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The Washington State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded by Washington school districts, under rules set by OSPI, to graduates who meet the state’s English graduation requirements and show proficiency in one or more other languages. Since the 2025-26 school year it has two levels, an Intermediate award and an Advanced award, and districts are required to award it: “Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, school districts shall award the seal.” In 2024-25, 7,125 Washington graduates earned it. This guide covers the requirements for each level, the tests and scores, competency-based credits, and tribal languages.
Table of contents
What the Washington Seal of Biliteracy Is
Quick answer: the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes public, charter and State-Tribal Education Compact school graduates who meet the English graduation requirements and reach at least Intermediate Mid in another language, by test score, competency-based credits, AP or IB. It appears on both the diploma and the transcript.
Key Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Administered by | OSPI rules; awarded by school districts |
| Law | RCW 28A.300.575 (2014, amended 2024); WAC 392-410-350 |
| English | State minimum graduation requirements in English; “Earn 4 ELA credits” |
| Levels | Intermediate award and Advanced award, since 2025-26 |
| Participation | Mandatory for districts from 2025-26 |
| Languages | “All languages are valid,” including ASL, classical and tribal languages |
| 2024-25 | 7,125 graduates earned the seal |
Washington Seal of Biliteracy Requirements, by Level
| Intermediate award | Advanced award | |
|---|---|---|
| Proficiency | “intermediate-mid level proficiency or higher on all components” (ACTFL), CEFR B1.1 or ILR 1+ | Advanced Low, CEFR B2.1 or ILR 2 |
| Credits route | 4 competency-based credits | Intermediate Mid or 4 credits in two or more languages, or four credits of dual language arts in one language |
| AP | Language and Culture 3 or 4 | Language and Culture 5, or Literature 3 |
| IB | 4 or 5 | 6 or higher, or two Language A requirements |
| Tribal languages | Intermediate proficiency, as determined by the tribe | Per the tribe’s determination |
For languages that are not written, the statute requires speaking only.
Approved Tests and Minimum Scores
| Assessment | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| AAPPL | I-4 | A-1 |
| STAMP (all versions), SuperLanguage | 5 | 7 |
| OPI or OPIc plus WPT | Intermediate Mid | Advanced Low |
| ALIRA | I-5 | A-1 |
| AP Language and Culture | 3 | 5 |
| IB Language B | SL 4, HL 3 | SL 6, HL 5 |
| NEWL | 3 | 5 |
| About 25 CEFR exams (DELE, DELF, Goethe, SIELE and others) | B1 | B2 |
From OSPI’s Approved Assessment Options page. OSPI’s table and the rule differ slightly on IB Higher Level scores; check with your district. For languages without a standard test, OSPI’s custom testing covered 96 languages in 2024-25 and has moved to Avant SuperLanguage at $150 per test; its legislative funding “has been discontinued.” How these tests compare with other states is in Seal of Biliteracy test.
Competency-Based Credits
Washington lets students earn up to four world language credits by demonstrating proficiency, under RCW 28A.230.090, and four credits count as the Intermediate seal. In the same year, 6,260 students earned competency credits. For heritage speakers and English learners, this is often the most direct route: the proficiency they already have becomes both credits toward graduation and a seal on the diploma.
Tribal Languages and ASL
For tribal languages, proficiency is “determined by the sovereign tribal government,” and students are assessed by an educator certified in First Peoples’ Language, Culture, and Oral Traditions. American Sign Language counts at Intermediate Mid.
How Districts Award It
Districts identify students, test them in any grade (OSPI suggests grade 8 or 9), and report them through CEDARS. Students do not apply to the state. Private and home-schooled students are not eligible and are pointed to the Global Seal of Biliteracy. English learners have no separate English test route: they meet the English graduation requirements like every student.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Washington Seal of Biliteracy requirements?
The state English graduation requirements, plus Intermediate Mid or higher in another language by test, four competency-based credits, AP 3 or IB 4.
What are the two Washington seal levels?
The Intermediate award (Intermediate Mid, CEFR B1.1, ILR 1+) and the Advanced award (Advanced Low, CEFR B2.1, ILR 2, or proficiency in two or more languages).
Do all Washington districts award the seal?
Yes. From the 2025-26 school year, districts are required to award it.
Do competency-based credits count?
Yes. Four competency-based credits in one language meet the Intermediate award.
Can private school students earn it?
No. It is for public, charter and State-Tribal Education Compact students; others can pursue the Global Seal of Biliteracy.
Related Resources
- Seal of Biliteracy Test
- Oregon Seal of Biliteracy
- What Is the Seal of Biliteracy?
- How to Get the Seal of Biliteracy
- Seal of Biliteracy by State
Conclusion
Washington’s seal is now mandatory, two-level and unusually flexible: a test, four competency credits, AP or IB can all earn it, in any language including tribal languages. The Advanced award raises the ceiling for students who are already strong, and the competency-credit route lets districts turn the languages their students already speak into seals.
Sources: OSPI, Washington State Seal of Biliteracy; OSPI, Approved Assessment Options; WAC 392-410-350; RCW 28A.300.575; OSPI, 2025 report to the Legislature. Verified September 28, 2026.
Intermediate Mid on All Components
The Intermediate award asks for Intermediate Mid “on all components.” For students who learned the language in class, the component that falls short is usually speaking, because a class of twenty-five leaves each student a few minutes of conversation a day. That is the Speaking Time Gap.
Some schools add speaking practice that does not depend on class time. Telo AI is one example: short conversation sessions in English, Spanish or French that adapt to each student’s level and ask follow-up questions instead of accepting one-word answers. See how that works across a school year.
A mandatory seal puts every student’s languages on the table. Practice decides how many of them reach the diploma.
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