CHHS New York State Seal of Biliteracy Program Builds Multilingual Momentum  

What began with just a few trailblazers has evolved into a dynamic and expanding program at CHHS. Spearheaded by the Biliteracy Committee—educators Montserrat Ballina-Llosa, Susan Bree, and Amy Yannarelli-Shaw—the New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB) empowers students to showcase both their language proficiency and cultural understanding.

The number of Croton-Harmon High School students pursuing the Seal of Biliteracy has grown more than sixfold since the program's introduction nearly a decade ago. Because the Seal is optional, student interest has grown organically — often fueled by word of mouth. According to Susan Bree, CHHS French and Spanish teacher, that’s exactly why participation has steadily increased over the years. “When we first introduced the program, only a few students were interested. This year, we have 17 successful seniors, as well as two juniors who have completed the required work for next year,” she said. “Much of the increase in interest came from the students going through the process and talking about it over the years. There was a shift—more students realized they can achieve this too.”

The Seal of Biliteracy includes an evaluative component, culminating in a capstone project presented to a small panel of evaluators. This final presentation demonstrates pre-advanced spoken and written proficiency in two or more languages on a personally meaningful topic. It also serves to honor and strengthen bilingual and literacy skills by applying them in an authentic context beyond the classroom. This year’s projects explored sophisticated, globally relevant themes such as the presence and involvement of foreign nations in several Asian countries, the importance of outdoor learning, and women’s health issues in the Netherlands. 

The Biliteracy Committee has compiled a substantial database of evaluators over the years. In the early years, the most common languages were French, Spanish, and Mandarin—the ones offered in school. But as the program has grown, so has the linguistic diversity of successful student candidates. This year’s cohort includes Dutch, German, Norwegian, Spanish, French, and Mandarin speakers. “The school and local bilingual community have been instrumental in supporting our students, volunteering as evaluators in a growing range of languages,” said Ms. Bree. Freshman, sophomore, and junior students are also working towards future NYSSB presentations. Students in these grades are building proficiency in additional languages, including Russian and Polish.

“Fluency in another language is a student’s secret superpower. It takes commitment to develop that kind of expertise,” said Ms. Bree. “The Seal honors this skill—it’s a distinction that sets students apart and helps them express a multicultural identity others may not see. Most importantly, it inspires them to imagine what’s possible.”