of the post assessment once. Credit will not be given for taking a single version of the post assessment more than once. Educators may receive credit for viewing the webinar recording and passing a post assessment once in each academic year and are encouraged to take a different version of the post assessment on a yearly basis to review and test their knowledge of the webinar's content. It is the responsibility of the individual educator to keep track of the information on the professional learning they complete each year, including the number of CTLE hours. Questions about this webinar or the post assessments, should be directed to our office at (518) 473-7505 or at nyssb@nysed.gov.
For more information on the NYS Seal of Biliteracy, please visit our website or contact nyssb@nysed.gov.
Click here to return to the NYSSB Professional Learning page.