The Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy Committee announced that 37 students from the Pulaski County Special School District have earned the Seal of Biliteracy, signifying a proficiency in English and at least one other language by high school graduation.
The Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy is awarded each spring and fall to students in grades 9 through 12 and is sponsored by the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association (AFLTA) and the Arkansas Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ARKTESOL). The Arkansas Department of Education officially endorsed the Seal in June 2018.
PCSSD students had earned a total of 17 Seal of Biliteracy between 2021-22 and 2024-25.
“I knew our high school [English for Speakers of other Languages] team was working hard to help students earn the Seal of Biliteracy, but I didn't expect to see such a large number earn it, especially considering we are only halfway through the year! That's amazing and represents years-long effort by the ESOL department to increase the number of Seal of Biliteracy recipients in PCSSD,” said Samantha Honea, PCSSD ESOL coordinator.
“I am so proud of our students, and I also want to recognize ESOL Specialists Holly Cleveland (Robinson HS), Amanda Krell (Maumelle HS), Jessica Parker and Kari Owens (Mills HS), and Rosalie Siracuse (Sylvan Hills HS) for their efforts to help our students earn this award,” Honea said.
Adopted first by California in 2011, the Seal of Biliteracy is now recognized in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. According to the official website, “The Seal of Biliteracy encourages students to pursue biliteracy, honors the skills our students attain, and can be evidence of skills that are attractive to future employers and college admissions offices.”
“This is an exceptional accomplishment for our students who have worked incredibly hard to earn this achievement,” said Jeff Senn, PCSSD superintendent. “Additionally, our teachers have shown a great deal of dedication in making sure our students were prepared to earn the Seal of Biliteracy.”
Students from each PCSSD high school who earned the Seal of Biliteracy are included below:
Maumelle High School
Last Name | First Name | Language(s) | Grade |
Nguyen | Hanah | Vietnamese | 10th |
Mills University Studies High School
Joe T. Robinson High School
Last Name | First Name | Language(s) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Sylvan Hills High School
Last Name | First Name | Language(s) | Grade |
The spring 2026 Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy application is now open. Students can apply online now through midnight on Friday, April 10, at www.arbiliteracy.org. For more information about the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy, contact the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy Committee at ARbiliteracy@gmail.com.