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The Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy recognizes high school graduates who reach a high level of proficiency in English and at least one other language. Massachusetts is one of the states that offers two tiers, a standard seal and a Seal with Distinction, so students can aim higher. This guide covers the requirements, the two levels, the accepted assessments, and how students earn it.
Table of contents
What the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy Is
Quick answer: the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded by participating districts to graduates who demonstrate proficiency in English and in a second language. It is governed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) under 603 CMR 31.00, and it comes in two levels: the Seal of Biliteracy (Intermediate High) and the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction (Advanced Low).
Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy: Key Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Created by the LOOK Act (2017), regulations in 603 CMR 31.00 |
| Proficiency bar | ACTFL Intermediate High in the world language |
| Higher tier | Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction at ACTFL Advanced Low |
| English evidence | MCAS English language arts requirement |
| Reporting | Districts report earners and languages to DESE annually |
Massachusetts pairs the seal with the LOOK Act’s broader bilingual-education reforms, which restored district flexibility to offer dual language and transitional bilingual programs. The seal is the visible credential at the end of those pathways, and the two-tier structure (standard and Distinction) gives strong students a second target worth planning for.
Two Levels: Seal and Seal with Distinction
| Award | Other-language level (ACTFL 2012) |
|---|---|
| Seal of Biliteracy | Intermediate High |
| Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction | Advanced Low |
Both levels also require the English proficiency criteria below. The Distinction level rewards students who have pushed their second language beyond the standard bar.
Massachusetts Requirements
For English proficiency, a student meets one of the following:
- Score Meeting Expectations or Exceeding Expectations on the grade 10 ELA MCAS; OR
- Score Partially Meeting Expectations on the grade 10 ELA MCAS and meet English language proficiency on the WIDA ACCESS assessment taken during high school; OR
- Reach a minimum score on another DESE-approved English assessment.
For the other language, the student reaches Intermediate High (or Advanced Low for Distinction) on a DESE-approved assessment taken during or after grade 8, measuring literacy in the language.
How to Earn It in Massachusetts
- Meet an English proficiency pathway (MCAS, or MCAS plus WIDA ACCESS for English Learners, or an approved assessment).
- Take a DESE-approved language assessment and reach Intermediate High (or Advanced Low for Distinction).
- Your participating district awards the seal at graduation.
Because the language assessment can be taken from grade 8 onward, students have several years to reach the level, and heritage speakers can often demonstrate it directly.
Benefits in Massachusetts
The seal signals college- and career-ready bilingualism and is recognized by many Massachusetts colleges toward world-language credit or placement. The WIDA ACCESS pathway is especially valuable for English Learners, whose growing English proficiency counts directly toward the award, turning a bilingual background into a formal credential.
The English Learner Pathway in Detail
Massachusetts is notable for how directly it lets English Learners qualify. Under 603 CMR 31.00, a student who scores Partially Meeting Expectations on the grade 10 ELA MCAS can still meet the English requirement by also meeting English language proficiency standards on the WIDA ACCESS assessment taken during high school. In effect, growth on ACCESS counts toward the seal, so a bilingual student whose English is still developing is not shut out. This matters because the same student can meet the other-language requirement in their home language, reaching Intermediate High on a Department-approved assessment. The result is a pathway in which both of a student’s languages are recognized rather than treated as competing.
The planning implication is to track two measures in parallel: the ELA MCAS result and the ACCESS score. A student sitting just below the standard MCAS threshold should confirm that their ACCESS results meet the required English language proficiency standard during high school, since that combination, rather than the MCAS alone, opens the English side of the seal.
Aiming for the Standard Seal or Distinction
Massachusetts offers two levels, and the difference is entirely in the other-language proficiency bar: Intermediate High for the Seal of Biliteracy and Advanced Low for the Seal with Distinction. Because the language assessment can be taken from grade 8 onward, students have several years to move from one level to the next, which makes Distinction a realistic stretch goal rather than an all-or-nothing gamble. Heritage speakers are often closest to Advanced Low already and may reach it directly through a proficiency assessment, while world-language learners typically need sustained speaking practice across high school to climb from Intermediate High to Advanced Low. Deciding which tier to target early helps a student choose the right assessment timing and focus their practice on the domain that separates the two levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy requirements?
English proficiency (via grade 10 ELA MCAS, or MCAS plus WIDA ACCESS, or an approved assessment) and Intermediate High in another language on a DESE-approved assessment taken during or after grade 8.
What is the Seal with Distinction?
A higher tier that requires Advanced Low (rather than Intermediate High) in the second language, for students who exceed the standard bar.
How do English Learners qualify?
They can use the MCAS Partially Meeting pathway combined with meeting English language proficiency on WIDA ACCESS during high school.
Who awards it?
Participating Massachusetts districts award the seal under DESE regulation 603 CMR 31.00.
How does the WIDA ACCESS pathway work?
A student scoring Partially Meeting Expectations on the grade 10 ELA MCAS can still meet the English requirement by also meeting English language proficiency standards on WIDA ACCESS taken during high school. This lets English Learners count their growing English proficiency toward the seal.
When can I take the language assessment?
The Department-approved language assessment can be taken during or after grade 8, so students have several years to reach Intermediate High, or Advanced Low for Distinction. Heritage speakers can often demonstrate the level directly.
What separates the Seal from the Seal with Distinction?
Only the other-language proficiency bar. The standard Seal requires Intermediate High, while the Seal with Distinction requires Advanced Low. The English requirement is the same for both.
When did Massachusetts adopt the Seal of Biliteracy?
With the LOOK Act in 2017, which also restored district flexibility for bilingual and dual language programs. The seal’s regulations live in 603 CMR 31.00, and districts report earners to DESE each year.
What is the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction?
A higher tier awarded at ACTFL Advanced Low proficiency, one level above the Intermediate High required for the standard seal. Students close to Advanced Low should plan their assessment timing to leave room for a second attempt.
Related Resources
- What Is the Seal of Biliteracy?
- Seal of Biliteracy Requirements
- Seal of Biliteracy by State
- WIDA ACCESS Explained
Conclusion
The Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy offers two levels and a flexible timeline, with an English Learner pathway that rewards growth on WIDA ACCESS. Aim for Intermediate High, or stretch to Advanced Low for Distinction, and back it with steady speaking and listening practice through high school.
Sources: Massachusetts DESE, State Seal of Biliteracy; 603 CMR 31.00; SealofBiliteracy.org.
A Credential That Asks Students to Grow on Two Fronts
Massachusetts is unusual in how squarely its seal rewards both languages at once. An English Learner can count growth on WIDA ACCESS toward the English side while still needing to reach Intermediate High, or Advanced Low for Distinction, in the home language. That is real progress demanded on two fronts, and both fronts hinge on the skill schools find hardest to scale: spoken proficiency.
The constraint is arithmetic. Advancing a student’s English and their partner language both take sustained speaking practice with feedback, and a single teacher, whether in the ELD block or the world-language classroom, cannot hold that many individual conversations in a period. The pathways are generous; the practice time behind them is not.
So some Massachusetts districts are extending practice on both sides. Telo AI is one example, offering adaptive conversation and feedback through separate English, Spanish, and French apps, supporting the English an ACCESS pathway rewards and the partner language the seal certifies.
See how students build proficiency on both sides of a bilingual credential: https://mytelo.ai/how-telo-works/
When both languages get genuine practice, the seal recognizes a student who is truly bilingual, not one who cleared two separate thresholds. That is the promise of biliteracy worth certifying, and it rests on the quiet work of practicing both languages until they hold.